Turkey time and a HUGE waste of money.

[water]

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/tgturkey2.html

Today, in the traditional US Capitol Thanksgiving manner, the president pardoned two turkeys. After word they were flown in a private jet to Disneyland. This is due to PETA not approving of the conditions of the turkey farm the past turkeys had been sentenced to.

And from PETA, http://www.goveg.com/f-top10turkeys.asp Ten Reasons Not To Eat Turkey.

I'm thinking this is a bit overboard but *shrugs* to each his own.

Question.

Who has the BEST Turkey and Stuffing Recipe? I have a 14 pound bird here and he needs a recipe... the one that sounds best is the one I will use and I'll report back on the delectable results.

*puts on Alice's Restaurant and sings along*

[resopalrabotnick]

google for turducken. that's a good recipe.

[water]

Thanks resopalrabotnick ..

I've been looking for Thanksgiving info, someone at work told me that the original Thanksgiving dinner was actually nothing.

He said they fasted. I can't find that anywhere though. However I did fin this article that's kind of interesting.

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/tgpilgrim1.html

For several decades now, the militant group, the United American Indians of New England (UAINE), has staged demonstrations in Plymouth each Thanksgiving, some of which have turned ugly. Renaming Thanksgiving the "National Day of Mourning," their intention is to awaken the country to the darker side of Plymouth.

[cholla]

waterRTBH : I hope you really wanted a recipe because it took me a while to write it.I have cooked the turkey for my family for so many years I don't need to read a recipe.So it wasn't written anywhere.It probably looks more complicated than it is when you do it.

This assumes you have properly thawed the bird for 5 days in a paper sack in the refrigerator or are using a fresh never frozen turkey.

This is my turkey recipe.It is for a moist meated turkey if you prefer the meat dry

(& some do) then you

[cholla]

google for turducken. that's a good recipe.

I know double post but I wanted to seperate this from the recipe.I have read about the turduken & even seen one prepared & cooked on TV.But I have never tried it have you?

I think its tricky getting the duck to swallow the chicken then the turkey to swallow the duck. 

[water]

waterRTBH : I hope you really wanted a recipe because it took me a while to write it.I have cooked the turkey for my family for so many years I don't need to read a recipe.So it wasn't written anywhere.It probably looks more complicated than it is when you do it.

This assumes you have properly thawed the bird for 5 days in a paper sack in the refrigerator or are using a fresh never frozen turkey.

This is my turkey recipe.It is for a moist meated turkey if you prefer the meat dry

(& some do) then you

[calgon]

why not put the turkeys in a pasture someplace and send some needy children to disney?

duh. moronic politicians and beauracratic hooplah.

i saw a turkey recipe on TV that involved brining for 6 hours then stuffing it with a quartered lemon, orange and fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage) - then rub the outside with olive oil or butter and season with salt and pepper and orange/lemon zest (i guess you blend all those together and then rub) (me, i'd use chipotle powder and/or smoked paprika in there someplace.  and beer!) 

not sure about the details, i wasn't paying that close attention because i never have to cook turkey any more - T-day is always at my inlaw's house.   

here's some good info:  (brining instructions on this site also)

http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/thanks.html

i like to take things that sound the best from different recipes and combine them to make my own creation - although i guess T-day isn't really the right time to experiment 

this site has lots of recipes and leftover ideas also - the first stuffing recipe sounds delish but i don't like stuffing to be cooked inside the turkey.

http://www.mealtime.org/default.aspx?id=461

hope it all works out for you, i'd definitely try the brining step if i were cooking one this year!

[Indestructable]

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/tgturkey2.html

Today, in the traditional US Capitol Thanksgiving manner, the president pardoned two turkeys. After word they were flown in a private jet to Disneyland. This is due to PETA not approving of the conditions of the turkey farm the past turkeys had been sentenced to.

And from PETA, http://www.goveg.com/f-top10turkeys.asp Ten Reasons Not To Eat Turkey.

I'm thinking this is a bit overboard but *shrugs* to each his own.

Question.

Who has the BEST Turkey and Stuffing Recipe? I have a 14 pound bird here and he needs a recipe... the one that sounds best is the one I will use and I'll report back on the delectable results.

*puts on Alice's Restaurant and sings along*

haha, your probably not going to believe me, being only 14, but that is possibly the funniest song ever, all 18 minutes of it! someone should post an mp3 of it, maybe I will, but my mom has it on record, and she played if for me a couple of years ago, all the while telling me about the White House tapes (from some important former president, can't remember which) having exactly 18 minutes of silence on them, and the joke being that Alice's Restaurant had been recorded and erased on them! Thanks for reminding me of that song waterRTBH...lol...

[water]

*grins*

I am playing that song on the radio station every three hours today. I love it too, Aggr3 showed it to me years ago, and got me hooked.

OK Cholla, this is what I have done. I followed your prep instructions with a *tiny* bit of modifications (calgon: I will try the "brining" at Christmas when I have enough lead time to prep).

I washed the bird in cold water.

I used the lemon juice and water mix, in a regular roasting pan (the large size roasting pan, the turkey fit in the pan with about 3/4 inch to spare on the butt end) there is about a quarter inch on the bottom now.

I rubbed it with extra virgin olive oil (can you BE an extra virgin anything?). 

I spiced the inside with the spices I mention later and stuffed it with celery as you said (never thought about this before, and I'm wondering why to do it, but followed your instructions like a blind sheep) and can I use that celery later in the stuffing? If you don't answer I am going to try it.

I sprinkled paprika, sage, ground mustard (just a whim), white pepper, garlic and fine ground chives over it (yes, it looks quite gay now). It looks like a rainbow!

I didn't sew the bird closed, I used four metal pins (I apologize to anyone who may be offended in a turkey-day manner by the use of metal in cooking fowl). But it came with a clamp on the legs and I'm being extra lazy 

The bird is breast side up in the roaster, and I covered him with foil (not touching the bird), however you can use two pieces of foil well, if you use them on the ends instead of the sides - it fully covers the bird.

I have set the timer for one hour, then I will use the big 'ole injector to take some of the jiuce from the bottom of the pan and inject it. I will do this twice and then follow your last hour of instructions using butter.

Dangit boy, it's 8:30 AM and I want turkey now! 

[cholla]

waterRTBH : I think most cooks modify a little .Thats why I leave the spices up to the cook.

The lemon/water/salt mixture helps tenderize the meat while it is cooking .

On the celery I don't use what is in the turkey.If you really need to you could but removing it for the dressing will make the turkey cool a good deal faster while the dressing is cooking.

The celery stuffing adds moisture to the bird while it is cooking as well as the celery flavor.

What is stuffed in the neck cavity holds the skin out so it looks nicer .

I used to use the metal trussing skewers too; but decided sewing the neck & rear shut sealed the moisture in better.The metal skewers are much better than leaving the turkey open.

The reason I don't like to cook the bread stuffing inside the turkey is it has a drying effect & takes longer to cook this also drys the outer meat while the dressing is getting done.

I always remove the metal leg clamp.For 3 reasons 1. I think you can wash the turkey better 2. more room to wash the inside wit the lemon/water mixture & rub spices on the inside. 3. When you remove the foil for the last hour & cut the string it gives a better brown to the inside of the legs.

Did you tie the wings across the breast or use the Oriental tuck the wings behind the back or neither.You might want to add an extra 1/2 to 1 hour cooking time to adjust for the cooling the turkey will do when you are injecting it.

I did like your 2 piece foil idea.I usually use the extra wide heavy duty but I will have to give that a try.

On the brining I don't care for it myself.You might want to roast a chicken this way first before trying it for a holiday dinner.It will produce a salty & sweet flavor so that might not be the flavor

you want.On any brining mixture you want to watch the acid level or it will over-tenderize the meat.Especially if you marinate it too long.

Btw mine went in a 7:30.

[water]

waterRTBH : I think most cooks modify a little .Thats why I leave the spices up to the cook.

The lemon/water/salt mixture helps tenderize the meat while it is cooking .

On the celery I don't use what is in the turkey.If you really need to you could but removing it for the dressing will make the turkey cool a good deal faster while the dressing is cooking.

The celery stuffing adds moisture to the bird while it is cooking as well as the celery flavor. What is stuffed in the neck cavity holds the skin out so it looks nicer .

I used to use the metal trussing skewers too; but decided sewing the neck & rear shut sealed the moisture in better.The metal skewers are much better than leaving the turkey open.

The reason I don't like to cook the bread stuffing inside the turkey is it has a drying effect & takes longer to cook this also drys the outer meat while the dressing is getting done.

I always remove the metal leg clamp.For 3 reasons 1. I think you can wash the turkey better 2. more room to wash the inside wit the lemon/water mixture & rub spices on the inside. 3. When you remove the foil for the last hour & cut the string it gives a better brown to the inside of the legs.

Did you tie the wings across the breast or use the Oriental tuck the wings behind the back or neither.You might want to add an extra 1/2 to 1 hour cooking time to adjust for the cooling the turkey will do when you are injecting it.

I did like your 2 piece foil idea.I usually use the extra wide heavy duty but I will have to give that a try.

On the brining I don't care for it myself.You might want to roast a chicken this way first before trying it for a holiday dinner.It will produce a salty & sweet flavor so that might not be the flavor you want.On any brining mixture you want to watch the acid lever or it will over-tenderize the meat.Especially if you marinate it too long.

Btw mine went in a 7:30.

I don't like dry turkey myself, and Aggr3 always had a way with fowl, so it never was dry. I never really understood how or why, so I still keep injecting (inspecting, infecting and neglecting

[cholla]

waterRTBH : Your welcome on the tips.I never inject once its in the oven I leave it alone for the 3 & 1/2 hours except for an ocassional check of the oven thermometer to make sure its staying around 325.

My turkey this year has one of the plastic popups that sare supposed to let you know its done.But I have a good meat thermometer I do the final check with too.

I tied the legs across the breast, the pan was to small to make the bird squat, so I compromised.

I hope you meant wings but the other might make an interesting shaped bird .

[water]

LOL

Yeah - I did.

hahahahahaaaaaaa

[Indestructable]

Do you have a radio show?

*hums 'Oh, you can get, anything you want! At Alice's Restaraunt' ...and walk out...*

I'll have to get my mom to pull out that record for thanksgiving. 

[supersteven]

I hate PETA with such a passion.

[resopalrabotnick]

I LOVE PETA!

People Eating Tasty Animals

[xs1]

I LOVE PETA!

People Eating Tasty Animals

amen to that !

[cholla]

PETA doesn't that stand for People that Eat & Torture Animals ?

waterRTBH: I hope your turkey turned out well(mine did).I didn't put it in the recipe but since the amount of celery that is stuffed in the turkey is light so it doesn't affect the cooking time as far as I can tell.

I have also tried the breast down method.One of my roasters has an adjustable rack that can be used flat or V for the breast side down.I got this roaster just so I could try it this way.To me it makes the breast meat taste more like the dark meat.So I like the breast side up.

On turning a turkey over like if you want it browned on the back too.For a photo op or something.

I use a heavy duty spatula(the all stainless steel kind that looks like silverware) & a folded paper towel.A cooking glove might help but they are usually too small for me  so I don't have any.

I have only done this a couple of times more to see how it worked .For me the back can stay unbrowned because when have you had someone say "carve me off some of the back meat."

[water]

My turkey turned out perfect thank you cholla. I had to cook it for 5.5 hours though which seemed a bit extreme to me, but either the oven temperature is off, the bird wasn't completely thawed, or the thermometer was broken. So... I used the time honored method of being able to pull off the leg easily, and it turned out the bird was perfect.

The rest of the meal was outstanding as well, and the stuffing was to die for.

[cholla]

waterRTBH: Glad to here it worked well the method has never failed me.I think the longer time may have been from cooling while you injected the turkey.Or like you said if it was not throughly thawed this increases time.Oven thermostats can be off I know mine is thats why I use an oven thermometer.I only paid $12. for mine. This way you know your oven temp. It should be done in 4.5 hours for a 14 LB turkey but I also use the color as an indicater I like a nice golden brown The pull the leg is a good indicator too.I use a meat thermometer as a final check.

The stuffing was my grandmother's recipe too bad shes not around to make it.But she would be 95 now if she was still alive.