Re: Dealing with a 25# Turkey

[Guest guest]

Deanna :

>1. Should I brine it while it thaws, or wait until it does?

I use my brining step as a way to thaw the bird. Technically

you are supposed to thaw a bird either in the fridge

or in water, so the outside layer doesn't have a chance to

get bacterial growth. But I think it's a really easy way

to thaw it too ... put it in brine!

(My other method is the " Chinese chicken " method ... cook

the frozen bird in a big pot with salted water, herbs, and

vegies til it is parboiled. Then bake. But a big turkey

would be hard to handle that way).

>2. How many hours should I cook it?

Til it's 150-180 degrees internal temp. I have one

of those cute probes you can put in while it is in

the oven, so you don't have to open the door.

I usually smoke my birds, so opening the door

is REALLY a tear-jerking experience, so to speak!

I find that birds cook a LOT better if you " butterfly "

them .. cut down the breastbone and open them

up. Which isn't " traditional " but it sure works good.

Esp. if you butterfly them over a big layer of vegies.

For turkey's though, my most fantabulous results

were this year, when I made a turducken. You debone

the turkey, then stuff it with a goose (supposed to be

a duck, but I like goose) then a chicken, then stuffing.

Using all 3 birds, there wasn't enough room for stuffing,

so next time, it's just the turkey and goose. Using JUST

one goose, there is not enough meat, but with a turkey

it might be ok, they have more breastmeat.

It's a ton of work, but worth it! The stuffing comes out

moist and fluffy, and the meat is outrageously wonderful.

Very impressive to the family. For leftovers I just sliced

1 " slices of meat+dressing and froze it.

Deboning a turkey isn't near as bad as it sounds (there

are websites that show you how, tho I got the idea

from the LaVrenne Practique). And then all the bones

are sitting there waiting to make broth for the stuffing

or the rest of the dinner! (even better if you have

the feet too).

>

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

>I use my brining step as a way to thaw the bird. Technically

>you are supposed to thaw a bird either in the fridge

>or in water, so the outside layer doesn't have a chance to

>get bacterial growth. But I think it's a really easy way

>to thaw it too ... put it in brine!

>

>

Birdzilla is in the brine in a cooler. I searched and found your brine

instructions from November (I didn't think of it until after I wrote).

I placed water-filled glass jars in it to displace some empty space so I

wouldn't have to use my entire supply of salt, lol. He is one of those

leggy birds. Do you have any idea how long it might be to thaw? I am

thinking by Tuesday morning, but I wouldn't know.

>Til it's 150-180 degrees internal temp. I have one

>of those cute probes you can put in while it is in

>the oven, so you don't have to open the door.

>I usually smoke my birds, so opening the door

>is REALLY a tear-jerking experience, so to speak!

>

>

Of course, duh. I'll stick the probe in before I start the day long

cooking.

>I find that birds cook a LOT better if you " butterfly "

>them .. cut down the breastbone and open them

>up. Which isn't " traditional " but it sure works good.

>Esp. if you butterfly them over a big layer of vegies.

>

>

Ooh, doesn't that sound tasty.

>For turkey's though, my most fantabulous results

>were this year, when I made a turducken. You debone

>the turkey, then stuff it with a goose (supposed to be

>a duck, but I like goose) then a chicken, then stuffing.

>Using all 3 birds, there wasn't enough room for stuffing,

>so next time, it's just the turkey and goose. Using JUST

>one goose, there is not enough meat, but with a turkey

>it might be ok, they have more breastmeat.

>

>

I bet that's a show stopper for guests! Maybe by autumn I'll have

mustered enough courage to try it.

Thanks a lot.

Deanna, who will be searching beef tongue threads soon, as I have one of

those too

[Guest guest]

>Birdzilla is in the brine in a cooler. I searched and found your brine

>instructions from November (I didn't think of it until after I wrote).

>I placed water-filled glass jars in it to displace some empty space so I

>wouldn't have to use my entire supply of salt, lol. He is one of those

>leggy birds. Do you have any idea how long it might be to thaw? I am

>thinking by Tuesday morning, but I wouldn't know.

??? Tuesday? I've never had it take more than 24 hours.

> Deanna, who will be searching beef tongue threads soon, as I have one of

>those too

Yumm. Well, those are no-brainers. Just stew til done with spices (slow

cooker is good). Peel when cool. Slice and eat cold with good mustard,

or use for sandwiches or tacos.

If you slice it before the family sees it, you can likely get them to eat it.

BTW ... I scored 5 packages of sweetbreads at the store! On sale because

they were at the pull date so I got them for 50 cents each .... ohhh what

people don't know is good ...

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

>

>??? Tuesday? I've never had it take more than 24 hours.

>

>

Yeah, I stuck my hand in the cavity and it's tomorrow cooking for sure.

I'll take the jars out and fill some ice in it overnight so he stays

good and cold.

>

>

>Yumm. Well, those are no-brainers. Just stew til done with spices (slow

>cooker is good). Peel when cool. Slice and eat cold with good mustard,

>or use for sandwiches or tacos.

>

>If you slice it before the family sees it, you can likely get them to eat it.

>

>

Too late, Mr. Tongue has been shown off to the neighborhood, lol.

Thanks for the quick tip. I asked for a organ variety pack from my

farmers, and they came through alrighty.

>BTW ... I scored 5 packages of sweetbreads at the store! On sale because

>they were at the pull date so I got them for 50 cents each .... ohhh what

>people don't know is good ...

>

>

Oh brilliant, but I wouldn't really know either.

Off for one more round of tilling the veg and herb gardens.

Deanna

[Guest guest]

Tried, tested and fabulously juicy...

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content & id=recipe1656 & search=true & r\

esultNo=3

On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 15:48:37 -0600, Deanna <hl@...> wrote:

>

> Hi. My great friends at Rehoboth Ranch dropped off some pastured

> goodies for me this morning. I ordered a couple of turkeys along with

> everything else ... but I wasn't expecting Birdzilla! I think the

> president eats a bird this size each Thanksgiving, lol. Needless to

> say, this big beauty would not fit in my upright freezer. It is frozen

> and in a cooler now. I plan to brine it and cook it real soon. I have

> a couple of questions:

>

> 1. Should I brine it while it thaws, or wait until it does?

>

> 2. How many hours should I cook it?

>

> Any suggestions or bird jokes are most welcome.

>

> Thank you.

> Deanna

>

>

[Guest guest]

Flattened Turkey : )

We debone the turkey first and then soak the boneless bird in the brine over

night. It is then coated in olive oil or butter or whatever we feel like at

the time and placed breast side down in the pan. It cooks very fast without

the bones! Cooking faster combined with brining and cooking the breast on

the bottom (ends up cooking in the juices) makes for a very tender and juicy

bird. Once we had turkey without the bones there was no going back. It

doesn't look at all traditional, but it is so juicy. And being able to

slice right through it is a plus too.

Rhea

[Guest guest]

S. Pritchard wrote:

>Tried, tested and fabulously juicy...

>

>http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content & id=recipe1656 & search=true & \

resultNo=3

>

>

Very good. Since it is a Monday night dinner, I will forego the

stuffing (and extra salt since I have brined the bird) and keep it

simple with mashed potatoes and gravy, spinach and carrots on the side.

Oh, and I have some homemade fermented cranberry relish left from

November that is good and tart. The cooking instructions from the site

are fab and I have found a new motto to live by that I found at the

above address, " If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter

and wine. " LOL. It might refer to turkey or ski or ...

Love it. Thanks.

Deanna

[Guest guest]

Rhea Richmond wrote:

>Flattened Turkey : )

>

>We debone the turkey first and then soak the boneless bird in the brine over

>night. It is then coated in olive oil or butter or whatever we feel like at

>the time and placed breast side down in the pan. It cooks very fast without

>the bones! Cooking faster combined with brining and cooking the breast on

>the bottom (ends up cooking in the juices) makes for a very tender and juicy

>bird. Once we had turkey without the bones there was no going back. It

>doesn't look at all traditional, but it is so juicy. And being able to

>slice right through it is a plus too.

>

I'll have to find pictures of the deboning process, because in mehead,

there's bones holding up the flesh on chickens and turkeys, and

defleshing seems more the case, but I wouldn't know first hand. I can

split a bird into parts with bones intact as good as any butcher, but

ignorance is the rule on deboning birds for me.

It'd be a good thing to know in the case of a big turkey for sure.

Muchos gracias.

Deanna

[Guest guest]

Deanna wrote:

> Since it is a Monday night dinner, I will forego the

> stuffing (and extra salt since I have brined the bird)...

Why do you brine the bird? Are you sort of corning it as in corned beef?

[Guest guest]

>Why do you brine the bird? Are you sort of corning it as in corned beef?

>

>

>

Peer pressure, lol. Actually, it is a certified organic, 100% grass and

bug fed turkey that is just bigger than I am used to. Apparently, the

Toms grew real big over winter, the hens aren't keeping up. I had a

turkey from this same farm for Thanksgiving, which was smaller. I never

did a thing with that fresh bird, save butter basting and it was great.

But I wasn't expecting Big Bird in my over 200 lb. frozen order from

said farm. I just wanted to thaw it well, and well, I had heard that

brining makes it juicier. The 13 pounder was fine only basted, but a 25

pounder will be in the oven longer, so I kind of figured I'd try it this

way and see if it is juicier. I'll let you know. I will do the wine

and butter cheesecloth method a la Martha too. But no, I don't

think it will make it like corned beef. I have heard the saltiness is

not noticeable. That said, I plan to freeze breast slices for lunch meat.

Deanna, who has read of solar ovens capable of making ice too!

[Guest guest]

>Once we had turkey without the bones there was no going back. It

>doesn't look at all traditional, but it is so juicy. And being able to

>slice right through it is a plus too.

>

>Rhea

Hmm. In my Chinese cookbook they do that with ducks and

call it " pressed duck " . Never thought about it for a turkey though.

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

>

>>Why do you brine the bird? Are you sort of corning it as in corned beef?

>>

>>

Brining birds changes the shape of the proteins in the meat, so they

hold more water when roasted (ala Cooks Magazine). They aren't as

salty as corned beef by any means, but they amazingly juicy!

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

>Tried, tested and fabulously juicy...

>

><http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content & id=recipe1656 & search=true\

& resultNo=3>http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content & id=recipe1656 & s\

earch=true & resultNo=3

>

You know, those methods WORK but I still stand by my

water smoker, which requires no basting or turning.

For $199, the puppy WORKS and does 5 layers of food,

which means you can do the whole feast and future

leftovers.

Also in our neck of the woods, electricity

seems to ALWAYS go out on Thanksgiving. So cooking

a Turkey by propane seems appropriate ...

Heidi (who, it her less-lazy days, actually did baste turkeys).

[Guest guest]

Well, that was one fabulously juicy, flavorful turkey. I was planning to baste,

but life got in the way, which may be just as well. There was plenty of fat on

that puppy from all the rains we've had locally. Brining DID make it tasty and

hassle free.

Thanks y'all.

Deanna

[Guest guest]

Deanna-

>But no, I don't

>think it will make it like corned beef. I have heard the saltiness is

>not noticeable. That said, I plan to freeze breast slices for lunch meat.

No, just to make things clear, a brined bird is NOTHING like corned

beef. Corned beef has a very strong, well, corned flavor -- spicy, salty,

cured. Birds, for whatever reason (partly or maybe entirely due to a

different, less-potent, less-spiced brine) don't wind up tasting cured when

they're brined, they just stay juicier.

-

[Guest guest]

>No, just to make things clear, a brined bird is NOTHING like corned

>beef. Corned beef has a very strong, well, corned flavor -- spicy, salty,

>cured. Birds, for whatever reason (partly or maybe entirely due to a

>different, less-potent, less-spiced brine) don't wind up tasting cured when

>they're brined, they just stay juicier.

>

>

>

>

>-

>

,

Yeah, I have had both corned beef and brined bird. They are

dissimilar. I think for a large bird that has to cook over 5 hours,

it's a great technique for juicy, tender meat. The wings and drumsticks

were a tad more salty than the interior cuts, but nothing to worry over.

Deanna, (making turkey broth today :-) )