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I know we had threads about frying a turkey in the fryer but i would like to see what is your special recipe for making a turkey the traditional way in the oven.
Last few years me and my wife have been cooking the turkey and we always cooked it in a convection oven in a Reynolds turkey bag set at 325 degrees and it always turned out moist but not as brown as i would like. Anyone have experience cooking with and without a bag?
right and i am wondering if i cook it without a bag if it will still be moist or dry?
you could do most of the time in the bag and the last hour or so out.
the last hour; cut the bag open and drizzle your choice of oil or butter over the bird.
That way; it'll be moist from being in the bag but will brown the skin
you could do most of the time in the bag and the last hour or so out.
the last hour; cut the bag open and drizzle your choice of oil or butter over the bird.
That way; it'll be moist from being in the bag but will brown the skin
This is what I was thinking, do most of it in the bag, then the last hour or so, remove the bag to brown the skin
I saw an interesting titled article the other day.
cook turkey upside down so all fat drips to white meat....then last hour or so, flip it over. supposedly moist white meat.
I saw an interesting titled article the other day.
cook turkey upside down so all fat drips to white meat....then last hour or so, flip it over. supposedly moist white meat.
Just heard that as well. It was a commercial for something on TV.
There are a thousand different ways to cook a bird. Most yielding something very delicious. Some people may like it one way, some another. BBQed, smoked, deep fried, brined, oven roasted, bagged, upside down, on and on and on.
Personally I have stopped using a bag and I have also stopped brining. Brining is great to ensure a moist bird. But really, when cooked right, that shouldn't be too much of a concern anyway. I'd rather risk a dry bird instead of guaranteeing a less flavorful one.
I roast, no bags, right side up. I go pretty high heat for the first 30-60 minutes. This is important when not brining as this helps the moisture stay in the turkey. I stuff my bird with an bunch of fresh citrus and herbs. I like to mix semi-cold butter up with a spice mix and rub under the skin everywhere. Cajun and creole is actually the perfect spice mix for a turkey IMO. After the initial crisping, I'll take it out and wrap completely in foil. Cook until you reach ~145* internally. Remove from oven, apply more butter mix on the outside of the skin, and then cook open until you hit your 165* mark. This will get the skin crispy again. If you start to get too brown before the temp is reached, cover those areas with foil. And just like a steak, let it sit!
While I prefer stuffing cooked INSIDE the bird I would rather the bird have the citrus moisture from the inside.
Also, try Pepperidge Farms herbed stuffing. Cook one pound of sweet italian sausage, follow the stuffing instructions adding celery, carrot, and onion. Mix all together. Amazing. Even better if made in the bird.
Edit: Also note that these gigantic birds that people talk about using, really anything above say 15 pounds, is not ideal. Those things are stuffed with hormones and junk food to swell up to those sizes. A free range or a smaller bird will generally taste better. IMO. Plus they are more easily managed and cook better.
Last edited by maharajamd; 11-24-2014 at 03:39 PM.
There are a thousand different ways to cook a bird. Most yielding something very delicious. Some people may like it one way, some another. BBQed, smoked, deep fried, brined, oven roasted, bagged, upside down, on and on and on.
Personally I have stopped using a bag and I have also stopped brining. Brining is great to ensure a moist bird. But really, when cooked right, that shouldn't be too much of a concern anyway. I'd rather risk a dry bird instead of guaranteeing a less flavorful one.
I roast, no bags, right side up. I go pretty high heat for the first 30-60 minutes. This is important when not brining as this helps the moisture stay in the turkey. I stuff my bird with an bunch of fresh citrus and herbs. I like to mix semi-cold butter up with a spice mix and rub under the skin everywhere. Cajun and creole is actually the perfect spice mix for a turkey IMO. After the initial crisping, I'll take it out and wrap completely in foil. Cook until you reach ~145* internally. Remove from oven, apply more butter mix on the outside of the skin, and then cook open until you hit your 165* mark. This will get the skin crispy again. If you start to get too brown before the temp is reached, cover those areas with foil. And just like a steak, let it sit!
While I prefer stuffing cooked INSIDE the bird I would rather the bird have the citrus moisture from the inside.
Also, try Pepperidge Farms herbed stuffing. Cook one pound of sweet italian sausage, follow the stuffing instructions adding celery, carrot, and onion. Mix all together. Amazing. Even better if made in the bird.
Edit: Also note that these gigantic birds that people talk about using, really anything above say 15 pounds, is not ideal. Those things are stuffed with hormones and junk food to swell up to those sizes. A free range or a smaller bird will generally taste better. IMO. Plus they are more easily managed and cook better.
This is good info! when i started this thread i was hoping for posts like this just to get everyone personal experiences.
I guess it's not "upgraded" at all it's just smaller. Since I never need to cook anything to that high of temp anyway, I bought the needle probe that's less intrusive.
I saw an interesting titled article the other day.
cook turkey upside down so all fat drips to white meat....then last hour or so, flip it over. supposedly moist white meat.
I had heard to cook it upside down for the first hour, and then flip it over
One thing about using a bag is the turkey comes out moist but i don't think it cooks the meat as well. It reaches the correct temp but the meat still doesn't taste 100% cooked ins some parts of the bird, i even overcooked it one time to get rid of the uncooked taste but i still wasn't 100% impressed.
Edit: Also note that these gigantic birds that people talk about using, really anything above say 15 pounds, is not ideal. Those things are stuffed with hormones and junk food to swell up to those sizes. A free range or a smaller bird will generally taste better. IMO. Plus they are more easily managed and cook better.
Pretty much all poultry that is not organic or free range are raised on hormones and antibiotics.
Hormones to make the bird grown quicker and bigger and antibiotics to keep them from getting sick because they health is that weak (weak immune system)
11-24-2014, 12:53 PM
