How to cook a Turkey.

[jeff]

I was going to do a write up on this but a fellow my350z member beat me to it over on the my350z.com forum.

Here's his post.


How to cook a Turkey by Unorthodox_z

DO NOT EVER BASTE! IT IS A USELESS WASTE OF TIME THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY EFFECT ON FLAVOR AND COOLS THE OVEN EVERY TIME YOU OPEN IT!

Soak the thawed turkey in a Brine for 8 hours prior to cooking it. This allows osmosis to set in and the cells in the turkey meat to pass their flavor out into the brine. Once the Brine has more mass than the turkey the osmosis reverses and the turkey draws in the Brine now mixed with its own natural flavors. As surprising as this may seem, this actually stops the juices from cooking out of the bird while you cook it. In fact, it will stay juicy even if you freeze it for 3 months!

Brine: Get a big 5 gallon construction water cooler or a clean 5 gallon bucket. Fill it with one gallon of vegetable broth. You can buy boxes of that at the store. Then add one cup of kosher salt, one cup of brown sugar, a tablespoon of whole black pepper corns, and half a tablespoon of allspice berries (in the spices section in your supermarket). Mix this Brine very thoroughly until everything that should dissolve will. Over the course of 6-8 hours the flavor will come out of the harder stuff so don't worry about them. Then add 5 pounds of ice to the bucket allow it to melt enough that you can get the bird in but you want to put in it when its freezing. This will halp the osmosis as well as work in combination with the salt to kill any bacteria that may try to form during that time. Then simply cap the cooler or bucket and after 3-4 hours (based on how long you plan on brining) flip the turkey over (head first, then feet).

When your 6-8 hours are up, simply wash the Brine off the bird and place it on a flat rack on a baking tin. Leave the legs tied together and tuck the wings up under the body (this looks better once its done since the wings just burn anyway). Whatever you do, don't make stuffing inside the turkey!!!!! Everyone wants to do this but it actually changes cooking times and is a mushy home for all kinds of raw poultry bacteria, so don't do it! Instead, fill the cavity with a big stem of Thyme, a handful of Sage leaves (both fresh by the way) an apple and half an onion (Slice the apple in half and place in a microwavable bowl with the half an onion. Microwave on high for 5 minutes then place both apple halves and the onion half in the cavity as well). These aromatics will permeate the meat while it cooks which will be good for you and make your house smell wonderful!

Now cooking is the tricky part. The ideal internal temperature for the white meat to be done is 161 degrees while the dark meat is 180 degrees. You want both to reach their ideal temperatures at the same time so here's how you do that. It may seem weird but it works, trust me. Fold a big piece of aluminum foil (2 layers thick) into a triangle that will be large enough to wrap the breast only in. Coat it with a little canola oil and pre-form it to the turkey before you put it in the oven, then you can just pop it on rather than trying to wrap a 500 degrees bird! Now comes the fun part!

Pre-heat the oven to a scorching 500 degrees! Place the turkey feet first in the oven and cook it at this temperature for 30 minutes (do not ever open the oven door). This will promote a browning of the skin and will draw flavor from the fatty layer below it. Slow cooking just melts this layer without utilizing it first! After 30 minutes, give your turkey breast its little aluminum hat and turn your oven down to 350 degrees. Cook it at this temperature for 1.5 hours once again never opening the door (trust that it will cook, don't bother it).

If you don't have a probe thermometer buy one before you do this. They are cheap and you can buy them at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Stick the probe all the way into the breast avoiding any bones that could give you a false reading and cook it with it in. Then you can pull it out right when the internal temperature reaches 161 degrees. Food science baby

That's it, follow these steps and you'll have the best turkey on the block. Just be sure to give or take a few minutes based on your oven. The probe thermometer with a long wire is the best idea though!

[taipantoo]

How will this brined turkey do in a frier?
I will start another thread with questions about deep frying.

My concern is contaminating my oil.
I have a syphon pump and filter to save my oil for reuse.

[jeff]

Originally Posted by taipantoo

How will this brined turkey do in a frier?
I will start another thread with questions about deep frying.

My concern is contaminating my oil.
I have a syphon pump and filter to save my oil for reuse.

Brining a turkey puts the juice INSIDE the meat, I can't think of a cleaner way of doing a turkey then to brine it. Gotta remember that brining doesnt do anything to the outside of the meat, it's all about pulling stuff into the meat.

Osmosis :cool:

[Hraesvelg]

should I brine just 8 hours for a 21 pound turkey or should I go longer?

[jeff]

Originally Posted by Hraesvelg

should I brine just 8 hours for a 21 pound turkey or should I go longer?

BANNNN!!!!!!!

With turkey I doubt you'll over brine it. If it was me, I'd leave it over night and take it out the next day.

=)

If it turns out really salty come back and yell at me.

[Hraesvelg]

You think 12 hours is too long?

[Hraesvelg]

I did 16 hours... I'll let you know the results in 3 hours.

[Hraesvelg]

Turned out great. 14 hours brineing a 21 pound turkey. Cooked in peanut oil for 3 minutes a pound at 300F.

[jeff]

post up some pictures or ban

[Hraesvelg]

Brining turkey nao!