NCAAbbs

And what kind of stuffing do you use?

NONE!!! Disease carrying stuff. Make it on the stove.

Oh, geez, Philly is on his turkey thing again already. BWAH!! I think you need to tell us how your cook YOUR turkey Phil........at what oven temperature, and for how long.

( Wasn't it something like 200 degrees for 12 hours?)

LOL! That's right, but he doesn't tell us about the Zambuco that accompanies his turkey

I like my Turkey, Whinny. You know that.

(11-15-2009 10:30 AM)BroncoPhilly Wrote: [ -> ]And what kind of stuffing do you use?

First I bake the turkey don't fry it. I use a butter baste with herbs and maply syrup. Slap a ton of it under the skin. I also put carrots, onion, celery in the cavity. Toss it out when done.

I always buy fresh turkey.

Stuffing. The wife makes the stuffing becuase she does a better job. She puts sausage in it.



I do not stuff the turkey with it.

BP I love turkey talk, so keep it up.

I love to talk Turkey. Gobble, gobble. Gobble, gobble.

Anybody ever cook a wild bird? How do they taste?

I have been cooking the Turkey on a gas grill for the last several years. Real easy to do and takes no longer than cooking it in the oven. Secret is to get the grill heated up, and then keep only the outside burners going high enough to keep the temp constant. You don't want burners going directly under the bird unless you like Blackened Bottom Turkey.

Stuff the cavity with Onion, Celery, Apple...anything with some moisture, and use a meat thermometer.

Dressing is made in the oven. By the way, best thing about using the grill besides the taste is that the oven is available for other things.

Agree, I've said it before. I do the bird indirect on a charcoal Weber. Comes out perfect every time, with a slight smokey taste (use mesquite charcoal) and it's the only way that I'll eat a turkey from now on. Like you said, it frees up the oven as well, can avoid all the juggling.

The women love that they don't have to worry about the turkey, and I can hang out and drink beer, grill like a man. All are happy!

Anybody put chestnuts in their stuffing? I hear it's good.

I cook the stuffing in the bird. Only way to do it, IMO. Bread, raisins, celery, yellow onions, sometimes some Kalamata olives. Basting the bird regulary with it's own juices. I season by rubbing down the exterior of the body with salt, pepper and occasionaly some parsley and lemon.

A turkey has to be moist when you eat it. I'd just as soon pass on dry meat-had too much of that back in the day, before they bred Turkey's to be meatier and moister.

Gravy or not????

Cranberry sauce-from the can or with real cranberries???

My dogs love Thanksgiving! I take them out for a long walk early in the day to get their appetites honed and reduce their normal breakfast amounts. The smells coming out of the kitchen have them hovering around all day! Then they eat a good meal and sleep on the couch with smiles on their faces. It's heart warming to watch.

Remove the thawed Butterball from the fridge at about 4 AM. Cook for however long my wife cooks it. When that little timer pops up we microwave some GFS gravey, bake some Sam's Club Green Bean Caserole, open three packages of Bob Evans mashed potatoes and there you have it. It's a very complicated recipe, so don't try this unless you're a seasoned cook.

I suppose you buy pies from Bill Knapps and generic beer from Krogers?

I like the jellied cranberry sauce the best. It takes a lot of skill to get it out of the can perfectly like that. ^^^^ Not a fan of real cranberries, because you usually get sweet sauce with sour cranberries. Gravy is great as long as it's homemade milk gravy. Any other kind is yuck. And I prefer my stuffing basic, with just celery and onions, and cooked en bird, of course. The stove top stuff doesn't have as much flavor. I remember once when my former mother-in-law filled her stuffing with chilies and spicy sausage. We were passing the water bong around for the rest of the day. It was horrid stuff, and our mouths were on fire!

The two best kitchen smells in the world are roasting turkey and roasting lamb. My kitchen has had neither for one helluva long time. Heh.

I really was trying to find the 3 stooges episode where they are preparing turkey and the thing jumps down from the table and starts running away before Curly can stuff it. Alas, couldn't find it.

For those that roast your turkey in the oven, try using the cooking bags- have never had one come out without being incredibly moist.

Also, BP, I'm with you. I do the stuffing inside (but also cook up the rest of it in the oven, we like lots of stuffing).

I have had lots of people share their variations on stuffing but I still prefer the basic celery and onions with diced giblets and its' cooking liquid added. I agree with Whinny on gravy and the potatoes must be real, not dehydrated. I've lately taken to steaming them in my steamer.

Nothing like a bit of L-tryptophan induced nap after the feast.

Quote:Nothing like a bit of L-tryptophan induced nap after the feast.

It's great! Take my dogs for a long walk to tire us all out, eat a great meal and then it's head for the sofa and reclining chairs! Nothing like taking a nap during the Lions game so you don't upset your tummy!

Quote:And I prefer my stuffing basic, with just celery and onions, and cooked en bird, of course.

That's the way we used to eat it when we were kids (I assume you mean with bread as well?). Later on I got into the habit of adding raisins or currants to add some tart flavor.

I like to cook yams as well-just bake a few of them in the oven with the Turkey and they make a great accent for the potatoes. They're not fussy, just toss them into the oven and let them do their thing.

We usually have corn and peas as veggies, too.

Whinny, you have to cook the bird this year! Gotta enjoy these traditions. I remember one year when we were kids and my parents weren't getting along-dad was off on a business trip and mom didn't cook a bird for Thanksgiving. I felt so cheated. Swore when I had my own place that nothing would prevent these traditions from being enjoyed. I've had a few Thanksgivings where it was just me and the dogs, but we had a great time anyway. Gotta enjoy life along the journey, it's short enough as it is.

I say "woman, cook me a turkey"

Then I put my hand in my pants and watch football.

Quote:Then I put my hand in my pants and watch football.

Whoa, to much info!

Quote:I suppose you buy pies from Bill Knapps and generic beer from Krogers?

Bill Knapps is out of business.

No seriously, we divvy up the meal. We do the Turkey and some sort of spiral ham, and sisters, mother in law, and kids bring a couple of things each.

My sister in law bakes a mean pie, but most of the time grandma brings the pies..............purchased at Sams.

I like devilled eggs as well. They're not too typical at Thanksgiving, but a neat accent. Think I'll whip some up this year!

<=========== Dark meat fan!

I always think you need to prepare Greece at the same time- Both are marginally allies with us but always at each others throats so you don't want to prepare one without the other-also consider the cultural-religous aspects....What? Oh, sorry.

LOL

Man im worried about it this year. My parents are driving down to visit us this year for thanksgiving so my wife and I are going to cook a bird and all the fixings. I am worried about messing up being the first time ever cooking a bird and what not. I suppose I will throw it in the oven and let it go..

How can you mess it up? Go for it!

Hell, I've made mistakes. Cooked a bird with the bag of 'goodies' still inside it one year. Wasn't aware they put them in there, lol. The Turkey was still good.

Pretty hard to mess up a Turkey if you follow a few basic rules. Watch the video above and you're good to go!

First I stuff the turkey and stuff the turkey and stuff the turkey and STUFF THE TURKEY AND STUFF THE TURKEY. Ahh.

Then I wring her neck, pluck the feathers, and gut her.

Then it is on to the deep fryer.

MMMMMM MMMMMM Good!

(11-18-2009 05:30 PM)BroncoPhilly Wrote: [ -> ]How can you mess it up? Go for it!

Hell, I've made mistakes. Cooked a bird with the bag of 'goodies' still inside it one year. Wasn't aware they put them in there, lol. The Turkey was still good.

Pretty hard to mess up a Turkey if you follow a few basic rules. Watch the video above and you're good to go!

LOL. I'm soooo glad that I'm not the only one that's ever done that. First time I ever did a Turkey (age 23), I couldn't find the giblets until we carved it up. It wasn't fully thawed, so it took forever. You made my day, BP.

(11-18-2009 05:17 PM)michmaster Wrote: [ -> ]Man im worried about it this year. My parents are driving down to visit us this year for thanksgiving so my wife and I are going to cook a bird and all the fixings. I am worried about messing up being the first time ever cooking a bird and what not. I suppose I will throw it in the oven and let it go..

Here are the two most important things to assure your parents will enjoy the turkey in reverse order of importance:

2) Use a meat thermometer to assure you've got it done as ovens vary significantly in their heat and 4 hours for one can be 5 for another.

1) Minimum of three rounds of drinks followed by the first glass of white wine before you serve.

Quote:First time I ever did a Turkey (age 23), I couldn't find the giblets until we carved it up. It wasn't fully thawed, so it took forever. You made my day, BP.

I just told my girlfriend I stuffed it that way. Heh, heh.

When we got married, we had a deal: She cooks, I eat. It has worked very well for 29 years.

Michmaster...buy a bird with a popup timer, and just follow directions. Nothing to it.

I love the pop-up button. It's cool!

OK, Phil - I compromised and settled for a white meat/dark meat turkey roast this year. Just because you were making me feel guilty. Heh.

Doing a whole bird is senseless for me. My electric carving knife died years ago. I can't bear to throw away a turkey carcass, so I always end up sticking it in a pot and making turkey-rice soup for hours. And then I have to pick 1,327 teeny bones out of the broth. Too much work!

That's cool, Whinny. My mom goes to Meijer and orders one of those pre-prepared dinners with all the fixins. They deliver it hot in a box. Like you she doesn't need a whole turkey, but there's plenty for several meals and it's very good! She and a niece who lives with her have enjoyed that several times.

I love turkey so I don't mind the follow up plates, sandwiches, stew, turkey salad or whatever that follow the main meal. I fix myself two heaping plates for later meals, cover em with cellophane and put them in the fridge.

I love Thanksgiving, even when I've celebrated it just by myself with my dogs. You get to eat good, smell wonderful smells in the kitchen, watch some great movies and sporting events on TV, take a good nap or two over the weekend, take some long walks in the woods with my dogs and catch a couple of the HS playoff games at Ford Field! And the monday after the holiday all the Christmas music channels start on the radio!

I'm going to buy a real tree this year and decorate it like I haven't in a long time. Love the smell of pine trees in the house! The time between halloween and New Years is my favorite time of year. Always has been.

Sounds like you're in the groove, BP!

Have fun and enjoy it all!