Sooooo... how ya cookin' the bird?

[NWFlyer 2]

As I plan to do all my shopping for Thanksgiving today, I'm trying to figure out how to do the turkey. I think I'm going to try this recipe, since I figure you can't possibly go wrong with a pound of butter.

I'm using karenmeal's cornbread stuffing recipe, though.

I've thought about brining (too much work and I'm not sure I have something big enough to brine it in or space to store it in the fridge while it's brining; and it's not cold enough here to just stick it outside), or deep frying (too much effort, cleanup, and need for additional cookware). Ultimately, though I've been pretty successful with simple recipes. I've made this one several times and it is always a hit; I just feel like something different this year.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[SmilingPhoenix 0]

I'm letting someone at the DZ do the cooking

BUT, I had very good luck last year... I stuffed it with lemons and garlic and butter and just cooked it nice and slowly and then turned up the heat for the last 20-30 minutes because I like crispy outsides. It was SO easy and SO tasty.

Because life is an adventure - it may not be the one you planned, but then it wouldn't be an adventure!

[SkydiveJack 1]

I'm going to use my time tested recipe-

Get in the car and drive to the in-laws!!

Tastes great and clean up is a snap!

[warpedskydiver 0]

I am using BTU's to cook it.

[warpedskydiver 0]

Italian Rice Dressing(risotto)

Rice
celery
onions
ground beef
garlic
salt
pepper
A huge amount of Pecorino Romano

Cook the rice first let it cool to room temperature
mix in the browned ground beef and all the other ingredients.

Stuff the bird and make lots of extra because once the turkey gravy hits it there may be a fight for seconds.

[bloody_trauma 2]

im frying 2 turkeys this year, last year we had one fried and one baked and the fried one went so fast it was unbelievable.

karen frying a turkey is like the easiest way to cook a turrkey and with the right injection it tastes fantastic, and very little mess, no more roasting for us, frying is the way to go, oh so delicious.

trying a southwest stuffing this year with poblano and jalapeno peppers we'll see how it turns out

Fly it like you stole it

[happythoughts 0]

It says 1/2 hour per pound. I weigh 200, so I'm cooking it for 4 days.

[jumpjunkie2004 0]

I'm going to my mom's house!

She's doing all the work - I love my mom : )

Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat...

[tigra 0]

Use a cooler for the brine. It really isn't that much extra work and the results are great no matter how you end up actually cooking it! We're just doing a turkey breast this year, but I do plan to brine it overnight using a recipe I got from the Food Network last year. Tyler Florence rocks!

[sd-slider 0]

1 Smoked
2 in da' hole
1 in da' oven
.
.
4 X ~25lbs = ~100

I'm supposed to have at least eight guests...will it be enuff?
.

Anvil Brother #69

Sidelined with a 5mm C5-C6 herniated disk...
Back2Back slammers and 40yr old fat guys don't mix!

[grue 1]

I'm so hot I'm just going to stand next to it for a few minutes.

I just realised that joking aside, this is going to be my final thanksgiving for the foreseeable future. THat's an odd thought.

cavete terrae.

[kenz 0]

Quote

I'm so hot I'm just going to stand next to it for a few minutes.

I just realised that joking aside, this is going to be my final thanksgiving for the foreseeable future. THat's an odd thought.

are you planning on going somewhere??

"life does throw curveballs sometimes but it doesn't mean we shouldn't still swing for the homerun" ~ me

[Michele 1]

I'm not. No Thanksgiving for me this year...Dad's busy, and the man who we usually went to together died in March.

But that's o.k., I'll make stuffing anyway, and stay home and study. I need the 5 days off I'll have in a row with the Thanksgiving holiday to rest up for finals...

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[DougH 270]

I was tossing around the idea of cooking turducken... if I can convince the butcher to debone the chicken, duck, and turkey for me. if I have to do it myself it isn't going to happen.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[TrophyHusband 0]

i've been using the recipe below for the last couple years. it works wonderful and the breasts are always juicy.


1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.
A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.
Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.
Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Quote

I'm supposed to have at least eight guests...will it be enuff?

What are the other 8 gonna eat? Your a big boy, Id be concerned that your guests will leave hungry

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[masterrig 1]

Deep-fried! We will be guests at the ranch I work for.


Chuck

[simplyputsi 0]

I make the long 30 mile trip to the parents house early in the morning, like 9 to 10 ish and then I ask repeatedly until about 4 or 5 ish if it is ready yet. Amazingly it has not failed me yet.

Mom has learned to tweak her recipes over the past few years and it has been pretty good last few years. I plan on making a cake at least.

Skymama's #2 stalker -

[tigra 0]

Gotta love the Food Network! I promised my sister the brine recipe I used, and when I looked for it, I found this one and a few others.

[TrophyHusband 0]

you eally can't go wrong with alton brown

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[Shotgun 1]

We'll probably be heating up some turkey over the campfire.

• Quote

[tigra 0]

Alton Brown is cool but I'm more of a Tyler Florence fan these days. I think I'll use his brine recipe from last year, and then use his sage butter recipe from this year. I might even try his sweet potatoes. And I'll let my mom make her sausage stuffing.

[freefal 0]

We had T-Day at my mom's yesterday (we'll be at the inlaws next week). I've gotten into BBQing and smoking recently so I tried smoking a turkey at my mom's. (Insert 'how do you keep it lit' joke here.)
I soaked it in brine for two days then smoked it for about 7 hours. I don't want to toot my own horn... but fu(kin' TOOT TOOT! It turned out awesome!

The best part about smoking one is that all you have to do is put down your beer every half hour or so to go out and check on it. After 7 hours, I was about as done as the bird!

"Ignorance is bliss" and "Patience is a virtue"... So if you're stupid and don't mind waiting around for a while, I guess you can have a pretty good life!

[JohnMitchell 14]

We're using the Alton Brown brine, same as Trophy Husband. In fact, I've got the brine boiling on the stove as I type. Mmmm, smells good already. One thing I do, though, is to brine the bird for 2-3 days. We think it comes out even better.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

[billeisele 122]

Oven baked stuffed with dressing

dressing - Pepperidge Farm seasoned breadcrumbs, mushrooms, celery, butter, onion, sausage bits, various other spices and stuff - (whatever one likes)

mashed potatoes, rolls, green beans, squash casserole, cranberry sauce, banana nut bread, pumpkin pie, mince meat pie, ice tea, and wine

no British thermal units at my place just plain ole American electricity

and then the couch and football

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.