Thanksgiving
Offline I'm a bit of a cook when it comes to my stomach. I grew up with an old school grandmother who taught me to cook a lot of Eastern European dishes. I loved cooking with her and today I still use those skills for every day meals or big parties.
My mom always cooks this big spread for Thanksgiving. We have turkey, ham, every veggie you can think of, etc. It's really over done and being a mom who also runs her own company I decide that this year she should get a break. So I offered to cook the turkey for her.
I've been looking online and I see a lot of roasters, smokers, fryers, etc which are almost all new to me. The only item which I'm even closely familiar with is the slow roaster, but while I've never dried a turkey I've done my fair share of shrimp and other smaller delicacies.
Can some of you give me your input on how you cook or family cooks their turkey? We will be getting a 22lb turkey so that will give you an idea of my project.
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If I actually knew of any helpful information I would certainly post it. At least with as large of a membership as we have here on RRS I feel pretty sure somebody will come along shortly with some good info.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html
Generally I prefer to break my turkey down and cook the pieces, but when I have to cook the whole bird, I use Alton Browns process and just change up the spices. Brining it really helps keep it moist and adds flavor. For the pan, using two off the aluminum disposable ones will work.
I am not a fan of the apple/cinnamon so I sometimes use anise, celery, fennel or when cooking for a crowd that can handle heat some peppers. Any kind of aromatics work it just depends on your preference. I also use butter instead of oil for browning.
I usually do the brine outside but if it is too warm just add plastic bags of ice to keep the temp at or a little below 40, that way you have space in the fridge.
If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on him and make him embrace me and pretend to be friendly or brotherly toward me, then that's not brotherhood, that's hypocrisy.- Malcolm X
I'm not really big on turkey, so I've never cooked one. I've kinda wanted to try to deep fry one. I've heard it's awesome. But also hard to pull off.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
i prefer to deep fry. i use a propane fryer filled with peanut oil. you have to get the oil as hot as possible. i like to use a syringe to inject the meat with jerk sauce, but that's just my preference.
it's been years since i've done one, so check the web for frying times. i don't know who could possibly say deep-frying a turkey is hard. deep-frying anything is the easiest thing in the world. as i said, just get the oil HOT HOT HOT.
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
if you do decide to oven roast the thing, go breast down, and make sure there's always a half inch or so of liquid in the bottom of the pan (water works just fine). that's how i do chickens (i've never oven roasted a turkey--quite frankly i think chicken is just better meat than turkey; we do turkey because it's traditional). shove plenty of butter up under the skin on the breast. then, during the last half-hour or so, turn the turkey over and switch on the broiler to crisp up the skin on the breast real nice. it should turn golden.
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
Yeah, I have had deep fried turkey and it was pretty good. I have never done it myself though. If I am deep frying a bird it is going to be chicken- those critters evolved specially for deep frying. Dammit, I want some chicken and waffles now.
If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on him and make him embrace me and pretend to be friendly or brotherly toward me, then that's not brotherhood, that's hypocrisy.- Malcolm X
Wow... never thought of breast down. That's a brilliant idea (and I'm not joking with you).
The white meat is always what dries out and the dark meat takes longer to cool. The only think I wonder about is the browning of the top skin getting crispy. If you turn it over, do you think it would take a lot longer to crisp? Either way I really like this idea.
I love Alton Brown. My wife got me a mega cook book by him a few years back. His show Good Eats is party history/part science/part cooking which I really find entertaining.
I don't like the apples mix either. I prefer the celery and fennel or even rosemary. Not sure about peppers but it would be different.
I agree with using butter. I don't like using oil to crisp the skin on any thing. I even use butter on the outside of baked ham.
I really want to try deep frying. I think it would be really awesome, but I've heard the flavor is a little like fried chicken.
I have done the injection method on other meats but wouldn't the hole you punch in to the skin cause the juices to come out or do you seal it/doesn't matter?
Don't have a heart attack Beyond, I am supporting the private sector by buying my spread at a local deli prepared so all we have to do is heat it in the microwave.
DAMNED LIBERALS!
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
i really don't think it matters with deep frying. as long as you get the oil as hot as possible, once the turkey hits it everything seals up tight.
i don't inject a roasted bird. i just shove plenty of butter up under the skin.
really, the only trick to deep frying something as big as a turkey is making sure it cooks all the way through. check the net for times and temperatures.
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
Being a LIBERAL isn't why other atheists ( it isn't just Beyond ) here are growing tired of you...your being an ANNOYING, WHINY IDIOT is.
Um yea, because saying the moon is not made of cheese is what whiners do. So what would you call your complaining about my complaining? I've demanded you stop right? Oh wait.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
no, saying political ideologies are religions and guns are handed out like candy is what whiners do.
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
They are. Claims are like assholes, everyone has one. You can't stop claims from being handed out, but they are the assholes when they make the claims to insist that you don't question them.
Prove to me that invisible god/s are even a scientific possibility, anyone in human history. It cant be that humans project their own desires in the form of fantasy on the world around them.
Theories like gravity and evolution, have weight in reality. The fact that you think "peacemaking" involves taboos is irrelevant to the fact the earth IS NOT FLAT. And stupidly you think somehow I am on some atheist version of Jihad or atheist version of a Christian crusade.
I could give on fuck less what gets someones rocks off. My placebos are the Redskins and ABBA and my cat. But you wont find me writing laws or oppressing others based on my personal masturbation. My vocal nature isn't any different than others with different politics or religions. My only line with any of their bitching or my bitching is when it comes to setting up taboos like you stupidly think will solve humanity's problems.
When religion can get to the same point as Star Wars fans or friendly sports fans, then I will shut up. But you know damned well history doesn't bare that out.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
No they aren't. Hence you are whining.
And this is why everyone is losing patience with you. You constantly go on tangents that have nothing to do with the subject being discussed. You're a sad joke.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
No offense Brian, but you should have left the sleeping dog lie.
Your comment was in originally in jest and now it has turned in to this bullshit argument on a thread I started about fucking cooking thanksgiving dinner.
Just walk away from it and let me enjoy my thread for five more days.
I'm going to try that "upside down bit". I found some other people who swear by it and it makes perfect sense. I'm also going to mix it with butter and some other spices after I brine it. I got the info from Beyond's link and I think I like the direction this is taking.
No need to go out and buy a massive new fryer. Just use the existing roasting equipment with some new techniques.