Turkey how do you cook it

[tinca]

Now there are recipe after recipe for turkey, but do you have the best to keep that christmas day monster juicy

I usually give it a blast at gas 7 for around 20mins then down to gas 4 for the rest of it
But some say not to hot at the begining and cook straight from a low temp like Gas4 or 5

Now my chickens are always done at high temps and come out very juicey all the time but with turkey it seems to be a no no, i can understand the reasoning for getting the heat through the meat and at high temps its just going to cook the outside, but if the cavity is left open surely it would cook like my chicks, longer of course
Any ideas on this
Merry christmas everyone

[Richierich]

Do tell more about the chickens, thats what we're having - I can offer you no help with a turkey! Short of stealing/borrowing (bastardising) some wisdom from Chuckwagon, when it comes out of the oven if it looks like a turkey, smells like one and sounds like one, it needs a little longer

[vagreys]

I keep turkey and chicken juicy by either spit-roasting over indirect coals, or turning it every 15 minutes in a 350°F oven.

A 4-lb. chicken cooks in the oven for 20 minutes per pound at 350°F, and turned a quarter turn every 15 minutes.

A turkey cooks for 12-18 minutes per pound at 350°F, depending on the size of the bird. Again, turned a quarter turn every 15 minutes.

If spit roasting, I cook the birds at about the same timing over medium, indirect coals.

Check for doneness and adjust as necessary, by whatever methods you use for poultry.

[Chuckwagon]

Hi Tinca,
The secret of moist, juicy turkey is simple. Most people (and I mean most) overcook the bird. If you use a thermometer and stop the cooking when the temperature of the breast reaches 77° C. (170°F.), the “carryover effect” will raise the temp another 7 or 8 degrees while it sits on the countertop to rest. When you cut into the bird you’ll notice juices running and moist meat. The bird starts to become dry at higher temperatures than 82°C. (180°F.)
If you want “super-moist” meat, brine the bird overnight in enough water to cover it and ½ cup salt mixed into the water. Folks here often pour a liter of the soft-drink Seven-up or Sprite or Dr. Pepper into the water (overnight) for a great taste.
Best wishes, Chuckwagon

[wheels]

Chuckle-brother,

Your post is timeous, I was going to say that the best way to get a moist bird (work your own jokes) is to invest in a meat thermometer!

Phil

[tinca]

Do tell more about the chickens, thats what we're having - I can offer you no help with a turkey! Short of stealing/borrowing (bastardising) some wisdom from Chuckwagon, when it comes out of the oven if it looks like a turkey, smells like one and sounds like one, it needs a little longer

Simples, dont stuff the bottom end for starters, leave it untrussed and open, you can add stuffing to the breast end, but all i do is olive oil over the bird and alittle salt and pepper, also inside ,now if you want to add other flavours that down to you, i preheat the oven on high and wack the bird in for 10 mins then turn down to around gas 6.i dont time it as ive got used to telling when its done, baste a few times during the cooking, leave to rest when done and you will see a bird that looks as though its had sun burn with all the bubbles of fluid under the skin and around the thighs, when you cut into it it pours out PS wash and dry the bird first too before cooking If only i could get a turkey like that
I must say years ago before my time they would put a cannon ball inside poultry the size of turkeys , ie swan , goose etc so that the heat would radiate outwards as well as inwards from the heat source, hence why i dont like stuffing the arse of the bird, it gets a good heat flowing through it , so from outer and inner sides of the bird keeping it moist.Hopefully Gaz

[tinca]

Hi Tinca,
The secret of moist, juicy turkey is simple. Most people (and I mean most) overcook the bird. If you use a thermometer and stop the cooking when the temperature of the breast reaches 77° C. (170°F.), the “carryover effect” will raise the temp another 7 or 8 degrees while it sits on the countertop to rest. When you cut into the bird you’ll notice juices running and moist meat. The bird starts to become dry at higher temperatures than 82°C. (180°F.)
If you want “super-moist” meat, brine the bird overnight in enough water to cover it and ½ cup salt mixed into the water. Folks here often pour a liter of the soft-drink Seven-up or Sprite or Dr. Pepper into the water (overnight) for a great taste.
Best wishes, Chuckwagon

I fank noo Mr Chuck i did have some little indicator thermometers, plastic type with a red indicator that pops out when ready, but cant find them anywhere in the shops this year,so will have to use one of the many crappy ones ive got and hope, unfortunatly mine is a pre-brined bird, but was tinkering with the idea of still semi brining it, more adding flavour then brining, most people over hear use the thick part of the thigh to test for done-ness, with using the therm in the breast would the thighs still be cooked enough Im jotting down the temps now Cheers Gaz

[tinca]

I keep turkey and chicken juicy by either spit-roasting over indirect coals, or turning it every 15 minutes in a 350°F oven.

A 4-lb. chicken cooks in the oven for 20 minutes per pound at 350°F, and turned a quarter turn every 15 minutes.

A turkey cooks for 12-18 minutes per pound at 350°F, depending on the size of the bird. Again, turned a quarter turn every 15 minutes.

If spit roasting, I cook the birds at about the same timing over medium, indirect coals.

Check for doneness and adjust as necessary, by whatever methods you use for poultry.

Thanks for yer input , but we are British and since Cromwell died we dont spit roast that often now
Now youve got me thinking can i use my smoker and turn it into a spit roaster Sorry the wife would go mad, and its bloody cold outside and if i cock it up , the shame would be too much
Merry Christmas over there Chuckwagon.......Gaz

[Gerry D]

I cook aty least 3 turkeys a year and I have two methods that I go back and forth between. Most time its a combination of the two. If I have the time its on the smoker.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wolf ... index.html

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/madmaxturkey.htm

Can't go wong with either one.

[Nutczak]

The natural design of a turkey makes them difficult to get absolutely perfect when roasting them whole.

Those little plastic pop-up indicators!! all they do is tell you that have overcooked the bird and it will be drier than a popcorn fart, if they even pop up at all. I have never seen one of those indicators pop up when my turkeys are removed from the oven, smoker, or Weber grill.

You need to cook the meat to 165F degrees to kill any salmonella bacteria waiting to sicken you, but the drier breast area will reach 165 before the thigh & leg area will. So what can one do to make this happen?

I like to make a tent of aluminum foil to cover the breast, I also do not truss the legs of the bird so heat can penetrate the thigh area better.
never ever stuff a bird!! you are creating an environment that is perfect for harmful bacteria to grow, and to get that stuffing up to a safe serving temp, you are guaranteed to over cook the meat even more.
You can also insert steel skewers into the thigh to transmit more heat in there.

Some people like to roast with the breast down for the first half of the cooking cycle, I do not do that because a beautiful golden brown skin is important to me for presentation.

If a whole turkey is not important for presentation and table side carving, I suggest you separate the thighs from the breast, and use an accurate instant-read thermometer to watch the cooking progress and remove the turkey a full 4-5 degrees before it is done and let the carryover cooking handle the rest.

Oven temps??? I like 275F to start, baste with melted butted, and lower the temps as cooking progresses. I also remove excess liquids from the pan so I can have a wonderful gravy to join the mashed taters on the plate.

I might do a bird this winter, but I just did one in November for our Thanksgiving holiday less than 1 month ago. I am hankering for a big smoked ham dotted with whole cloves, and a caramelized spiced-sugar glaze and rolls slathered in imported Italian butter from the Parmigiana Reggiano region. (way better than the US sourced butter we see due to the fat content and bacterial inoculation that imparts a heavenly flavor)

[Mike D]

Nutczak said:

I am hankering for a big smoked ham dotted with whole cloves, and a caramelized spiced-sugar glaze

Hmmm.... I do two of these last night, all glazed and sparkling this morning now

[saucisson]

This year I'm going to remove the legs; the drumsticks will go next to the crown, the thigh meat will go into a terrine and the back bone etc will make a stock for the gravy. Apparently I can do most of this tomorrow keep everything in the fridge and just slam the terrine and meat into the oven for 90 or so minutes halfway through the morning on Christmas day. If it doesn't work Garry Rhodes is a dead man

Dave

[Oddley]

I know everybody says goose, but I can't help it, I love the very subtle taste of Turkey. The celebrity chefs say it has no taste, I secretly think to myself, it's not that they have no taste, it's your limited palate, if you can't appreciate the delicious subtlety of it.

Dave, I always take the legs and wings off the carcass and start cooking them about 3/4 hour before the rest of the bird. Keep checking it with a thermometer and rest it well, when done. Always comes out good for me.

[saucisson]

Thanks, I may well clip its wings before popping it in then

Dave

[wheels]

I'm picking my turkey up tommorrow from the farm just ½ mile up the road. I've finally decided, I'm going to take the legs off then bone, stuff and roll then - It'll mean an extra hour in bed on Christmas day and easier carving!

Phil