Taking Care of Turkey
Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and I suspect, due to COVID-19 concerns, there will be many smaller gatherings this year. With the potential absence of that trusted family member who has prepared the turkey in years past, some families may be making their first attempt at cooking the turkey this Thanksgiving. For the beginner or those looking for a change to their turkey preparation, I’ve provided a few tips on the three most common cooking methods. Personally, I like to switch methods from year to year just to keep things interesting.
Roasting. The first method is the traditional roasting of the turkey in the oven. If you’re planning on guests for dinner and you’re not concerned with the ceremonial carving of the turkey, I highly recommend cooking the turkey the day before. Be sure to add plenty of liquid (i.e. chicken broth) to the turkey and cover it with tin foil or a roasting bag. Once the turkey is done, allow it to cool before carving. Place the carved meat back into the pan with the liquid and cover with tin foil in the refrigerator. Several hours before your guests arrive put the covered roasting pan back in the oven at 225°F. When guests arrive, your house will smell like roasted turkey, just as if you had prepared it that day, but you won’t have to worry about under or over cooking the turkey. Click here for an easy roasting recipe.
Frying. This method is perhaps the most efficient yet most dangerous, which does provide some entertainment value. It is critical that you double-check your oil level. You should have just enough to cover the turkey, no more. Keep in mind that the oil will boil up when you put the turkey in, so make sure there is ample room for the oil to boil up without spilling out. If you’re using a propane burner, I recommend turning off the burner immediately before you place the turkey in the fryer and turning it back on only when you are sure that the oil is not going to spill over. Shutting the burner off briefly will not affect the cooking process, but may prevent a visit from the fire department. Click here for turkey frying instructions.
Smoking. This is the method I have chosen for my turkey this year. In the past I have smoked my turkey for only half the total cooking time and finished it in the oven. Finishing the turkey in the oven helps prevent the turkey from drying out. This year, however, I’m going to do the entire cook in the smoker using a recipe from Malcolm Reed at HowToBBQRight (see recipe here). I think this is a great example of how, regardless of which cooking method you choose, there are always different variations of the method. For example, with Malcom’s recipe I will be using a brine for the turkey instead of my usual butter injection.
Pro Tips. When buying your turkey, I’d recommend planning on one pound per guest. If you’re using the frying method, I suggest throwing some chicken wings in the shopping cart. This will make a great snack when watching NFL later in the day.
