This just never gets old. Like a good Christmas Carol:
Meanwhile, I made my ‘test’ turkey today. Just an excuse to try something new and make sure there are leftovers at my house when Thanksgiving is celebrated elsewhere. It was probably the easiest turkey I’ve made yet. Although I know what I’m asking for this Christmas – a new set of knives. I’m eyeing the self-sharpening Calaphon. Mine are inadequate anymore.
Here’s the recipe for today’s turkey:
Thanksgiving Files: Spatchcock Turkey:
Sometimes the scariest part of the Thanksgiving Dinner is the worry that the turkey will not turn out properly – undercooked, overcooked, dry, flavorless – and ruin the whole meal. I’ve cooked in bags, roasted, braised, fried, deboned – about everything but brine. I’m not a fan of brining. And still every year I worry.
I tryout various new methods a few days before the big day, just to spice things up and make sure there are leftovers in my frig. This year I decided to try removing the backbone and flattening the bird, cooking it at a high temperature for a shorter cooking time. It seemed like it was pretty foolproof and stress free. My brother is going to prep one of his two turkeys similarly, but smoke it instead.
I put it together today so I could get the recipe up in time for your holiday.
BTW, my recommendation is to always get two smaller birds instead of one massive bird – you’ll have a much better outcome with shorter cooking times. Not to mention not having to worry about fitting a huge bird in the oven. We usually do an oven bird, then grill, smoke or fry another.
For this recipe, a good set of poultry shears makes quick work of removing the backbone. I prepped the bird yesterday, wrapped it up and refrigerated it. This gave me time to make a nice broth from the backbone, giblets and neck last night (see notes below) and make the cranberry sauce, because it’s always better the next day.
Roasted Spatchcock Turkey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons dried sage
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 whole turkey (10-12 pounds)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Rimmed baking sheet, rack
In a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, crush together pepper, salt, sage and rosemary and add to brown sugar. Set aside.
With a sharp knife or scissors, remove the back bone of the turkey, flip over and press down on the breast bone to break and flatten. I wasn’t quite strong enough, so I turned the bird over, scored the bone, flipped it back and tried again, this time it broke easily. I then trimmed off the wing tips. See my notes below on what to do with the back and wing tips.
Place the bird flat, breast side up, on the rack in the baking sheet. Rub with spice mix and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Before cooking drizzle olive oil over turkey and roast for 1 hour or until the temperature of the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees. Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let rest for 30 minutes (during this time the bird temperature will reach 165 degrees and thighs should be 175 degrees).
Carve and serve.
NOTES: I took the back, wing tips, neck and giblets, covered them with water and simmered them for about an hour. I then used the broth for both the stuffing and gravy. I also cooked the stuffing in the oven, in a baking dish, uncovered, with the turkey. They finished up about the same time.
The next time I make this, I would forego the metal rack and instead use a roasting pan and place the bird on a bed of carrots, celery and onion. With the shorter cooking time, the flavor could use the boost. I do feel this is a great technique for wood grilling or smoking.
More Recipes: We have a bunch, a peck, a bushel, of Thanksgiving recipes, including my favorite Upside-Down Cranberry Cake (here), No Boil Mashed Potatoes (here), and Non-Traditional Sides (here), click on this link for all the other recipes or search by name or ingredient in the search box at the bottom of the blog.
Let me know if you are looking for any specific recipes and I’ll try and point you in the right direction. Besides waiting for the work week to end, what’s on your plate tonight?
Corner Stone
A sharp knife is a safe knife.
Love my Henckels Santoku.
Corner Stone
Turned in work documentation yesterday afternoon, had comments review today and now get to turn final product over by end of next week. Yay, me!
Mike J
Start thinking about removing the legs from your turkey tonight if you want to make confit of them.
Turkey confit is super tasty, and removing the mass from the turkey makes it cook quicker and more evenly.
David Koch
What do you mean you took the back? Do you mean you carved out the back of the turkey?
Enquiring minds what to know, thanks.
schrodinger's cat
That looks like a headless drunk turkey.
David Koch
@Mike J: how long does it take for you to cook the bird to 160° with and without the legs?
Mike J
@David Koch: When she spatchcock the turkey she cut out the back. Remove the backbone, break the keel, and lie the bird flat.
Corner Stone
The only acceptable turkey is fried turkey. Any other version demands some kind of liquid accouterments to make it palatable.
Unless you’re drunkenly stumbling around a Renaissance Festival messily chewing a smoked turkey leg. That’s the only other acceptable incidence of turkey.
Elizabelle
The things you do for us. Thanks Tamara.
Schlemazel
I find that brining makes the meat ‘mealy’ and less appealing to me but many people don’t seem to notice. Since they inject 5-10% of the body weight in frozen turkeys they are already in a bad way. Same with chickens & some beef.
We cut the bird along the backbone & lay it flat, it allows the bird to cook more evenly. The problem is the breast needs less time than the dark meat and so you can end up with dry white or under cooked dark.
Amir Khalid
Turkey. I have heard of this creature. It is like chicken but bigger, no?
Shouldn’t that be “As God is my witness”?
max
Ah! Butterflied/spatchcocked turkey. Sounds cool.
(I personally detest turkey, so the only time I cook it, I’m constrained by what other people want, so it’s steam-roast/roast for me.)
max
[‘Cool recipe though.’]
NotMax
Never understood why people get so bent out of shape about roasting a large bird, other than the expenditure of the relatively long time it requires inside the oven to do it well.
max
@Amir Khalid: Turkey. I have heard of this creature. It is like chicken but bigger, no?
Modern american turkey is actually kind of a synthetic meat like you used to see in SF novels and movies, attached to a large and very stupid bird. So, yes, they’re both birds, but really, nothing otherwise similar.
max
[‘MERKA!’]
schrodinger's cat
@Amir Khalid: Much bigger, like a supersized chicken, some can reach the size of my gigantic kittehs!
NotMax
@NotMax
Should add that basting is not s lost art.
JPL
@max: I’ve always bought birds at whole foods. This year I bought it from an organic farmer. My turkey looks like a model rather than a couch potato. Very sexy legs..
Karmus
@Amir Khalid: Shouldn’t that be “As God is my witness”?
I would think so.
Love that skit. Shared, thanks. :-)
JMG
One year I bought one of those heritage turkeys from some farm in Nebraska. This was maybe 15 years ago. It cost like a hundred bucks, and while it was tasty, it was not four times as tasty as a Butterball, nor three times as tasty as the ones from Whole Foods I’ve bought ever since.
Michael Bersin
Speaking of turkeys, two of the republican candidates for governor in Missouri in 2016 went at it over the phone. One of them recorded the conversation and it magically appeared in the media today:
We never get out of junior high school
Mike J
@David Koch: It can cut an hour off. Taking several pounds of meat off cuts your minutes per pound calculation, and as mentioned elsewhere, since the dark cooks at a different rate from the white, makes it easier to get it done properly.
Keep in mind that to make the confit, you’re going to have the legs completely covered in oil in the oven for many hours (4-8). Which is why I do it the day before.
JPL
@JMG: The turkey I bought from the farmer is the same price as Whole Foods.
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
We’re getting takeout turkey dinner on Thursday, but we’re fine with it since my sister-in-law is … not a good cook. Around my office, she’s known as the Potato Buds Lady in honor of her infamous first Thanksgiving. (One guy swears he likes Potato Buds, but he’s from one of the Carolinas, so his taste in these matters is suspect.)
We’re going to volunteer to cook for Christmas, but in an out-of-nowhere plot twist, I would make some kind of roast beef or beef rib roast instead of turkey. (There will be at least 3 picky eaters in attendance, so lamb or another “exotic” meat is out of the question.) if anyone has a good beef recipe suitable for at least 7 (including a 17-year-old boy who can eat his own weight in food), let me know.
redshirt
An entire holiday dedicated to the ritual sacrifice and consumption of a bird.
It’s pagan. Somebody get the Pope on the line.
JPL
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): Christmas Eve I normally have a crowd so do a fish dish plus a meat. With sides, it’s normally enough to please everyone.
FlyingToaster
We always brine, but to avoid the mealiness, let the turkey rest (cold) for a day after brining.
This noon we put the turkey in the brine; tomorrow morning we rinse and pat it dry and put it back in the beverage cooler to chill for a day. Thursday morning we’ll haul it up to the North Shore and HerrDoktor will roast it while we go watch a nephew play his last HS football game.
We use (with modifications, like herb butter under the skin) the America’s Test Kitchen method for turkey. Brine, rest, roast on high heat for 45 minutes then on low to bring the whole bird up to 160°.
Corner Stone
“Kitty corner” ?? Oh, God no…
Germy
Carving the turkey, pre-code
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
@JPL:
No fish — picky eaters (and it ain’t the kids, sadly). I might be able to sell beef over turkey, but nothing more exotic will work. Maybe ham, if I play my cards right, but I’d rather have beef.
Luthe
My mother buys a regular turkey and has the butcher split it in half lengthwise. We roast it drumstick side up with stuffing in the cavity. It’s more than enough meat for our small crowd and the stuffing is guaranteed to reach a safe temperature before the rest dries out.
TaMara, go with a set of Henkels knives. Make sure they are the kind with the “two-man” logo. Those fuckers are hammered into shape, ice-hardened, and have a lifetime guarantee on them. Wusthof is pretty good, too, but you want the Classic line and up. The Gourmet line is crap. /former Williams-Sonoma minion
Corner Stone
The Chicago cop just straight murdered that kid.
Keith P.
Anyone trying out a mayonnaise-basted turkey this year? I read an article about it along with a disgusting photo, but the article swears by it.
Corner Stone
@Luthe:
Wusthof used to be pretty good but over recent years they went very light and flimsy in their materials. JA Henckels is excellent, IMO and I have had a set of four star for 20 years or so.
Corner Stone
@Keith P.: Mein Gott!
Germy
Leaked recording: pollution lobbyists discuss exploiting Syrian refugee crisis
A leaked recording made of a conference call posted by the Edison Electric Institute, which lobbies for the power industry, reveals lobbyists for high pollution companies talking about how they can exploit the Syrian refugee crisis to get a rider inserted into a pending bill that would kill the EPA’s Waters of the United States rule, which protects America’s waterways from pollution.
AliceBlue
WKRP… (sigh). Good times.
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
Speaking of versions of “A Christmas Carol,” if you need to entertain a family group after the football is over, “A Muppet Christmas Carol” is actually pretty good and available to stream through Amazon for $2.99. Since it’s the Muppets, it will entertain both adults and kids as long as no one is overly cynical (and if you are, why are you watching any version of “A Christmas Carol”?)
Jim
We started doing turkey this way several years ago. We call it “Brokeback Turkey,” because of the movie that came out that year. :-) Cooks in only a couple of hours, which means that it doesn’t have time to dry out. We brine it first, which also keeps it moist. We’ll never go back to a pyramid turkey (where they stored the grain) again.
Germy
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): No love for Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol?
TaMara (BHF)
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): How about an Italian Christmas with lasagna or pastas, variety of sausages, breads? I like because I can make most of it the day before.
I’m very intimidated making a roast for a group – the whole rare, well done, etc. But here’s my go-to for a roast recipe.
JPL
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): I added the fish because of picky eaters. lol… What about adding mac n cheese or scalloped potatoes. Both of those dishes can feed a crowd.
raven
We’re at the beach and a friend recommended an organic place for a Thanksgiving chicken (since there is just the two of us). I went there and they wanted $47.00 for a chicken!!!! I got a small frozen Publix turkey for 7 bucks! I’d rather spend the dough on the boat tomorrow.
My bride brought the pups down to the beach for sunset. It’s been hard on the Bohdi because the vet said to stop throwing him the ball. I went out to thrown my bait and he went nuts with joy because he thought he was getting a ball! He jumped in the water and then raced around on the beach like a puppy.
raven
@JPL: We’ve had fresh fish every night we’ve been here!
JPL
@Corner Stone: In the olden days Sabatier was pretty good. Unfortunately, they started going down hill about twenty years ago. Yes I’m old. I have Henckels but my son likes his Wusthof knives.
Mike J
@AliceBlue:
Many of the stories (at least the b stories) came from incidents that were already famous in the radio biz. When they tried bringing it back, they ran ads in R&R[1] asking for good stories.
[1] The now defunct trade mag Radio & Records. Civilians may have thumbed through Billboard while hanging out at the bookstore, but R&R was the trade radio people at the time payed attention to.
raven
@JPL: My Sabatier’s are 30 years old. I had to have the 12″ french chef redone because I wore the blade so baldy.
JPL
@raven: He does look happy but I hope that he doesn’t suffer because of it.
schrodinger's cat
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): How about biryani? You can make it with beef, although I prefer chicken or lamb.You can make it really fancy with saffron, best basmati rice etc.
If the crowd likes seafood you could also do a paella.schrodinger's cat
@raven: You are a lucky man!
raven
@JPL: Nah, he just ran in circles for a minute. He was getting hurt doing really explosive, over the shoulder, leaping catches. I can throw the ball right to him and he likes that and I may take a ball down and let him swim his ass off. The only problem is that he takes hours to dry.
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
@TaMara (BHF):
Oh, it would probably have to be done to at least medium rare, if not medium, but I think I could get everyone on board. I’ve made pot roast and such before, so I’m less intimidated by beef than I am by a bird.
And my brother and I are still traumatized by being forced to eat my aunt’s lasagna at the holidays, so I can’t do that. I honestly thought I hated lasagna until I learned it wasn’t supposed to be gluey and dark brown. ?
@JPL:
Mac and cheese would definitely be on the menu, because my youngest nephew likes it and it’s a natural with beef. Probably roasted potatoes and carrots as well.
raven
@schrodinger’s cat: I caught em!
Corner Stone
@JPL:
Well, as I said I have had the same knife block for 20 years. Several years ago I added a four star Henckels Santoku and as I have said before, if the house is on fire I am running out with my teddy bear in one hand and the Santoku in the other.
A few years ago I bought my mom a combo with a Henckels paring knife and a Santoku, and she has said so many times how that knife has made her life easier.
schrodinger's cat
@raven: That’s even better. Which fish and how did you cook them?
What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?
So this is how I am planning to do a 19 pound turkey on the grill- spatchcocked to shorten cooking time. I plan to do indirect heat with a drip pan on the charcoal level to get some pan drippings. Usually when I do whole birds on the grill I put a pan of water in the bottom to moderate temperature – would you recommend doing that or cooking it hotter? And how long do you think a 19 lb turkey will take to cook this way? I was thinking about 2 hours.
raven
@schrodinger’s cat: Well, I’ve caught three keeper Redfish and this monster that went back. I also caught a nice big Pomano, Black Drum and a Whiting. I’ve taken to just filleting them without scaling and then grilling them. The exception was the Pompano, I scored it and left it whole.
TaMara (BHF)
@schrodinger’s cat: LOL. I kept thinking it looked like it was doing a drunken jig.
raven
@What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?: I don’t think a pan of water is going impact the temperature unless you are using a cajun cooker.
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
@schrodinger’s cat:
G would go for it — he loves Indian food — but my brother would probably walk out. A green salad is sometimes too exotic for him.
I usually get tandoori chicken if I get Indian food. Since I’m relating my food-related traumas today, my Indian friend in high school liked to give me spicy dishes and watch my reaction, so I get a little nervous around Indian food sometimes. (Actually, it was her younger brother and sister who *really* thought it was funny.)
JPL
Tamara, Thank you so much for this thread. The news of the day has been doom and gloom and this really lifted my spirits. I might even try the Cranberry Cake, if I have time.
Germy
A thanksgiving prayer
thanks for decent church-going women with their mean, pinched, bitter, evil faces…
schrodinger's cat
@raven: Fish that fresh needs nothing, except perhaps some seasoning and a squeeze of lime.
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): Biryani is not spicy at all. Its what Indian Muslims cook for Id celebrations. If made correctly it is a dish fit for Nawabs. Most Indian restaurants in this country don’t come close to the real thing.
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
@schrodinger’s cat:
My brother will only eat jellied cranberry sauce. The stuff you cut into slices.
“Picky eater” may be understating the problem.
Ruckus
@Luthe:
I go for the Wusthof myself, I like how they take an edge and how well they hold it. I agree on the classic series for sure. There is one thing though, I’ve been sharpening tools for decades and only use hand stones to bring out the best in my knives. It’s a bit of an involved process but once you know how to do it, it really doesn’t take long.
raven
@Ruckus: That was how I bowed mine, I used a steel for years.
Ruckus
@raven:
Yep. Stones are the only way. I use 3 grits, any more and you are wasting time. And you need to sharpen the entire edge, which is the only way to keep the shape. As I work metal for a living, I’m like the auto body shop guy who drives a beater or the mechanic who’s car always needs something, I sharpen when cutting becomes a problem, never sooner.
Germy
Some Bollywood dancing to Beatles
NotMax
@Mnemosyne
Not fancy by any means, but for the crowd you describe might suggest picking up slabs of London broil, do them up au poivre style*, and broil or grill them Simple braised mushrooms and fried onions as a garnish, perhaps.
*without the sauce, or else serve the sauce separately.
SiubhanDuinne
@Corner Stone:
Looked, and could not find what you were referring to with your “kitty-corner” comment. If someone was talking about the “kiddie corner” (or “kiddie table”), fair enough to call them on the misspelling.
If, however, you were taking exception to a description of a diagonal direction, please be aware that “kitty-corner” is a perfectly acceptable, not to say cromulent, regionalism. I grew up referring to something being “kitty-corner” across the street, and it wasn’t until I was grown that I heard “katty-corner,” which still sounds wrong to me. I expect there are other terms used in different parts of the country.
But, as I say, I’m not sure of your reference.
NotMax
@Ruckus
The NASA-style ceramics are made into very good kitchen knife sharpeners. Two criss-crossed angled ceramic rods. One swipe down and over each rod and – voila – nearly instant sharpitude.
Have gotten extremely acceptable results from that type of sharpener for over 30 years.
Felonius Monk
I’ve got a Sabatier boning knife that I’ve had for 40+ years that I use for almost anything. It’s like an extra right hand. Have several Henckels and Wusthofs which are all good knives, but my latest favorite is Dexter Russell Connoisseur –– I have a 7 inch Santoku and a 12 inch Slicer that are the cat’s pajamas when it comes to dicing and slicing. They can also double as homestead defense weaponry.
SiubhanDuinne
@raven:
Oh, what a happy face!!
Germy
The Supremes + ELO = Supreme Evil
ThresherK (GPad)
@Luthe: Wait. I have so much to ask you!
I want a good roaster, the kind that never make it to estate sales, and costs like a once-in-a-lifetime purchase cos it will be. What do I ask me wife to buy me?
RSA
@Corner Stone:
I have some four stars I picked up in the late 1980s (in Munich!) before I had much experience with knives. A few basic chef’s knives, a thinner carving knife, and a couple of paring knives. They’re great, and I use them almost every day. I’ve never tried a Santoku, but maybe I should.
Elie
Oh Lordy — I tried this spathcock turkey (NOT this approach/recipe), two days ago. I have routinely spathcocked chicken — which is wonderfully easy. The turkey, however, is a totally different bird with a lot more tissue density. Cutting out the backbone was not a problem. It was my creative need to “do” the bird on the grill where things went off the rails. My weber grill indirect approach surface area was not big enough for my relatively small 13 pound turkey. I therefore did half the bird on the grill and half in the oven. It cooked through better in the oven, The grill pieces did not cook through enough but had better flavor in the parts that cooked. All in all, it was an adventure of my running back and forth tending to two turkey roasting strategies that were fraught. At the end, I ended up cooking the grilled pieces in the oven more, but overall, the pieces in from the oven were ok but ho hum. Lesson: Grill whole bird as I have done previously and forget spatchcock of turkey for me for now anyway. Alan said it was pretty ok anyway — and the dressing was unaffected by the melodrama…
Stella B
@Schlemazel: Do not brine. Pre-salt or “dry brine” it and it will be very juicy and have great texture. Sprinkle the thawed turkey with 1/2 tsp of Kosher salt per pound (mixed with other aromatics, if you like), wrap it up, refrigerate it for 24-72 hours. The salt diffuses into the meat and holds the moisture in while cooking. It will be perfect.
I like to spatchcock it for the barbecue grill.
Omnes Omnibus
@Elie: @Stella B: I went to my grandmother’s house. Now, I go to my brother’s house. Turkey is very easy for me, but I would prefer a goose.
NotMax
@ThresherK
Hope you don’t mind my chiming in.
If you’re looking for a large, deep one, this.
For the shallower, rectangular uncovered type of roasting pan (more versatile, takes up less space in storage), Viking also offers hefty ones that will stand up to ages of heavy use, but a dark anodized style rather than the newer shiny ones still has a lot of advantages. All-Clad makes a dandy.
Elie
@Stella B:
Thank you for this
Elie
@Omnes Omnibus:
Oh Geese are the toughest challenge. Lots of fat under the skin but relatively lean meat… easy to overcook and make too chewy. I love the dark meat however. No grilling for gooses though….Wild geese are super tough… like forget it….
MomSense
I’m interrupting this Thanksgiving thread with breaking news. Picking up my hound puppy on Saturday! His name is currently Levi but I think my kids have other ideas. I met him at a tractor supply store and fell in love. So Maine.
Here’s his petfinder link. https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/32845384
Shana
@Corner Stone: I love my Henkels knives. Got an electric sharpener – Chef’s Choice – several years ago which keep them nice and sharp. I suspect they’ll last my lifetime.
JPL
@NotMax: My mother had a frigidaire radiant roaster. My ex took it when we split because I vowed never to do large turkeys again. The darn thing must be forty to fifty years old. It was aluminum but that is a decent conductor of heat.
MomSense
Posted a link to petfinder and now I’m in moderation. The link is to my new puppy!
workworkwork
Whipped up some grilled salmon with a baby spinach salad on the side. In the meantime I found a recipe for garlic herb bacon-wrapped turkey breast that will be our Thanksgiving entree.
http://whitneybond.com/2014/11/14/garlic-herb-bacon-wrapped-turkey-breast/
beltane
@Stella B: My husband does the dry-brine and it always turns out perfect.
JPL
@MomSense: So you made up your mind.. congrats
Omnes Omnibus
@Elie: I was tricked into trying to pet a goose on a farm when I was a boy. I eat goose when I can, Plus, it is done well it is wonderful – and, as noted above, I don’t have to do the work. I provide charm and erudition.
Omnes Omnibus
@Shana: I have a set of Henckels as well.
MomSense
@JPL:
Thanks. I’m insane is what I am.
Corner Stone
@Omnes Omnibus:
Coughs, gently.
Omnes Omnibus
@Corner Stone: I am a good actor.
MomSense
@NotMax:
I have a large all clad with a removable rack. I’ve had it for years and it holds up beautifully.
beltane
@Omnes Omnibus: Our neighbors have a small flock of geese and a young daughter. One day I walked by and heard the child shrieking horribly before being rescued by her mother. It seems the geese attacked her when she wandered into their enclosure.
beltane
For all of you who like ham on Thanksgiving, here is a story for you.
NotMax
@JPL
Yup. That’s the neat thing with the All-Clad line – they have an aluminum core sandwiched between the surface metal.
(When helped Mom move out her way too big house she insisted I take back with me her electric skillet, which goes back so far it has a fabric-clad power cord. Still works like a champ.)
Omnes Omnibus
@beltane: T. H. White is is a brilliant writer, but he really fucked up about geese.
schrodinger's cat
@Omnes Omnibus: Have you ever found a blue carbuncle in it?
schrodinger's cat
@NotMax: My parents had an iron with a fabric covered cord. It weighed a ton and it was the best iron I have ever used.
Omnes Omnibus
@schrodinger’s cat: I’ve never claimed to be Sherlock Holmes.
J R in WV
I’ll be helping our next door neighbor do a 22 lb organic free-range turkey. I’m personally doing a pineapple upside-down skillet cake – I have a huge iron skillet – 2 fresh cranberry sauces and a big corn pudding. Maybe some other side, like Mac n cheese or something.
If you do it right, a farm-raised turkey is really good – not like Butterball at all. More flavor, moister, just better in every way. Locally, they look more like a wild turkey, not white, but brown and black…
Djchefron
Just debone the whole damn thing and stuff it with a mousse made with the tenderloins , mushrooms and heavy cream
guachi
I have a Fibrox Victorinox stamped Chef’s Knife. They are cheap and highly rated. I like it very much. I also have a few Wusthof Classics I got as Christmas gifts that my wife likes because they are small than my chef’s knife.
I don’t get the brining hate. I brine my pork and chicken breast (I try to get pork/chicken without water added) all the time and it tastes great. A bit of salt throughout the meat and I lessen the salt elsewhere in the recipe, if there is any.
PurpleGirl
Should have written sooner. My friend’s birthday is Christmas Eve. He made a habit of cooking a big dinner for his birthday. The year he decided to make the Turducken, his wife very quickly got a party together with the invitees bringing all the sides and desserts for the dinner. He was totally surprised when all these people began showing up with food and presents. The party was a success. As was the Turducken but he vowed not to cook another one.
TaMara (BHF)
@MomSense: Oh good, it worked. You are free. Now Imma gonna go see that puppy.
J R in WV
@Omnes Omnibus:
Mom and dad were on a short driving trip years ago, and visited Delaware, where many of the old duPont estates are converted to museums, whatever the old folk collected at the time.
One estate was huge, long winding drive up to the house/museum past a big pond with swans. They stopped to look at them, they are unusual, after all. One big male swan came out of the water and ran at them, and mom said, “Roll up your window, that thing is going to attack!”
Dad pressed the button (thank goodness the top wasn’t down, it was a convertible!) and the window went up just as the Swan hit the car. There was Swan spittle on the car window when they got home, they saved it to show us….
Travel can be a little too exciting sometimes!
SiubhanDuinne
@MomSense:
How exciting! Congratulations to you and especially to Lucky Levi — whatever his Forever Name turns out to be! He is a real cutie, and I can easily see why you fell in love with him at first sight.
TaMara (BHF)
@MomSense: That is one ADORABLE puppy. Congrats.
PurpleGirl
@MomSense: Oh, he’s adorable. Best of luck with him. Korra and he should be good playmates for each other.
Mike J
Just saw a promo. PBO is doing an interstitial muted trumpet sound for the 50th anniversary Charlie Brown xmas.
Suzanne
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): Brasciole? MMMM.
Knives: I got some of the Victorinox, and I love.
JPL
@Mike J: Well that means that 27 percent of the country will hate it.
MomSense
He’s seven months old now so a little bigger than in the photos but still super cute.
KS in MA
@Corner Stone:
My best knife is a Henckels too. Whatever you have, get a sharpening steel and use it every time you use the knife–just like the butcher does.
Keith P.
@Shana: Ditto. My uncle gave me a 4 star about 15 years ago, and I gradually filled out my set. I’ve got the Chef’s Choice, too. People are shocked when they see how sharp my knives are.
catclub
@JPL: Knife block has Wusthof Trident and Henckels
kinves. none less that 35 years old. show barely any signs of wear. should last 100s
of years at this rate. I sharpen them on waterstones.
Omnes Omnibus
@catclub: Henckels. I use the steel each time I use a knife.
Ruckus
@NotMax:
I’ve used those and while the knife is somewhat sharp there is no contest to a properly hand stone sharpened knife. Cuts smoother, edge lasts longer. Not as easy, nor done as quickly but better.
NotMax
@Ruckus
Agree that a properly maintained and oiled whetstone is the ideal, but a skill not in everyone’s wheelhouse.
Ruckus
@NotMax:
Correct you are. Skill and care are absolutely required, to get the edge right and to not find out how sharp it is using your own body parts.
Duane
When I Google’s splatchcock, I got something completely different.
Stella B
@J R in WV: My elderly dog got chased by a swan once. Her reaction was to leap straight up in the air and then hide behind me. Thanks.
Stella B
@guachi: Try it without the water. You’ll be amazed. Plus it’s easier. Finding some place to store a turkey and a couple of gallons of brine is a PITA. Pork chops and poultry come out beautifully juicy when treated with a little salt. I salt pork chops or chicken breasts in the morning and they are ready to go for dinner.
At least I did that before we decided that we could no longer eat pig in good conscience. I really liked pork, too. Oh well.
goblue72
If you’ve got a pizza baking stone (or a baking steel), toss the roasting pan and use a simple sheet pan and your baking stone –
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/best-way-to-roast-turkey-baking-stone-steel-no-roasting-pan-crisp-skin-juicy-meat.html
goblue72
If you’ve got a pizza baking stone (or a baking steel), toss the roasting pan and use a simple sheet pan and your baking stone to roast the turkey.
What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?
@raven: I disagree, a disposable aluminum roasting pan filled halfway with water on the charcoal level acts as a heat sink. Eventually, the temperature will rise but it rises more slowly and doesn’t get as hot – but the water will release heat as the coals burn down so the grill stays at a more constant temperature. It’s basically the same concept as a low and slow smoker only less so. Most of the spatchcock turkey on a grill recipes I’ve seen don’t mention using this technique so I’m guessing it’s not necessary because the dark meat cooks faster if the bird is flattened, so there’s less chance of drying out the breast meat at the higher temperatures.
The Other Chuck
@Corner Stone: I’m a fan of Shun knives myself. And they’re pretty. Last set of Wusthof knives I tried compared unfavorably to the Good Cook brand you can buy at drugstores.