November 14, 2006 4:10 PM
Your turkey experience
This is from last Thanksgiving - our discussion of the best way to do turkeys - including 20 valuable comments from readers which I'm running to help you decide. I did end up buying a roaster and the results were wonderful. But this year I'm aiming for spectacular, so will also do the brining.
In quest of the perfect turkey, I've even tried cooking our humongous bird in a paper bag! While the result was a very moist and tender turkey, the aesthetic appeal left a lot to be desired, as the skin tended to peel off with the bag, causing us to quickly remove the meat to a platter. No fancy Norman Rockwell-type images those years:
Then the powers-that-be decided that those ordinary brown paper grocery bags were filled with nasty chemicals. I can only hope my family was not irreparably harmed by my culinary foray into such strange territory.
So this morning, I'm thinking Brining, which I've heard produces an incredibly moist and tender turkey (and no, we do not have leftovers anymore - I'm lucky if I can find a turkey large enough for everyone to have as much as they want!)
I googled turkey brining and came up with this very scientific explanation:
Brining
and many, many different recipes - all involving massive amounts of water, salt, ice, buckets, and overnight soaks. With one exception: this very civilized - and relatively inexpensive - alternative.
I was all set to do the brining thing - actually in the messy, old-fashioned way, but then I stumbled onto the roaster experience.
After reading the expansive reviews at amazon (I don't know about you, but I have been able to be a much more intelligent consumer because of these - and I no longer buy anything without checking amazon reviews first) I can only wonder why with our big family we haven't invested in one of these before. It sure would have saved a lot of awkward moments on the stove. And the raves for roasting turkeys say it can handle 24 pounds.
I was ready to click the Buy It Now and then thought, Wait a minute - let me ask some people who oughta know . . . .
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Comments
My Mom cooked our turkey in a similar roaster every year while we were growing up. Worked for us.
Posted by: King of Fools | November 16, 2005 11:59 AM
Yesterday I heard on the radio that brining needs to be done two days ahead of time, with the turkey drying out some the day before roasting. Otherwise, soggy turkey.
Posted by: Julana | November 16, 2005 12:13 PM
Grill it! It comes out better than anything! Plus it leaves your oven available for all the other stuff.
Posted by: Monika | November 16, 2005 1:32 PM
I started using Reynolds Cooking Bags years ago and that's all I use. I pop the turkey in and three hours later, it's done. No fuss, no muss. But I'm a pretty lazy cook!
Posted by: Mel | November 16, 2005 1:55 PM
BBQ that bird! We've (I say that loosely, my husband is the one that BBQ's!) been doing this for years. Comes out looking like the centerfold turkey in Better Homes and Gardens. Yummy! Takes less time also and keeps the kitchen open for all the other stuff.
Posted by: Leigh | November 16, 2005 2:12 PM
ok, i'm game. How do you barbeque, a.k.a. grill, a turkey? Doesn't it take forever? I'm all for freeing the oven for the other stuff.
Posted by: floorplan | November 16, 2005 2:45 PM
I have been a caterer for 6 years now, so I'm happy to share my thoughts on cooking the perfect turkey! Brining is the very most important thing that you can possibly do for your success. It can be a simple brine of kosher salt, sugar and water. That works equally well as those with extra spices, orange juice etc... The brining becomes worthwhile after a soak of at least 30 min, but I prefer an overnight soak. You do not need to do anything to the turkey except dry it off, and rub it with butter before roasting! You will never get a soggy turkey.
The second most important thing is to not over cook the bird. This is what causes dry meat. A meat thermometer is a valuable tool in the kitchen. The nicest ones keep the probe in the meat (in the oven), and set off a little beep (on the part outside the oven) to let you know when it is done.
For brown skin, a butter soaked cheesecloth wrapped on the bird, or a beginning of high heat and then lowered heat for the roasting are both good methods. See Martha Stewart and Alton Brown's recipies at www.foodtv.com. Both are very trustworthy.
A roaster is a wonderful thing, especially with a family of your size. I truly think that you would love it. I have cooked many, many meals in them from church functions to wedding receptions!
One more thing... I am so thankful for all of your writings on Thanksgiving. I am using them to give a talk to the International students from the University of Montana on Friday to explain about Thanksgiving. I am so thankful to share the truth with them. Thank you, Barbara!
Posted by: Greta | November 16, 2005 3:19 PM
I would like to know how to grill a turkey.
I've always just stuck them in roasting pans with the tent of foil and watched for the little button to pop.
Posted by: mopsy | November 16, 2005 3:31 PM
Get the roaster! It has made Thanksgiving wonderful for me. We have a tiny oven and I was very frustrated making a turkey until my sister-in-law talked me into buying an electric roaster at Costco. I think it's the Nesco brand, but am not sure.
The turkey turns out moist and wonderful. And it is to easy to cook! Plus, our oven is freed up for other stuff. And, after the turkey is finished, we clean the roaster pan and use the inserts to turn it into a mini "steam table" for our buffet table.
My favorite thing to do with a turkey is to make a wine infusion and inject the turkey before cooking. It's pretty simple and turns out really well. I might try brining someday but haven't been brave enough yet. (My older brother once had a brining disater with pork when it turned out way too salty.)
Posted by: Rebecca | November 16, 2005 5:01 PM
Wow, I'm always impressed by how much everyone out there knows. I always felt weird about grilling the turkey - too California-ish even when I lived in California :) I mean, it should be freezing and snowing on Thanksgiving or at least we need to act like it!
But someone please speak up and tell mopsy how to grill a turkey.
I've decided to go with the roaster - because it seems like an appliance I should have gotten a long time ago and it will free up the oven and it comes highly recommended - even by Greta. But maybe I'll brine the turkey first - is that okay, Greta?
Posted by: barbaracurtis | November 16, 2005 6:04 PM
Early in my marriage, someone in my husband's family gave us the book, Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers. We have used the instructions in this book with every turkey since then, and have always gotten wonderful results -- without brining, grilling, or any other weird methods. All you need for that method is a roasting pan (a disposable one on top of a cookie sheet will do the job if necessary) and a normal oven.
But the roaster looks like a good idea; let us know how it turns out.
Newt
Posted by: Newt Sherwin | November 16, 2005 11:00 PM
I also recommend grilling. I've been grilling my turkeys for 15 years and there is no juicier, tenderer turkey than one just off the grill.
First, buy the biggest foil roasting pan ($1 at the Dollar Store) that you can find. To prepare the turkey, wash it off and stuff the cavities with quartered onions and carrots and rosemary. YOu'll later throw those veggies away, but they give flavor and and make the turkey very moist.
Depending on the size of your grill, you might need to remove racks and some of the lava rocks. I generally set the pan directly on top of a layer of the rocks on the bottom of the grill.
I make up an enormous amt of marinade (usually an entire bottle of wine, a half cup of soy sauce, several tablespoons of minced garlic, half cup of brown sugar, whatever fruit juice/salad dressing/odd bits of condiments I have sitting in the fridge.) I pour all this into and over the bird, filling the pan up about 2inches. Then I cover it all with foil and put it on the (gas) grill.
Grilling usually takes substantially less time than cooking in the oven. Check the turkey occasionally and add water to the marinade as it cooks. You can baste it during the last hour of cooking. Adjust the heat to control how quickly or how slowly the turkey cooks. The thickest part of the turkey should register 185 degrees on a quick read thermometer when it's fully cooked. Make sure that you have a sturdy board or cookie sheet to put the foil pan on as you pull it off the grill.
The meat will be moist and delicious. The marinade makes amazing gravy. When all is said and done, I also cook the entire carcass with any leftover gravy or bits and pieces from the roasting pan on a very slow burner for about 24 hours to make stock. It ends up with a very faint smoky flavor which makes excellent soups or pot pies.
One of the best things about grilling a turkey is that you can use your oven for every thing else you need to bake.
Good luck.
Barbara
Posted by: Barbara Kelley | November 17, 2005 10:06 AM
Yes! Certainly brine your turkey before you put it in the roaster. The essentials of the brine are 1 c kosher salt and 1/2 c brown sugar dissolved in enough water (or a mixture of water broth) to cover the bird. You may add anything else that you like to this solution. Of course make sure that the water is cold when you put the turkey in it. The cold weather outside is such a help for the brining because you can simply use a cooler and keep it outside to stay cold. I like to put a (new & clean) plastic bag in the cooler and then put the brine and turkey in the bag. The plastic can be pulled tight and secured.
Not only does brining season the turkey all the way through, but it also adds moisture, and draws all the blood out of the meat (just like koshering).
I can't wait to hear about your meal!!!!
Posted by: Greta | November 17, 2005 10:39 AM
Then, there's always deep-fat frying the turkey! It was trendy for a while; this spring we took my friend's fryer to the beach and used it to boil lobster. That was way better : )
Posted by: floorplan | November 17, 2005 10:48 AM
I'm laughing as I read this--
Now I am a very good cook, but my husband decided several years ago to take on Thanksgiving Dinner as HIS meal of the year!! He enjoys cooking as well, but has little time.
He does his research every year, finds his recipes, and of course, it's always GREAT!!
Two years ago he ran across the idea of "brining" as well. He decided that that would absolutely be the way to go! A night or two before the big day, he enlisted my help as an apprentice to his new technique. He had purchased some Reynolds Turkey bags, thinking that that would be the biggest that he could find for containing the brine and turkey overnight. SO, there I am standing at the counter with the mouth of the bag upright and opened, turkey inside, and he's pouring in the prepared brine.
He was as cheerful as a squirrel in a pecan tree, right up until the moment that the bag gave itself up and simply BURST!!!
It was so shocking, that we weren't sure to scream, or bust up laughing!! I refrained from laughter after a quick glance at the "turkey king", and ran to grab towels--everything from cookbooks to the kitchen stereo was either soaked or wading in gallons of homemade "ocean water"! I do believe he tried it again later on with the second bag, inside the roasting pan, and using a different technique... I think I enjoyed the laugh that we had together later, a little better than the turkey itself, but it was good!
Moral of my story-you're smart to have found the super duper "brining bags" already (I won't tell my husband that you've done more research than him first time out:-) DOn't use the Reynolds ones in place, and I'm thinking a cooler surrounding the project sounds pretty good if you're not wanting to go wading!!
Happy Thanksgiving
Posted by: rbarlow | November 17, 2005 11:50 AM
We have grilled a couple of turkeys over the years. They were *delicious* and it *was* handy to have the oven available. It was also nice for me to not have to worry about the bird and focus on the rest of the meal as my wonderful husband did the grilling. However, we were disappointed in the soup made with the carcass and that soup is important to us :*).... So now we do the high heat start and slow roasting that Greta mentioned and we love it. I would think it could be done in the roaster. I have friends who have the roaster and we hope to have one someday... they love theirs.
The BEST turkey we ever cooked was a heritage turkey (a broad-breasted bronze, for those who would know) that we raised in our 'rural yard'. I've heard some of the other heritage breeds (Narragansett, Bourbons, etc) are even better!
I have really enjoyed the whole run of Thanksgiving info and ideas too Barbara. We try to make it a special and meaningful day... my children were in awe of your family Thanksgiving photo from last year--please do it again this year! (and post it :*))
Posted by: StephanieS | November 17, 2005 11:54 AM
Barbara,
One year, I accidently (yes, accidently) cooked the turkey upside down. I basted a couple times, but other than that, the breast meat cooked in the pan juices.
Everyone said it was the best turkey they ever ate.
Posted by: Amy Scott | November 17, 2005 1:17 PM
Thanks for the grilling tips! I am seriously thinking about proposing the idea to my hubby, but my fear is he will be so caught up in the Bronco vs. Cowboys game on TV he will slack off on monitoring the bird. Maybe we should save grilling for a year the Broncos aren't playing on Thanksgiving?
Or we could try it for Christmas!
Posted by: mopsy | November 17, 2005 6:06 PM
I have heard great things about grilling the turkey but could never bring myself to do it because it seemed so California - even when I was living in California :)
Now, living where it just might be snowing (hopeful smile), I hesitate to go that route.
I'm going to go with Greta's advice, but everyone who wants to grill has gotten some excellent instructions from Barbara K (and who knows? I might try it next year.
Amy, the paper bag approach requires cooking the turkey upside down, and it does make that white meat more tender.
Stephanie - your turkey tale is hilarious and in recognition, I will send you a free book of your choice! Just let me know which one and where to send it -
Posted by: barbaracurtis | November 17, 2005 8:05 PM
Amy! You mean my family isn't the only one who has cooked one upside-down accidently?! It was our very first thanksgiving after my husband and I were married, everyone was at our brand new house and hubby wanted to take on the bird and I helped wherever he directed. he was so caught up in trying to time everything together that he didn't even realize it was upside-down! thing was, as i helped him, I didn't catch it either! and even more, after he set the cooked bird on the table, NO ONE else caught it either!! Everyone kind of paused, cocked their heads sideways as they tried to figure out what was different, but it wasn't until great-grandmother exclaimed (and you from "The South" are going to love this...) "Why Joey!! that bird is "britches" side-up!!"
Everyone broke into immediate laughter! but you know, that was the juiciest meat we'd ever had and we vowed to possibly follow suit each year. Hmmm....so is this how silly family traditions are made? *giggles*
Nice to know we aren't the only ones! I can't wait to tell hubby!
~kristy
Posted by: Kristy | November 18, 2005 3:11 PM
Hello, this is my first comment here. :-)
Last year I brined a turkey for the first time and the results were wonderful. We've never eaten anything so tender and full of flavour. There are many different variants for the brining solution, depending on everyone's taste. I made one of water and salt, pepper, onions, garlic, celery, thyme and rosemary. It was gorgeous!!
Posted by: Monica | November 14, 2006 5:41 PM
If you look you can get the roaster plus a buffet server (insert) for the same price as the plain roaster. We also use ours at our 4H hamburger stand to keep the cooked burgers warm for rush hour. The same thing works at home so cooks can sit and visit after the grilling is done without fear of food poisoning. My aunt uses hers to cook down tomato juice to sauce for canning, while I cook down peaches & apples for butters. The roaster is very versatile.
Posted by: Stephanie | November 14, 2006 9:58 PM
