Turkey Day Cooking

Best tasting Turkey cooking?

  • Traditional stuffed/unstuffed roast

    Votes: 7 38.9%
  • Oven cooking bag

    Votes: 2 11.1%
  • Covered Roasting

    Votes: 3 16.7%
  • Deep Fry

    Votes: 6 33.3%

  • Total voters
    18

SMRTSS1

TCG Elite Member
TCG Premium
Jan 12, 2010
5,139
7,566
Elgin
Bag cook the day before, shred/cut and place in giant ziploc bags in fridge. Thanksgiving morning we empty the bags into a big throw away pan (the big aluminum ones) and heat the meat up in its own juices while making everything else. My parents have been doing it for years and it's right up there next to frying as far as moisture and flavor.
 

Yaj Yak

Gladys
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May 24, 2007
122,206
87,806
Niche score of 2,363
i wound up spatchcocking my bird on saturday, cutting the backbone out was totally doable just a bit more unnerving than i had thought it was going to be... i was also glad i had a good knife.

6K3qlR4.jpg


I then dry brined it.. a good amount of salt and some smoked sea salt also and a tiny bit of baking powder... let it sit in the fridge uncovered overnight til sunday. injected it sunday about noon with juices that had seeped out from sitting.

i tucked the wing tips behind the bird and then went for the grill.

i smoked it for about an hour and a half at around 180*

then pulled it off the grill/smoker (traeger) and let it sit in the fridge until the grill got up to 375* or so and grilled it for about two and a half hours.

i pulled it off when it was 152* and it coasted to 165 after about 25 minutes of sitting.

it was fucking awesome.


crispy skin with tons of flavor, a nice subtle smoke taste throughout (i smoked with apple/hickory pellet mix) and EXTREMELY moist and tender.


major fail in not getting a pic as i took it off. butttttt here's the table.

GZk6UUs.jpg


i also cooked bacon/onion green beans, mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar, pecans & bacon, a ham, homemade gravy from homemade stock from the backbone and other "parts"


How do you prepare/nuke/roast your bird?





sptachchock. dry brine. smoke. grill.


only way ill do a turkey ever too. turned out fucking incredible.
 

CuzzinOlaf

TCG Elite Member
May 16, 2014
1,766
99
Spring Grove
I made a really awesome rub last night and the bird is soaking it up now. I get cage/hormone free birds from a local farm that always turn out great.

In the past I always used the oven but last year I tried to grill and don't think I've ever had such a moist bird. I literally had a stream of turkey juice coming out of the thermometer hole for long enough to notice it... 5-10 seconds.

1. Prep bird and let it sit for two days.
2. Prior to putting the bird on the grill I use a hair dryer to crisp the skin some. The rub has a decent amount of salt so this isn't an issue.
3. Cook the bird on the grill for about 2.5 hours to 165/170
 

Flyn

Go ahead. I'll catch up.
Moderator
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Mar 1, 2004
68,052
27,984
Selling homes on the Gulf Coast of Florida
Walmart has styrofoam coolers for $2 that will fit a turkey. I grabbed one of them tonight. My brine is in the fridge. Before I go to bed, I will put the turkey in the brine in the cooler and add a gallon of ice water. That will either go in the fridge or on the lanai. It will go in the oven tomorrow after brining for 12 hours. I call him Mr. Briney.

My other bird is going to get a sage/rosemary/thyme butter under the skin treatment. That one is going on the grill. His name is Turk Grillman.

Amy bought me a giant stainless bowl for my B Day so I'm going to make some dough and let it rise overnight. Tomorrow I will make another batch of bread maker dough. Should be an interesting comparison between rise all night and rise for a couple hours rolls.
 

Blood on Blood

rumble baby rumble
Apr 6, 2005
56,481
45,958
Turkey - butter, Chablis wine, apricot brandy, salt, pepper, basil, thyme. Tent in foil. Oven cooked

Pre-smoked hickory spiral ham - layer of yellow mustard and rub (brown sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, pumpkin spice, dry mustard). Smoke with apple wood as it sits in a light layer of apple juice. Glaze with a molasses, butter, brown sugar mix (cook on low until sugar dissolves)
 

Eagle

Nemo me impune lacessit
Moderator
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Mar 1, 2008
63,904
4,732
Woodsticks, IL

Eagle

Nemo me impune lacessit
Moderator
TCG Premium
Mar 1, 2008
63,904
4,732
Woodsticks, IL
Walmart has styrofoam coolers for $2 that will fit a turkey. I grabbed one of them tonight. My brine is in the fridge. Before I go to bed, I will put the turkey in the brine in the cooler and add a gallon of ice water. That will either go in the fridge or on the lanai. It will go in the oven tomorrow after brining for 12 hours. I call him Mr. Briney.

My other bird is going to get a sage/rosemary/thyme butter under the skin treatment. That one is going on the grill. His name is Turk Grillman.

Amy bought me a giant stainless bowl for my B Day so I'm going to make some dough and let it rise overnight. Tomorrow I will make another batch of bread maker dough. Should be an interesting comparison between rise all night and rise for a couple hours rolls.

She brined it AND did the sage/rosemary/thyme butter under the skin!

Oh and bread... OH MAN. I love bread! Going to be sooooo fat!
 

Lead Pipe

TCG Sub-par Member
TCG Premium
Nov 4, 2010
17,616
12,916
I brine mine then roast it breast side down for the first hour. I brush it with rosemary butter also. After that hour I flip it over, stuff it with aromatics, brush it rosemary butter again and roast it for another 2.5 hours. I will never cook a turkey any other way again. It's moist and flavorful. Better than any deep friend turkey I've had.
 

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