Thread: Turkey on America's Test Kitchen

Kent wrote:

> I haven't baked a turkey with the stuffing in the bird for more than twenty
> years.

I'm so sorry to hear that.
Hopefully you will do it this year and enjoy your stuffing even more.

I always say as a joke....take the turkey out of the oven, scoop out the
stuffing, then toss the turkey in the trash.

On Nov 12, 4:11*pm, "Kent" <keh6...@ana.yahoo.com> wrote:

>
> The turkey is roasted oppositely from my usual way. The turkey goes into the
> oven at 325F breast side down until the breast reaches 130F. Then the oven
> temp. is raised to 450F; the turkey turned to breast side up and is finished
> off to a thigh temp. of 175F.
>

>
> I'm going to roast a rehearsal turkey tomorrow and I'm going to try this.
>
> Happy Thanksgiving,
>
> Kent
>
>
I've seen this before, not the ATK version, of roasting a turkey
breast down and then flipping to brown. I just don't know if I'd want
to wrestle with a hot turkey turning it over.

Can you not try this with perhaps a large chicken for your first run?

On Sat, 12 Nov 2011 17:14:35 -0800 (PST), ItsJoanNotJoann
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Nov 12, 4:11*pm, "Kent" <keh6...@ana.yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > The turkey is roasted oppositely from my usual way. The turkey goes into the
> > oven at 325F breast side down until the breast reaches 130F. Then the oven
> > temp. is raised to 450F; the turkey turned to breast side up and is finished
> > off to a thigh temp. of 175F.
> >
>
> >
> > I'm going to roast a rehearsal turkey tomorrow and I'm going to try this.
> >
> > Happy Thanksgiving,
> >
> > Kent
> >
> >
> I've seen this before, not the ATK version, of roasting a turkey
> breast down and then flipping to brown. I just don't know if I'd want
> to wrestle with a hot turkey turning it over.
>
> Can you not try this with perhaps a large chicken for your first run?

I would be so over-dosed on turkey that it wouldn't be funny if I
cooked a "trial" turkey too.

--
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

On Nov 12, 7:53*pm, Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
> On Sat, 12 Nov 2011 17:14:35 -0800 (PST), ItsJoanNotJoann wrote:
> > I've seen this before, not the ATK version, of roasting a turkey
> > breast down and then flipping to brown. *I just don't know if I'd want
> > to wrestle with a hot turkey turning it over.
>
> > Can you not try this with perhaps a large chicken for your first run?
>
> Every year, like clockwork, I launch into a crusade explaining the
> virtues of roasting turkeys breast side down for the bestest most
> moistest turkey ever.
>
> And each year, like clockwork, I get a bunch of sadass excuses like,.
> "It's too hard to flip" (who said anything about flipping?), *"It
> looks ugly", "I just don't want to do it", "whine, moan, bith,
> cry...".
>
> So this year I'm going to make that half-hearted rant. *But in 10
> years, when everybody is roasting their turkeys breast side down, I
> WILL be back. *And you know what I'm going to say? *The same hting I
> did when everybody told me I was crazy for killfiling Google groups.
>
> This does no mean I won't be back in a couple weeks for my annual
> "Friends don't give friends Fruitcake" rant.
>
> -sw

>
>
Ok, ok. Don't get your nesting box straw all torn up. I've not done
it and it does sound a bit 'dangerous.' I'm eager, truly, to read how
you get the bird on it's back without suffering a burn or the hair
raising possibility of it ending up on the kitchen floor. So please
explain as I *would* like to know.

On Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:59:39 -0800 (PST), ItsJoanNotJoann
<[email protected]> wrote:



>>
>> Every year, like clockwork, I launch into a crusade explaining the
>> virtues of roasting turkeys breast side down for the bestest most
>> moistest turkey ever.
>>


>>
>> -sw
>
>>
>>
>Ok, ok. Don't get your nesting box straw all torn up. I've not done
>it and it does sound a bit 'dangerous.' I'm eager, truly, to read how
>you get the bird on it's back without suffering a burn or the hair
>raising possibility of it ending up on the kitchen floor. So please
>explain as I *would* like to know.

First step it to get a pair of heat resistant rubber gloves like these
http://www.amazon.com/Steven-Raichle...155382&sr=1-22

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Bar-B-Q-Ins...155605&sr=1-28

When ready to do the flip, you can either take the roasting pan out of
the oven or you can pull the oven rack out far enough to slide the pan
out into the open. Then just grab the bird at each end and give it a
quarter turn. Put it down and give it another quarter turn.

"ItsJoanNotJoann" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
On Nov 12, 7:53 pm, Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
> On Sat, 12 Nov 2011 17:14:35 -0800 (PST), ItsJoanNotJoann wrote:
> > I've seen this before, not the ATK version, of roasting a turkey
> > breast down and then flipping to brown. I just don't know if I'd want
> > to wrestle with a hot turkey turning it over.
>
> > Can you not try this with perhaps a large chicken for your first run?
>
> Every year, like clockwork, I launch into a crusade explaining the
> virtues of roasting turkeys breast side down for the bestest most
> moistest turkey ever.
>
> And each year, like clockwork, I get a bunch of sadass excuses like,.
> "It's too hard to flip" (who said anything about flipping?), "It
> looks ugly", "I just don't want to do it", "whine, moan, bith,
> cry...".
>
> So this year I'm going to make that half-hearted rant. But in 10
> years, when everybody is roasting their turkeys breast side down, I
> WILL be back. And you know what I'm going to say? The same hting I
> did when everybody told me I was crazy for killfiling Google groups.
>
> This does no mean I won't be back in a couple weeks for my annual
> "Friends don't give friends Fruitcake" rant.
>
> -sw

>
>
Ok, ok. Don't get your nesting box straw all torn up. I've not done
it and it does sound a bit 'dangerous.' I'm eager, truly, to read how
you get the bird on it's back without suffering a burn or the hair
raising possibility of it ending up on the kitchen floor. So please
explain as I *would* like to know.
>
>
I've done this mucho tiempos on the grill, though not in the home oven for a
long time. On the large kettle grill, baking indirectly, with drip pan
underneath, and with coals on both sides, I use a non stick rack to hold the
turkey, one with a fairly wide angle.

I start with breast side down for 30+ minutes, and then rotate with tongs 90
degrees to either side. I leave it on side #1 for 15-20 min. and then rotate
90 degrees to breast side up for 20 min. Then I finish off with the other
side until the proper thigh temp. is reached.

I think the most important thing on the grill is to roast with a non stuffed
bird, and to stick around 12lb.

Kent

On Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:59:39 -0800 (PST), ItsJoanNotJoann
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Ok, ok. Don't get your nesting box straw all torn up. I've not done
> it and it does sound a bit 'dangerous.' I'm eager, truly, to read how
> you get the bird on it's back without suffering a burn or the hair
> raising possibility of it ending up on the kitchen floor.

And with no dents on the breast that match the rack wires.

> So please explain as I *would* like to know.

I've done cooked a turkey breast down. Flipping it wasn't a big deal,
but I thought the result was ugly and didn't do that again.

--
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

On Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:44:46 -0800, "Kent" <[email protected]>
wrote:

> I've done this mucho tiempos on the grill, though not in the home oven for a
> long time. On the large kettle grill, baking indirectly, with drip pan
> underneath, and with coals on both sides, I use a non stick rack to hold the
> turkey, one with a fairly wide angle.
>
> I start with breast side down for 30+ minutes, and then rotate with tongs 90
> degrees to either side. I leave it on side #1 for 15-20 min. and then rotate
> 90 degrees to breast side up for 20 min. Then I finish off with the other
> side until the proper thigh temp. is reached.
>
> I think the most important thing on the grill is to roast with a non stuffed
> bird, and to stick around 12lb.

There's no need to turn a turkey you're cooking on the Weber via the
indirect method. It gets crispy and brown all over, with minimal
effort on your part.

--
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

In article
<[email protected]>,
ItsJoanNotJoann <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Nov 12, 4:11*pm, "Kent" <keh6...@ana.yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > The turkey is roasted oppositely from my usual way. The turkey goes into the
> > oven at 325F breast side down until the breast reaches 130F. Then the oven
> > temp. is raised to 450F; the turkey turned to breast side up and is finished
> > off to a thigh temp. of 175F.
> >
>
> >
> > I'm going to roast a rehearsal turkey tomorrow and I'm going to try this.
> >
> > Happy Thanksgiving,
> >
> > Kent
> >
> >
> I've seen this before, not the ATK version, of roasting a turkey
> breast down and then flipping to brown. I just don't know if I'd want
> to wrestle with a hot turkey turning it over.

Been doing it that way for years. Works very well, and seems to keep the
breast from drying out so much. Just grab the bird at each end, with a
towel or a wad of paper towels in each hand. Or do what I do, and stick
a big carving fork in the neck hole and another in the, um, other hole,
and just roll it over.

Isaac

On Nov 12, 9:44*pm, Ed Pawlowski <e...@snet.net> wrote:
> On Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:59:39 -0800 (PST), ItsJoanNotJoann
>
>
>
>
>
> <itsjoannotjo...@webtv.net> wrote:
>
> >> Every year, like clockwork, I launch into a crusade explaining the
> >> virtues of roasting turkeys breast side down for the bestest most
> >> moistest turkey ever.
>
> >> -sw
>
> >Ok, ok. *Don't get your nesting box straw all torn up. *I've not done
> >it and it does sound a bit 'dangerous.' *I'm eager, truly, to read how
> >you get the bird on it's back without suffering a burn or the hair
> >raising possibility of it ending up on the kitchen floor. *So please
> >explain as I *would* like to know.
>
> First step it to get a pair of heat resistant rubber gloves like thesehttp://www.amazon.com/Steven-Raichlen-Best-Barbecue-Insulated/dp/B000...
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Bar-B-Q-Ins...ves/dp/B000XAL...
>
> When ready to do the flip, you can either take the roasting pan out of
> the oven or you can pull the oven rack out far enough to slide the pan
> out into the open. *Then just grab the bird at each end and give it a
> quarter turn. *Put it down and give it another quarter turn.

>
>
Thank you! This was what I was wanting to see, some actual
instructions of how this was done.

In article <[email protected]>,
sf <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:59:39 -0800 (PST), ItsJoanNotJoann
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Ok, ok. Don't get your nesting box straw all torn up. I've not done
> > it and it does sound a bit 'dangerous.' I'm eager, truly, to read how
> > you get the bird on it's back without suffering a burn or the hair
> > raising possibility of it ending up on the kitchen floor.
>
> And with no dents on the breast that match the rack wires.
>
> > So please explain as I *would* like to know.
>
> I've done cooked a turkey breast down. Flipping it wasn't a big deal,
> but I thought the result was ugly and didn't do that again.

Depends on what's most important -- taste or "looks".

Isaac

On Nov 12, 10:24*pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
> On Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:44:46 -0800, "Kent" <keh6...@ana.yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
> > I've done this mucho tiempos on the grill, though not in the home oven for a
> > long time. On the large kettle grill, baking indirectly, with drip pan
> > underneath, and with coals on both sides, I use a non stick rack to hold the
> > turkey, one with a fairly wide angle.
>
> > I start with breast side down for 30+ minutes, and then rotate with tongs 90
> > degrees to either side. I leave it on side #1 for 15-20 min. and then rotate
> > 90 degrees to breast side up for 20 min. Then I finish off with the other
> > side until the proper thigh temp. is reached.
>
> > I think the most important thing on the grill is to roast with a non stuffed
> > bird, and to stick around 12lb.
>
> There's no need to turn a turkey you're cooking on the Weber via the
> indirect method. *It gets crispy and brown all over, with minimal
> effort on your part.
>
>
I would think doing a turkey on the Weber there would be no need for
turning either. Like you pointed out, with the indirect heat method
there would lovely browning all over.

In article <[email protected]>, Gary <[email protected]> wrote:

> Kent wrote:
>
> > I haven't baked a turkey with the stuffing in the bird for more than twenty
> > years.
>
> I'm so sorry to hear that.
> Hopefully you will do it this year and enjoy your stuffing even more.
>
> I always say as a joke....take the turkey out of the oven, scoop out the
> stuffing, then toss the turkey in the trash.

That's certainly the best thing to do with the turkey if you've roasted
it until the center of the stuffing is 165 F, as needed for safety.

Isaac

In article <j9mquk$5hb$[email protected]>, "Kent" <[email protected]>
wrote:

> This America's Test Kitchen episode presents a new way, for me at least, to
> brine turkey, sort of a "Dry Brine", on today's America's Test Kitchen on
> PBS. Watch it today on TV or on the internet. Here's the link to the recipe.
> http://www.americastestkitchen.com/r...hp?docid=20850
>
> You put your fingers under the skin and separate skin from the meat
> throughout most of the turkey, all of the breast, and most of the thigh.
> Then you rub the meat under the skin with Kosher salt. This is sort of a
> "dry brine," as it accomplishes what you're trying to do with the usual
> brine. The show's chef created a stuffing in the usual fashion with homemade
> croutons, and stuffed it into the salted body cavity on top of cheesecloth,
> That makes it easy to remove all the stuffing at the end of the baking.
>
> I haven't baked a turkey with the stuffing in the bird for more than twenty
> years. I always make the stuffing on the side with homemade turkey stock.
> I'm going to stuff the turkey and see how it goes.
>
> The turkey is roasted oppositely from my usual way. The turkey goes into the
> oven at 325F breast side down until the breast reaches 130F. Then the oven
> temp. is raised to 450F; the turkey turned to breast side up and is finished
> off to a thigh temp. of 175F.
>
> I have some concerns, including the salt pork on the skin, the baking powder
> on the skin, and use of chicken stock any where in the dish. I always have
> turkey stock on hand. The baking powder on chicken skin was a disaster for
> us recently.

Kindly elaborate on those "concerns". I've made chicken wings several
times with baking powder sprinkled on, and the result was very crispy
skin.

Isaac

Isaac wrote:

>>> I haven't baked a turkey with the stuffing in the bird for more than
>>> twenty years.
>>
>> I'm so sorry to hear that.
>> Hopefully you will do it this year and enjoy your stuffing even more.
>>
>> I always say as a joke....take the turkey out of the oven, scoop out the
>> stuffing, then toss the turkey in the trash.
>
> That's certainly the best thing to do with the turkey if you've roasted
> it until the center of the stuffing is 165 F, as needed for safety.

A few years ago, Cook's Illustrated gave a good review of an angled tube
which you push through stuffing before the bird goes into the oven. The tube
conducts heat to the interior of the stuffing so it cooks more quickly,
enabling the stuffing to be done at the same time as the bird. I don't
remember what that gadget was called, though.

Bob

"Kent" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio
> This America's Test Kitchen episode presents a new way, for me at least,
> to brine turkey, sort of a "Dry Brine", on today's America's Test Kitchen
> on PBS. Watch it today on TV or on the internet. Here's the link to the
> recipe.

I've done that with chickens for 40 years, but rarely roast a whole turkey.
It stands to reason it works with any fowl whose skin stays on.

I've only seen that show 2-3 times when visiting my daughter in the US. It
struck me that they made a huge taradiddle of cooking dishes my grandmother,
my mother, I and my daughter have cooked with no trouble throughout history.
I'm attentive to writing recipes that are as streamlined as possible and
safe as possible, and I test innumerable times before publishing one, but
they seem extreme and I found it laughable. They also seemed to manage to
add several hundred calories to any dish they touched.

On 11/12/2011 10:24 PM, sf wrote:
> There's no need to turn a turkey you're cooking on the Weber via the
> indirect method. It gets crispy and brown all over, with minimal
> effort on your part.


Thinking about doing a turkey or two in the smoker this year.

George L

On Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:58:09 -0800, isw <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>,
> sf <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:59:39 -0800 (PST), ItsJoanNotJoann
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > > Ok, ok. Don't get your nesting box straw all torn up. I've not done
> > > it and it does sound a bit 'dangerous.' I'm eager, truly, to read how
> > > you get the bird on it's back without suffering a burn or the hair
> > > raising possibility of it ending up on the kitchen floor.
> >
> > And with no dents on the breast that match the rack wires.
> >
> > > So please explain as I *would* like to know.
> >
> > I've done cooked a turkey breast down. Flipping it wasn't a big deal,
> > but I thought the result was ugly and didn't do that again.
>
> Depends on what's most important -- taste or "looks".
>

I hope you can figure that out on your own, but don't tell me how
wonderful cooking breast down is because I've done it and it's still
turkey. It might make a slight difference if you overcook turkeys as
a matter of habit, but I don't.

--
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

On 11/12/2011 12:11 PM, Kent wrote:
> This America's Test Kitchen episode presents a new way, for me at least, to
> brine turkey, sort of a "Dry Brine", on today's America's Test Kitchen on
> PBS. Watch it today on TV or on the internet. Here's the link to the recipe.
> http://www.americastestkitchen.com/r...hp?docid=20850
>

I used to always ask people for their ideas on how to roast a turkey and
there are so many ways that I've tried out. The weird thing is after a
decade of trying to figure this out, the way I roast a turkey is dead
simple.

Defrosting is done in a brine to speed up the process and to add extra
water to the bird. The last few times, I've put the turkey back in the
refrigerator to dry out the surfaces. Maybe this year I'll just hit it
with the blow dryer. I shoot the bird with cooking spray to oil the skin
and cut the thigh/leg section and lay it alongside the bird. I roast
without stuffing to speed up the roast - it takes less than 2 hours to
roast a large bird. I don't baste or mess with the bird during the
roast. I always use a thermometer - that's critical. This year I'll
probably use the confection fan somewhere towards the end.

That's just my way of doing it. My experience is that all cooks that
have done this over a long period of time will have their own procedure
that fits their way of how they see the world. Some people have a pretty
convoluted view of the world and life but I've always gone for the dead
simple. (-:

> You put your fingers under the skin and separate skin from the meat
> throughout most of the turkey, all of the breast, and most of the thigh.
> Then you rub the meat under the skin with Kosher salt. This is sort of a
> "dry brine," as it accomplishes what you're trying to do with the usual
> brine. The show's chef created a stuffing in the usual fashion with homemade
> croutons, and stuffed it into the salted body cavity on top of cheesecloth,
> That makes it easy to remove all the stuffing at the end of the baking.
>
> I haven't baked a turkey with the stuffing in the bird for more than twenty
> years. I always make the stuffing on the side with homemade turkey stock.
> I'm going to stuff the turkey and see how it goes.
>
> The turkey is roasted oppositely from my usual way. The turkey goes into the
> oven at 325F breast side down until the breast reaches 130F. Then the oven
> temp. is raised to 450F; the turkey turned to breast side up and is finished
> off to a thigh temp. of 175F.
>
> I have some concerns, including the salt pork on the skin, the baking powder
> on the skin, and use of chicken stock any where in the dish. I always have
> turkey stock on hand. The baking powder on chicken skin was a disaster for
> us recently.
>
> I'm going to roast a rehearsal turkey tomorrow and I'm going to try this.
>
> Happy Thanksgiving,
>
> Kent