Anonymous
11/09/2011 16:20
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is the easiest and most delicious roast turkey. The brining step is optional but makes a big difference in moistness and flavor:
The day before Thanksgiving Day, remove giblets, neck, loose skin, and loose fat from 18-pound turkey. In 12-quart stockpot, dissolve 1 cup salt and 1 cup sugar in 1 gallon water. Submerge turkey. Let sit in refrigerator for 18 hours, or 1 hour per pound of turkey.
On Thanksgiving day, with oven-rack at lowest level preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse turkey in running water. Thoroughly blot dry. Stuff abdominal and neck cavities with stuffing. Run metal skewers through surrounding skin to close cavities. Liberally dust turkey with mixture of black pepper and salt. Lay turkey on rack inside roasting pan, breast facing up, wings folded underneath, and legs pointing toward hottest part of oven, if any. Place cover ajar so that there are two 1/2-inch gaps between pan and cover on opposite sides of pan. Roast for 3 hours and 45 minutes, to internal temperature in thigh-meat of 145 degrees. Turn up thermostat to 450 degrees. Roast uncovered for 45 minutes, to internal temperature in thigh-meat of 160 degrees. Remove turkey from oven. Holding handles of inner rack, lift turkey from pan and tilt to let juices drip from turkey into pan. Place on serving platter. Let sit uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
What do you think of roasting it at 500 at first and then lowering the temp?
My MIL roasts her at 325 the entire time. I do like your brine recipe - very simple compared to everything else I read.
Roasting it at high heat at the start to brown it (presumably) makes sense IF you are not covering the bird the whole time it roasts; otherwise the crispness would go away if and when you covered the bird. My recipe is easy because it keeps the bird covered and moist for most of the time with NO BASTING AT ALL and then just browns it at high heat for the last 45 minutes. It is moist inside and crisp outside. Perfect. And, let's not forget, easy.
The woman who gave me this, her mother's, recipe roasts her bird at 325. I changed ti to 350 because at 325 the turkey was taking too long!
The simple brine is really all you need if you just want moistness and the natural turkey flavor. I don't bother with additions like juniper berries.
Anonymous
11/09/2011 14:55
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
Anonymous wrote:This is the easiest and most delicious roast turkey. The brining step is optional but makes a big difference in moistness and flavor:
The day before Thanksgiving Day, remove giblets, neck, loose skin, and loose fat from 18-pound turkey. In 12-quart stockpot, dissolve 1 cup salt and 1 cup sugar in 1 gallon water. Submerge turkey. Let sit in refrigerator for 18 hours, or 1 hour per pound of turkey.
On Thanksgiving day, with oven-rack at lowest level preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse turkey in running water. Thoroughly blot dry. Stuff abdominal and neck cavities with stuffing. Run metal skewers through surrounding skin to close cavities. Liberally dust turkey with mixture of black pepper and salt. Lay turkey on rack inside roasting pan, breast facing up, wings folded underneath, and legs pointing toward hottest part of oven, if any. Place cover ajar so that there are two 1/2-inch gaps between pan and cover on opposite sides of pan. Roast for 3 hours and 45 minutes, to internal temperature in thigh-meat of 145 degrees. Turn up thermostat to 450 degrees. Roast uncovered for 45 minutes, to internal temperature in thigh-meat of 160 degrees. Remove turkey from oven. Holding handles of inner rack, lift turkey from pan and tilt to let juices drip from turkey into pan. Place on serving platter. Let sit uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
What do you think of roasting it at 500 at first and then lowering the temp?
My MIL roasts her at 325 the entire time. I do like your brine recipe - very simple compared to everything else I read.
Anonymous
11/09/2011 14:25
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
This is the easiest and most delicious roast turkey. The brining step is optional but makes a big difference in moistness and flavor:
The day before Thanksgiving Day, remove giblets, neck, loose skin, and loose fat from 18-pound turkey. In 12-quart stockpot, dissolve 1 cup salt and 1 cup sugar in 1 gallon water. Submerge turkey. Let sit in refrigerator for 18 hours, or 1 hour per pound of turkey.
On Thanksgiving day, with oven-rack at lowest level preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse turkey in running water. Thoroughly blot dry. Stuff abdominal and neck cavities with stuffing. Run metal skewers through surrounding skin to close cavities. Liberally dust turkey with mixture of black pepper and salt. Lay turkey on rack inside roasting pan, breast facing up, wings folded underneath, and legs pointing toward hottest part of oven, if any. Place cover ajar so that there are two 1/2-inch gaps between pan and cover on opposite sides of pan. Roast for 3 hours and 45 minutes, to internal temperature in thigh-meat of 145 degrees. Turn up thermostat to 450 degrees. Roast uncovered for 45 minutes, to internal temperature in thigh-meat of 160 degrees. Remove turkey from oven. Holding handles of inner rack, lift turkey from pan and tilt to let juices drip from turkey into pan. Place on serving platter. Let sit uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
The day before Thanksgiving Day, remove giblets, neck, loose skin, and loose fat from 18-pound turkey. In 12-quart stockpot, dissolve 1 cup salt and 1 cup sugar in 1 gallon water. Submerge turkey. Let sit in refrigerator for 18 hours, or 1 hour per pound of turkey.
On Thanksgiving day, with oven-rack at lowest level preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse turkey in running water. Thoroughly blot dry. Stuff abdominal and neck cavities with stuffing. Run metal skewers through surrounding skin to close cavities. Liberally dust turkey with mixture of black pepper and salt. Lay turkey on rack inside roasting pan, breast facing up, wings folded underneath, and legs pointing toward hottest part of oven, if any. Place cover ajar so that there are two 1/2-inch gaps between pan and cover on opposite sides of pan. Roast for 3 hours and 45 minutes, to internal temperature in thigh-meat of 145 degrees. Turn up thermostat to 450 degrees. Roast uncovered for 45 minutes, to internal temperature in thigh-meat of 160 degrees. Remove turkey from oven. Holding handles of inner rack, lift turkey from pan and tilt to let juices drip from turkey into pan. Place on serving platter. Let sit uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
Anonymous
11/06/2011 14:09
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
DO NOT use a pop up timer.
Anonymous
11/06/2011 10:41
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
OP here. Looks like I can order a brined turkey from whole foods. I think that's the way I am going to go.
Anonymous
10/21/2011 22:44
Subject: Re:Thanksgiving Turkey
Get a fresh one, or plan to defrost for 5 days minimum.
Make sure it has one of those pop-up timers.
And skip the organic crap. It's a turkey. It eats its own feces (100% organic!). It's one meal. Get over it.
Make sure it has one of those pop-up timers.
And skip the organic crap. It's a turkey. It eats its own feces (100% organic!). It's one meal. Get over it.
Anonymous
10/21/2011 21:55
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
I do advise checking the Butterball website though for cooking time vs. poundage. And brined turkeys always cook MUCH faster if you do that.
Anonymous
10/21/2011 21:53
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
This is the recipe we have come to rely upon:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homestyle-turkey-the-michigander-way-2/detail.aspx
Brine it if you have time, but don't sweat it if you don't. It will probably be delicious anyway.
This is the first year we're going organic, so I can't advise much there. Butterball has always worked well for us in the past - and depending where your family is from, it may be what they prefer.
Don't try to go outside their spectrum too much if you want to impress. If they are into organic, hand-fed, farm-raised, whatever - then by all means do that. But my family wouldn't know the difference, so it's not worth the trouble.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homestyle-turkey-the-michigander-way-2/detail.aspx
Brine it if you have time, but don't sweat it if you don't. It will probably be delicious anyway.
This is the first year we're going organic, so I can't advise much there. Butterball has always worked well for us in the past - and depending where your family is from, it may be what they prefer.
Don't try to go outside their spectrum too much if you want to impress. If they are into organic, hand-fed, farm-raised, whatever - then by all means do that. But my family wouldn't know the difference, so it's not worth the trouble.
Anonymous
10/21/2011 13:36
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
Anonymous wrote:ORGANIC. Conventional turkeys get fed corn that has arsenic in it. I heard a news program about it on NPR. THey say that the arsenic does not pass into the meat you eat, but I would not take the chance. The arsenic is to kill pests in the turkey feed. WTF???
YUM gotta love a good turkey with all that they do taste good, might cook 2 this year.
Anonymous
10/21/2011 12:51
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
Cooks Illustrated just had an article about braising a Thanksgiving turkey. It doesn't look all picture perfect because you probably will want to braise pieces, not a fully assembled one, but it did look very tasty.
I ordered one from a farm, and am going to roast it at low temp. I'm a traditionalist, even if I do think the braising would taste better.
I ordered one from a farm, and am going to roast it at low temp. I'm a traditionalist, even if I do think the braising would taste better.
Anonymous
10/21/2011 06:23
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
Kosher, kosher, kosher!
Anonymous
10/21/2011 05:33
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
ORGANIC. Conventional turkeys get fed corn that has arsenic in it. I heard a news program about it on NPR. THey say that the arsenic does not pass into the meat you eat, but I would not take the chance. The arsenic is to kill pests in the turkey feed. WTF???
Anonymous
10/18/2011 09:09
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
You can order from Moms or whole foods on fairly short notice.
If you have fridge space we have pretty good luck brining our turkey. Also we tend to do it on the grill because that leaves the open open for other stuff (but the house doesn't smell as good).
If you have fridge space we have pretty good luck brining our turkey. Also we tend to do it on the grill because that leaves the open open for other stuff (but the house doesn't smell as good).
Anonymous
10/18/2011 09:07
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
This will be my first Thanksgiving hosting my parents and inlaws. I plan on getting butterball or whatever is at the grocery store. You can get the turkey at the farm, but I believe you have to put in the order now. I think there was a post about that a while back.
This is how I plan on roasting my turkey:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/holidays_and_parties/channel/0,1000341,FOOD_32087_11828,00.html
This is how I plan on roasting my turkey:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/holidays_and_parties/channel/0,1000341,FOOD_32087_11828,00.html
Anonymous
10/17/2011 11:46
Subject: Thanksgiving Turkey
I am having about 8 people over for Thanksgiving. The last time I cooked a turkey was about eight years ago. Please point me in the direction of a simple/low-maintenance method to roast a great turkey. Also, where would you recommed buying? Should I go organic/farmers market or get a butterball?