Norcoredneck
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2006
- Location
- Norco, Ca.
The parts that has ice!
Yep Country wins all the wet tshirt contest at Octane Alley now.
Icing the breast
- Thread starter smokehunter
- Start date
The parts that has ice!
Yep Country wins all the wet tshirt contest at Octane Alley now.
smokehunter
Knows what a fatty is.
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2008
- Location
- AL
Looks like I'll be icing her down... I'm from N. Alabama sending a big Roll Tide up to Tennessee8)
C
CaptainJimmy
Guest
I second (or third or twentieth) icing the breast. I did a turkey in the egg, 20 minutes iced breasts, roasted it at 325 (no smoke woods, just wicked good weekend warrior lump) and it was the best turkey i've ever had, by far.
no pictures - didn't happen...
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2006
- Location
- At home...
Okay no pocket protector jokes..... here is the article I couldn't find yesterday... McGee is claiming a 20 degree difference if you ice for 3 hours. I never had the guts to try that long but my notes show that 1 hours chills it 6 to 8 degrees.
A few years later, McGee mentions using a bag of ice inside the cavity, then in another article he even goes so far as freezing carrots, celery and small onions and putting them inside the breast and starting the bird beast down. In addition to icing the breast before cooking, I like the frozen vegatable idea..... the downside is that you need to flip the bird up at some point. Anyways here is the 1999 Science Daily article.
Physics Talks Turkey This Thanksgiving Tips From Science On How To Cook A Better Bird ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 1999) — COLLEGE PARK, MD (November 19, 1999) - Whether you like dark or white meat, cooks can look to physics for some tips for making sure that Thanksgiving turkey is quickly gobbled up. Harold McGee, a writer on food science, has come up with some scientifically-based, and very effective, tips for making sure your turkey rules the roost this Thursday. After years of experience cooking turkeys, "and having them turn out badly," McGee decided there had to be a better way. So he turned to science. McGee has written two books on the science of cooking, and is co-author of an article in this month's Physics Today on the science of cooking meats.
McGee says there is one main problem that can keep turkeys from turning out finger-licking-good. Temperature. "You want to get the center of the meat up to a certain temperature, without overcooking the outside." This is a problem in turkey, McGee adds, because the breast and leg meat differs in both structure and chemistry. They need to be different temperatures in order to taste their best.
"You should aim for 155 degrees [Fahrenheit] in the breast," advises McGee, "and no more than 160 degrees, or else it will come out too dry." On the other hand, in the dark meat, "you want a temperature of 180 degrees and above in the leg." McGee says that when the leg meat is under 180 degrees, it is unpleasantly chewy and has a metallic taste to it. Plus, breast meat cooks faster than leg meat, which means the white meat is done well before the dark meat ever reaches the right temperature.
McGee has two solutions to the this troublesome turkey problem. The first is a trusty meat thermometer. "There's no substitute for checking the temperature of the bird often." The second is a good supply of ice.
Here's what McGee suggests:
1. Make sure the bird is fully thawed McGee recommends thawing in the refrigerator or in a cold water bath.
2. Don't stuff the turkey This may seem very untraditional, but McGee says that by the time the stuffing reaches a safe temperature to eat, the meat will be overdone.
3. Cover the breasts with ice packs, while the rest of the bird comes up to room temperature The turkey should not sit out for more than three hours. At this point, McGee says, "the breast will be 40 degrees, and the rest of the bird about 60 degrees."
4. Put the bird in the oven and cook as normal
5. Remember to check the meat temperature often McGee recommends that the breast meat reach between 155 and 160 degrees, and the dark meat around 180 degrees.
Icing the turkey breasts works, McGee says, because the leg meat gets a head start in cooking. "You are creating a temperature difference between the breast meat and the rest of your turkey even before you start to cook it. And you come out with a good-looking bird."
A few years later, McGee mentions using a bag of ice inside the cavity, then in another article he even goes so far as freezing carrots, celery and small onions and putting them inside the breast and starting the bird beast down. In addition to icing the breast before cooking, I like the frozen vegatable idea..... the downside is that you need to flip the bird up at some point. Anyways here is the 1999 Science Daily article.
Physics Talks Turkey This Thanksgiving Tips From Science On How To Cook A Better Bird ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 1999) — COLLEGE PARK, MD (November 19, 1999) - Whether you like dark or white meat, cooks can look to physics for some tips for making sure that Thanksgiving turkey is quickly gobbled up. Harold McGee, a writer on food science, has come up with some scientifically-based, and very effective, tips for making sure your turkey rules the roost this Thursday. After years of experience cooking turkeys, "and having them turn out badly," McGee decided there had to be a better way. So he turned to science. McGee has written two books on the science of cooking, and is co-author of an article in this month's Physics Today on the science of cooking meats.
McGee says there is one main problem that can keep turkeys from turning out finger-licking-good. Temperature. "You want to get the center of the meat up to a certain temperature, without overcooking the outside." This is a problem in turkey, McGee adds, because the breast and leg meat differs in both structure and chemistry. They need to be different temperatures in order to taste their best.
"You should aim for 155 degrees [Fahrenheit] in the breast," advises McGee, "and no more than 160 degrees, or else it will come out too dry." On the other hand, in the dark meat, "you want a temperature of 180 degrees and above in the leg." McGee says that when the leg meat is under 180 degrees, it is unpleasantly chewy and has a metallic taste to it. Plus, breast meat cooks faster than leg meat, which means the white meat is done well before the dark meat ever reaches the right temperature.
McGee has two solutions to the this troublesome turkey problem. The first is a trusty meat thermometer. "There's no substitute for checking the temperature of the bird often." The second is a good supply of ice.
Here's what McGee suggests:
1. Make sure the bird is fully thawed McGee recommends thawing in the refrigerator or in a cold water bath.
2. Don't stuff the turkey This may seem very untraditional, but McGee says that by the time the stuffing reaches a safe temperature to eat, the meat will be overdone.
3. Cover the breasts with ice packs, while the rest of the bird comes up to room temperature The turkey should not sit out for more than three hours. At this point, McGee says, "the breast will be 40 degrees, and the rest of the bird about 60 degrees."
4. Put the bird in the oven and cook as normal
5. Remember to check the meat temperature often McGee recommends that the breast meat reach between 155 and 160 degrees, and the dark meat around 180 degrees.
Icing the turkey breasts works, McGee says, because the leg meat gets a head start in cooking. "You are creating a temperature difference between the breast meat and the rest of your turkey even before you start to cook it. And you come out with a good-looking bird."
beerguy
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- May 5, 2005
- Location
- Frederic...
enuf said...
J
jswordy
Guest
bigabyte
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- May 10, 2006
- Location
- Overland...
Me too!:biggrin:
bigabyte
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- May 10, 2006
- Location
- Overland...
Seriously though, icing the breast works. I didn't mean to hijack or anything. Nobody said anything, but since I posted 3 times without actually talking about icing a TURKEY breast, I figured I better chime in. Meat gets cooked by heat, and lowering the heat by applying ice will make it take longer to cook, which will allow the breast to finish on par with the thighs.
deguerre
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2009
- Location
- Memphis...
Fark Tennessee!:twisted: I'm from Decatur. Roll Damn Tide!
At least you ain't in "L.A."
Last edited:
fat_bastard
Knows what a fatty is.
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2009
- Location
- Huntsvil...
Um, go Irish!!!!
And I'm gonna ice the breast this weekend too. I might cook a turkey as well :twisted:
deguerre
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2009
- Location
- Memphis...
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
I'll be trying the ice method myself next week.
R
Rick's Tropical Delight
Guest
i pick up two free range turkey breasts tomorrow and i will ice both of them prior to smoking. :icon_clown
Papa Payne
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2009
- Location
- Taylorsv...
???? If all you have is breasts and no dark meat, then why ice???
Papa
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2006
- Location
- At home...
^^^ Yeah, what do you know that we don't ?
smokehunter
Knows what a fatty is.
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2008
- Location
- AL
deguerre, Gadsden here... We're doing Thanksgiving this weekend and i'll be icing her down.... to the FL fans sorry, to the Texas fans, see you in Pasadena!!:twisted:
R
Radical Rick
Guest
smokehunter, I am from Gadsden.8) I just put my first turkey on about 10 minutes ago along with my 2 chickens! I am smoking on my UDS. I brined them for 2 days in the fridge and the last day in the cooler. I did not inject, but I have them rubbed down and sparingly wrapped in bacon!:grin: Instead of icing, I just have my breast side up and moved to the side instead of the center!
