@ironcheftoni@sillyheathen
Trader Joe’s is offering a pre-brined turkey this year and it was on sale for $1.99/lb (i.e. $2/lb ) so I’m trying it. I hope it’s good.
@ironcheftoni Totally agree about Alton’s recipe. Good eats, indeed! Since stuffing is my favorite side, the one time I hosted Thanksgiving (that was usually my sister’s thing, & for good reason!), I was dying to try his method. I used a combo of the herbs from Bell’s seasoning & it was amazing! The best turkey I ever had.
Smoked!
And if you buy one pre-smoked, “cooking” it just requires gentle reheating, which is so much less stressful than fussing over a bird in the oven or the fryer.
I called my mom up a few years ago and asked her how long to microwave a 25 lb frozen turkey. She thought I was serious. Last time I joked with her really.
@mike808 “One way conversations”… So the phone only has an earpiece, not a mouthpiece? That doesn’t seem fair, but I’m sure all the moms on the other side vastly prefer it!
Seasoned brine, spatchcock, then roast at high temp. Sage butter under the skin. Seriously. Fast, skin gets golden crispy, and breast meat stays juicy. Google Alton Brown and spatchcock. The word “spatchcock” alone is worth it.
Order in advance from an excellent local chef/restaurant and pick up.
This year, we’re getting the spread from the amazing folks at STL Grace. Haven’t tried their fried chicken yet, and the holiday menu had my mouth watering. In STL, I’m a sucker for any Southern/New Orleans food.
Kendrick’s has turduckens and sausage-stuffed birds (FYI - you must cook the sausage “dressing” first! Raw pork sausage won’t cook enough inside the bird before the bird is done.)
We roast the crown with compound butter. Remove and debone the legs, remove all the guiders, pound them out and then roulade them with stuffing. We roast them in foil along side the crown for about 90 minutes and then remove to rest. They get unwrapped and go back in to brown and crisp up with the crown after everything has rested. Usually takes about 2-3 hours total cooking time.
My MIL always handles Thanksgiving. But we never have turkey. She does different things every year - roast chicken, chicken cordon bleu, ham… I usually cook the turkey for Christmas if we have one, but my husband prefers ham so we don’t do turkey very often at all.
@mbersiam My late sister, who always hosted, felt the same way about turkey, but loved cranberry sauce, so over the last several years, she had taken to making a pork loin roast with a cranberry orange sauce. It was delicious!
@accumulator@mike808@PocketBrain@RiotDemon
yeah, cutting out the spine in a turkey can be a bitch. I keep a pair of utility shears for that very purpose. Once it’s cut out it becomes part of the stock that is destined for gravy or soup…
@RiotDemon You just like conversations that let you use the word “spatchcock”. Don’t lie. It’s a fun word to say out loud and with a weird and very specific meaning for bonus enjoyment points.
When I sous vide I break it down and do the white and dark separately. But I also have a rocket roaster, and if it’s not too cold outside that is the superior method. And always always brine!
Smoked FTW
@rand3y that’s the plan this year.
Brined first. The Alton Brown brine recipe is the best. Then a slow and low smoke for about 4-6 hours
@ironcheftoni oh yes! I forgot to add that we brine ours for three days. I do love AB!
@ironcheftoni @sillyheathen
) so I’m trying it. I hope it’s good.
Trader Joe’s is offering a pre-brined turkey this year and it was on sale for $1.99/lb (i.e. $2/lb
@ironcheftoni Totally agree about Alton’s recipe. Good eats, indeed! Since stuffing is my favorite side, the one time I hosted Thanksgiving (that was usually my sister’s thing, & for good reason!), I was dying to try his method. I used a combo of the herbs from Bell’s seasoning & it was amazing! The best turkey I ever had.
Smoked!
And if you buy one pre-smoked, “cooking” it just requires gentle reheating, which is so much less stressful than fussing over a bird in the oven or the fryer.
I called my mom up a few years ago and asked her how long to microwave a 25 lb frozen turkey. She thought I was serious. Last time I joked with her really.
@sohmageek Sorry for your loss. There’s a reason they’re called “Dad Jokes”.
@sohmageek
This reminds me to call my mom. RIP, Mom.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_phone
@mike808 “One way conversations”… So the phone only has an earpiece, not a mouthpiece? That doesn’t seem fair, but I’m sure all the moms on the other side vastly prefer it!
Seasoned brine, spatchcock, then roast at high temp. Sage butter under the skin. Seriously. Fast, skin gets golden crispy, and breast meat stays juicy. Google Alton Brown and spatchcock. The word “spatchcock” alone is worth it.
Order in advance from an excellent local chef/restaurant and pick up.
This year, we’re getting the spread from the amazing folks at STL Grace. Haven’t tried their fried chicken yet, and the holiday menu had my mouth watering. In STL, I’m a sucker for any Southern/New Orleans food.
stlgrace.com (They’re sold out for Thanksgiving).
Kendrick’s has turduckens and sausage-stuffed birds (FYI - you must cook the sausage “dressing” first! Raw pork sausage won’t cook enough inside the bird before the bird is done.)
For past/other holiday main dishes, T-Boys Meats in Ville Platte is legit. https://www.tboysboudin.com/
We roast the crown with compound butter. Remove and debone the legs, remove all the guiders, pound them out and then roulade them with stuffing. We roast them in foil along side the crown for about 90 minutes and then remove to rest. They get unwrapped and go back in to brown and crisp up with the crown after everything has rested. Usually takes about 2-3 hours total cooking time.
My MIL always handles Thanksgiving. But we never have turkey. She does different things every year - roast chicken, chicken cordon bleu, ham… I usually cook the turkey for Christmas if we have one, but my husband prefers ham so we don’t do turkey very often at all.
@mbersiam My late sister, who always hosted, felt the same way about turkey, but loved cranberry sauce, so over the last several years, she had taken to making a pork loin roast with a cranberry orange sauce. It was delicious!
Spatchcocked, roasted, finished under the broiler. Takes far less time, crisps up the skin beautifully. Much easier to control the whole process.
@accumulator why does “spatchcocked and roasted” sound dirty to me?
@PocketBrain That sounds like a question for your mental health provider, not me…
@accumulator @PocketBrain
Maybe we should ask @RiotDemon ?
She even posted a video above on how pleasurable “spatchcocking” a bird can be.
@accumulator @mike808 @PocketBrain
I learned how to spatchcock using a chicken. I waggled the spine around once it was removed.
In a weird way, that was pleasurable.
@accumulator @mike808 @PocketBrain @RiotDemon
yeah, cutting out the spine in a turkey can be a bitch. I keep a pair of utility shears for that very purpose. Once it’s cut out it becomes part of the stock that is destined for gravy or soup…
Seasoned brine is a must. Then you can cook it any way you want, it stays juicy & tastes so much better!
Fried can be pretty good. I’ve personally had the best success cooking it in an infrared turkey “fryer” or spatchcocking and throwing in the oven.
/youtube how to spatchcock turkey
@RiotDemon You just like conversations that let you use the word “spatchcock”. Don’t lie. It’s a fun word to say out loud and with a weird and very specific meaning for bonus enjoyment points.
@mike808 you’re not wrong.
Smoked!
I do this every year and it turns out amazing every time.
Order a dinner from Sprouts for pickup on Thanksgiving morning.
Then heat the sucker up.
Let someone else cook it.
Another vote for spatchcocked.
Turducken as mentioned by Mike808 is also a definite favorite.
Thermite.
@Zeusandhera
Nuke it from orbit, it’s the only way to be sure.
@Zeusandhera Cremated turkey. My favorite!
Smoked.
Smoked. No contest. Help it out with a savory marinade injection and no other way can compare.
When I sous vide I break it down and do the white and dark separately. But I also have a rocket roaster, and if it’s not too cold outside that is the superior method. And always always brine!
I like my turkey medium rare.
@TheCO2
As in, medium rarely on the menu?
@werehatrack Pink in the middle.
@TheCO2 By far the best. So moist and tender.
@MrMark Sometimes I’ll just thaw it out and eat it completely raw. Ever had turkey sushi?
@MrMark @TheCO2
Good way to lose weight - after you get food poisoning
@Kyeh @MrMark Some people will try anything to lose weight. I have found the solution.
@MrMark @TheCO2 AKA Bulemia!