Look, I don't want to start a Holy War during a time of thanks, but what are you all's go-to cooking method for the turkey? I typically go with the traditional oven method. It's the least hands-on when you're juggling other sides and guests.
The two other methods I'm looking at trying this year are frying and smoking. Someday I'll gather the courage to try a Turducken, but that's outside the scope of this thread.
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elancaster65
5 years, 5 months agoSince the acquisition of the Trager, I've been informed that I will be smoking a turkey this year. The conversation with The Wife went something like, "You're going to smoke a turkey aren't you?"
Needless to say, I'll be smoking a turkey this year.
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ahnyerkeester
5 years, 5 months agoTraditional is traditional for a reason. Don't care for the deep fried turkey, dries it out.
Butter and garlic under the skin gives it some flavor. I played with home make stuffing but my wife, who is an EXCELLENT cook, insists on a box of Stovetop Stuffing. Can't compete with chemical engineering. :)
Happy Thanksgiving all.
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glen
5 years, 5 months agoAh, garlic under the skin. I've only done that with chicken... I'll have to try turkey now.
It's hard to beat the champ.
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brian
5 years, 5 months agoI am a massive fan of Stovetop Stuffing. In fact, it might be the thing I look forward to most about the Thanksgiving meal. A little Stovetop with some Turkey gravy on top is usually 1/3 of my meal.
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jordan
5 years, 5 months agoMy go-to method is letting someone else do it. It's been very successful.
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glen
5 years, 5 months agoI think you should write the book on passive recipes. I need to learn more about this method...
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Razorback
5 years, 5 months agoI love a good smoked turkey via the traditional low_and_slow method. But I would also highly recommend you research cooking via the spatchcock (aka, butterfly) method. From the tiny Cornish hen, to the humble chicken, to the noble turkey, this is a tried and true method.
More importantly, this method can be performed on a smoker, gas grill or charcoal grill. Truly a recipe for all.
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glen
5 years, 5 months agoExcellent call. I've used the spatchcock method before, and it works really, really well. It's all about the low profile. (Here's a great primer on preparing the bird for the spatchcock method.)
The best part is hearing that satisfying crack of the bones as you're flattening the bird*.
Disclaimer: I probably need counseling.
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Razorback
5 years, 5 months agoAny advice from Meathead Goldwyn should be taken seriously. There is a reason his book is one of the best sellers on Amazon. I hesitate to call it a cookbook (although it is) because it also has tons of proven science behind much of it.
I have spatchcocked chicken numerous times and will be doing Cornish hens for my buddies at the jam session we will be having here Sunday. Have not done a turkey yet but I bet it would turn out splendidly.
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glen
5 years, 5 months agoMeathead for President. And his book is fantastic.
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elancaster65
5 years, 5 months agoNice. Thanks for the link.
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Razorback
5 years, 5 months agoBuy the book. Seriously. I know you enjoy science and this book breaks down BBQ in ways that you cannot imagine.
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elancaster65
5 years, 5 months agoNow there's another book on the Amazon wish list! Thanks!
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Chet_Manly
5 years, 5 months agoIn Soviet Russia, Turkey eats you: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=olAXs-ta9P4
It seems to fit.
As for cooking the turkey, I second Jordan’s approach. Since my wife cooks an amazing turkey, and since she LIKES to cook, I make the mashed potatoes early, then go to the gym. Timing my gym session correctly, I can come home to the best post workout meal of the year! So many good calories! Then I pay my wife back by cleaning up (because I like to have things clean) and we spend the rest of the day screwing around with the kids.
I don’t know what kind of crack or what mood enhancing drug she puts in that turkey but it’s damn good. I know she uses a turkey cooker and it takes a long time and she can then use the oven for other things. I don’t question the process, I just get out of the way and allow it to happen. We have a system that works and I couldn’t be happier.
(I chuckled at the “Holy War” on cooking turkeys... I’m sure they have been fought about much less important topics! But this is a good topic.)
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glen
5 years, 5 months agoI remember you saying something about your post-workout Thanksgiving carb load process previously, and I'm going to try it this year. It's a great idea.
If there's any topic worthy of going to battle for, turkey is as good as any in my book.
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jordan
5 years, 5 months agoMy Thanksgiving workout schedule is similar. For the last 10+ years, I have done my food prep on Wednesday night (I rule pies) and run 3-4 miles on Thanksgiving morning to combat all the sitting. And food intake, specifically pie intake.
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glen
5 years, 5 months agoI often do something similar except with a twist: I do the run in the late afternoon after the big lunch, when everyone is lazing around and nothing's going on.
The run is always terrible and painful. I have no idea why I do it. I just don't like sitting around and doing nothing. (Apparently puking is better than nothing in my book.)
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Chet_Manly
5 years, 5 months agoYou have my respect for the craziness of that approach but I couldn’t do it! We have always had a family tradition of something like croquet or horseshoes or more recently a nerf gun war after the massive meal. That gets me up and moving. I also don’t like to do just nothing while everyone else is active. I’m a team player even if it hurts to walk much.
Instead of the run, you might consider a lifting session instead. Less puking but still a high suck factor. But lifting after dinner I would need a buddy to keep me moving forward.
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Chet_Manly
5 years, 5 months agoI respect the run...but you’re crazy, you runners. And Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only days I eat pie so I always attempt to make up for the other lost days but it never happens because I’m so full already. A good pie is a beautiful thing but I refuse to eat store made pie. Homemade is the ovly way to go. It can be a risk sometimes but a good home made pie is far superior to the store version. Pecan Is especially good but it seems to be tricky. Like sausage, I don’t concern myself too much with the process.
My thanksgiving day gym routine is always lower body and I’ll either squat or deadlift till my hamstrings hips and glutes/low back are screaming and I can only waddle and or stagger back to the car. Because I’m pushing 40 and can’t recover like the younger guys, it is one of the few days that I go high in both volume and intensity. There is a reason the week after Thanksgiving is always a deload week!
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elancaster65
5 years, 5 months agoPlan for this weekend:
Spatchcock a turkey. Dry brine. Simon and Garfunkel Dry Rub. Smoke on the Trager for 3 hours. Serve to Church Home Group for constructive criticism. Will post results here.
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glen
5 years, 5 months agoBrilliant!
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elancaster65
5 years, 5 months agoImportant note: Make sure you set your Trager to 300 degrees and not smoke or three hours later you will have an undercooked turkey. Needless to say, 375 for 30 mins in a convection oven will remedy your mistake and the group will praise your bird but I don't like missing important steps.
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Razorback
5 years, 4 months agoSo, how did everybody end up cooking their turkey? I was visiting family and got the holiday off from cooking.
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glen
5 years, 4 months agoMine only did ham. It was a travesty.
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