Your favorite cooking method to eat a turkey

[alphasigko]

I want to get a smoker but have no idea what to get- worried about cost and learning curve. Are they complicated? Budget would be 500-1000.

Large BIG GREEN EGG

 

[jleves]

I want to get a smoker but have no idea what to get- worried about cost and learning curve. Are they complicated? Budget would be 500-1000.

We've had a couple threads about this. Start on this one and inside that is a link to the more extensive first one. Bottom line, get a pellet smoker if you want to get into it without a lot of learning curve.

 

[bluestreak]

Anyone try spatchcocking a turkey?

My son has. It was tender and delicious. Not for Thanksgiving but just a trial run family dinner. He is very good at most things cooked.
I have had turkey duty for many years and tried baked, brined and not, assorted spices, deep fried which has been the popular favorite, but I don't care for it.
Being in charge, I decided to smoke it last time. It got rave reviews. Very tender and juicy and the applewood smoke gives it a taste that works with the bird. It will be my choice going forward.

 

[Minicoop69]

Been smoking a turkey for the last couple of years. I have a Pitboss combo smoker/grill and for a 20lb bird it doesn't leave a lot of room.

I just bought a used Pitboss vertical smoker and will have plenty of room for that this year. Brand new vertical smokers can be had for around $500 for a pellet style or cheaper for electric or propane.

I brine for 24hrs with a citrusy brine and then stuff the cavity with apples, oranges, mandarins, lemons and cook at 250 or so. Nice and juicy

 

[navery12]

Whatever is the quickest path to the garbage, personally straight from the freezer works for me

 

[Chin Diesel]

Ouf of the available choices, I prefer to roast my turkey.

Correct answer is I hope someone I know is deep frying it and I'm going over their house to watch and then eat it.

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

Turkey is bad anyway you cook it. Fried is the best of the worse. Terrible tradition.

 

[QuickDraw]

My wife

only once a year?

 

[Dogdeacon]

My wife

Agree, for those coming here for a recipe its a 5-step process:
1. Turn on TV
2. Watch football
3. Begin drinking
4. Repeat 2 & 3 (optional: baste turkey if near the beverages)
5. Slice turkey when directed to by wife

 

[Conndog]

We've had a couple threads about this. Start on this one and inside that is a link to the more extensive first one. Bottom line, get a pellet smoker if you want to get into it without a lot of learning curve.

Thanks, I'll check it out

 

[HCCForever]

We compared a deep fried with roasted and the fried was definitely juicier. I’ve only had smoked a few times but that was good as well. I love turkey so I’m not much of a critic.

I’ll probably have roasted turkey along with prime rib and grouper at my nearby Hiilton as I did last year.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Anyone try spatchcocking a turkey?

This is my preferred method. It doesn’t have quite the aesthetic Norman Rockwell appeal but taste-wise it is better than anything else.

That all being said, it’s still turkey and turkey is still pretty garbage.

 

[LBird33]

Raw with Tabasco sauce and onions

 

[MuchoDogYears]

All this info is cool and really interesting. But I haven’t had anything but an oven roasted turkey in 64 years of existence. From Gramma to mom to now my wife or sister all the same. And I can’t remember having anything other than a great day. Has there been a somewhat drier one than others, yeah a couple. Nothing that gravy and a few beers along with great sides doesn’t cure.

I have mad respect for the variety of ways to prepare but fk that, way too much time for a couple nice big slices along with the other goods. And it tasted even better on a nice Pepperidge Farms potato bread toasted the next few days as well!!!

This is the way. Keep things simple. All these secret sauce recipes suck.

 

[Deepster]

We compared a deep fried with roasted and the fried was definitely juicier. I’ve only had smoked a few times but that was good as well. I love turkey so I’m not much of a critic.

I’ll probably have roasted turkey along with prime rib and grouper at my nearby Hiilton as I did last year.

Did you brine the roasted turkey? If brined it’s impossible to dry out.

 

[jibsey]

My thoughts are this: Do not pay $80 for a heritage, "natural", vegetarian fed, "fresh", organic bird.
Go get the down and dirty frozen Butterball, Shady Farms or whatever the hell else is on sale because it will make no difference in how it tastes, it's all in the cooking and seasoning, it will be great. JMO, I've bought those other ones in the past.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Why couldn’t the pilgrims and Indians have just eaten a ribeye?

 

[HCCForever]

Did you brine the roasted turkey? If brined it’s impossible to dry out.

I did not. All I ever bring to a family dinner is wine, a pie and most importantly my appetite.

 

[CTMike]

Dry brined and roasted to 150*. Other one gets spatchcocked and smoked. In Kenji I trust.

Did exactly this and the smoked bird was universally favored… skipping oven roasted this year.

 

[uconnfan68]

Agree, for those coming here for a recipe its a 5-step process:
1. Turn on TV
2. Watch football
3. Begin drinking
4. Repeat 2 & 3 (optional: baste turkey if near the beverages)
5. Slice turkey when directed to by wife

She doesn’t trust me slicing either.

 

[Dove]

Raw with Tabasco sauce and onions

 

[Deepster]

For those noobs that can’t carve a bird. Must see.

 

[Dove]

We have hostsed the Day for 4 years and working on number 5.

Each time, the bird has been nestled in the Weber grill. The fam loves it.

 

[huskeynut]

There was a time when we did two birds - a 24 - 27 pounder in the oven and a 12 to 14 pounded deep fried. Thanksgiving was usually 15 people. The big bird in the oven was seasoned, buttered and basted with sherry wine. Tented with aluminum foil. Always tasted great. Never had a dried out bird. The smaller bird was fresh, dried and injected with Italian seasoning. 3 minutes a pound and it was done.

Now that we retired to Florida, we will cook a 15 pounder in the oven. We will have 2 friends over for the day. And plenty of leftovers!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BullDawg]

My son has. It was tender and delicious. Not for Thanksgiving but just a trial run family dinner. He is very good at most things cooked.
I have had turkey duty for many years and tried baked, brined and not, assorted spices, deep fried which has been the popular favorite, but I don't care for it.
Being in charge, I decided to smoke it last time. It got rave reviews. Very tender and juicy and the applewood smoke gives it a taste that works with the bird. It will be my choice going forward.

Largest turkey we’ve been able to spatchcock and roast is 13lbs. This enables white and dark meat to roast perfectly, instead of overcooking white meat or undercooking the dark meat.