How y'all gonna cook your bird?

[Bill in Oregon]

I am planning to brine my turkey overnight and then grill/smoke it on the Traeger pellet grill. The potential is there for a spectacular bird, if internal temperatures and skin doneness all come together for me while the guests wait. This has not always been the case, unfortunately.
Wish me luck, and I'll do the same for the Levergun gang.
Bill

[FWiedner]

I was thinking of trying the French Heretics Recipe.

I'll tie it to a stake, build a bonfire under it, and sing songs of praise as it cooks.

I may sputter a a few epithets against witchcraft and the evils of holiday gluttony.

Then we'll all have pie.

[44-40 Willy]

We've deep fried ours for several years now.

[Mescalero]

How do you make your brine?

[damienph]

Hmm, I'll have to ask my sister, I always eat Thanksgiving dinner at her house. And she is one fantastic cook!!

[J Miller]

Our oven is soooooooooo small about all we can cook is a chicken or a medium ham or a turkey breast. Well, we can do a small turkey.

Generally my wife stuffs 'em full of goodies and bakes the bird in a double walled roaster we bartered for 25 years ago.

Then once the cats get filled up we eat the left overs ......

Joe

[Bill in Oregon]

I was going to use this recipe from Ifish.net, an Oregon fishing forum. You don't want a heavily injected turkey like a kosher or Butterball, but the way.:

As I'm getting back into cooking the big bird this year I had to go find the brining recipe that I had used a few years ago to stunning success. Here it is for those who want the juiciest, most flavorful turkey ever:

1 1/2 cups, KOSHER salt (not regular, use Kosher)
1 1/4 cups, brown sugar
10 whole cloves
3 teaspoons, black peppercorns
1 1/2 gallons (6 quarts) apple juice or cider (non-alcoholic)
The peel from one orange or one tangerine (colored part only - not white pith)
Optional: 3 teaspoons, dried thyme and/or 3 teaspoons, dried sage

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot, bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (partly covered). Allow brine to cool completely.

Rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out (remove giblets from body cavity - but reserve them, if desired, for giblet gravy).

Pat turkey dry with paper towels, then immerse turkey in cooled brine. Turkey should be COMPLETELY submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid).

Cover the pot and refrigerate for at least 8-10 hours, up to 24 hours.

Remove turkey, rinse, pat dry, and roast as usual.

Let the roast sit at room temperature for at least 1/2 an hour prior to carving.

Note: *Be sure that the container for the turkey in brine is non-reactive: use enamel, glass, crockery, stainless steel, even a plastic bucket - never cast iron or aluminum. The pot should be just large enough to contain the turkey (so the brine will be sufficient to cover the bird).

[Mescalero]

Thank you very much!

[soon 2 retire]

Bill, your brine sounds better than the one I use. I use one and a half gallons of water and 1 lb. each of kosher salt and dark brown sugar. The rest of the process is about like yours.

This year however we're getting the entire meal from Whole Foods.



Bob in Friday Harbor

[rimrock]

This one is smaller than normal. Lots of butter, salt and pepper in a browning bag in the oven on about 225 for 4-5 hours. One moist turkey.

[Rusty]

The best I ever had was one I smoked, but the smoker bit the dust and I never replaced it.

[Blaine]

Stuff w/apple & onions.....rub w/sesame oil & seasoning.....roast on rack w/tinfoil tent.

[Mescalero]

Does the brine impart " a taste?

[soon 2 retire]

Bill, your brine sounds better than the one I use. I use one and a half gallons of water and 1 lb. each of kosher salt and dark brown sugar. The rest of the process is about like yours.


I forgot to mention that I only use this brine when deep frying turkey. Also the turkey used shouldnt be pre-injected by the packer with a salt solution. And I've heard that if the turkey is cooked in the conventional manner (roasted) and an overly salt laden brine is used then the juices will be way to salty to make edible gravy.



Bob in Friday Harbor

[mack]

A dry poultry rub from a local outfit, a big ole onion in its gut, and mesquite smoke on the Traeger.

[Mescalero]

Am allergic to an enzyme in onion, out of the question.

[Blaine]

Am allergic to an enzyme in onion, out of the question.

Apples, garlic and celery then, douched with some liquid smoke. Anything tasty that will release some moisture from the inside.

[Mescalero]

Ahhh Sooooooo

[Blaine]

Ahhh Sooooooo

Remember Beer Can Chicken?

[spaceman spiff]

We've deep fried ours for several years now.

+1

We also deep fry a bird for Deer camp



spaceman

[Mescalero]

Si,
Yo say, gracias!

[El Chivo]

just mashed potatoes this year.

[mack]

Am allergic to an enzyme in onion, out of the question.

That must make life interesting, there is onion hidden in all kings of stuff. I don't think I've ever known anyone who was allergic to onion. An apple can work just as well.

[piller]

I am going to deep fry it and use Cajun Injector brand Creole Butter seasoning. My mother always used to roast the turkey and she was furious the first time they were at my place and I fried one. She refused to touch it until my dad was on his third helping. She was so mad that she was a deep maroon color, but she tried it anyway. After the second helping, she admitted that it was not too bad.