My O my, how quick things change

Inject your bird with a mix of 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup sweet wine before roasting. It's adds a very mild flavor and keeps the turkey from drying out in the oven.
I'm stuck in the middle of LaCenter, Kentucky at the wifey's Grandads. Eight people in a tiny house, one bathroom, and a tiny, nasty kitchen with mouse POOPIE all over the counters. This is about my 9th year in a row I've been stuck in this gawdawful place trying to whip up a Thanksgiving meal with no Bandera in sight. The things I do to keep this marriage going....
I feel for ya Brother.

The things I do to keep this marriage going....

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God Bless you in your non-perfect working conditions today, You're a true man Saiko!

Saiko said:

I'm stuck in the middle of LaCenter, Kentucky

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Ah....Kentucky = God's Country 8)

I feel your pain. Me and the family did not cook this year. Instead, we were blessed with the pleasure of heaving to attend two different dinners, back to back. Yeah, the birds were tough and dry, the mashers were dry, and the gravies needed Salt n' Pepper.

Isn't Turkey a blast!?!

the pleasure of heaving to

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I'm sure that's an accidental typo :twisted: but apparently appropriate to your turkey day!

We roasted a bird, had a spiral sliced commercial ham (both very tasty) and enjoyed the meal(s) with friends and their family.

It wasn't my typical fry a bird and smoke a bird Thanksgiving but it was nice none the less.

I make great and moist oven roasted turkey, and here is how it is done. First of all the reason that turkey gets dry is because it is overcooked. I fix mine in one of those roasters that you see in every church kitchen. Walmart sells them for about $60, and I use mine to finish off brisket at 180 degrees overnight and to keep the BBQ piping hot while serving. The roaster also makes things portable and leaves the oven for things like pies and such. I select a 15 to 20 pounder (yesterday it was a 21 pounder). Thaw it completely, clean it and stuff it with your favorite dressing. Put it in the roaster with 4 cups of water and set the roaster to 325 ~ 350 degrees. Now here is the secret. You put your wireless probe thermometer in the breast of the turkey and set it to "Turkey 180 degrees". Put the remote in your pocket so you can hear it. Then you go watch the Colts teach Detroit how to play real football and peal a whole bag of potatoes for the wife to mash. When the remote in your pocket goes off and tells you that the breast is at 180 degrees then you know that the white meat is done. In my roaster this takes a 15 ~ 20 lb. turkey about 2.5 ~ 3 hours, but never cook it by time always cook by temperature. Use the probe to check the dark meat and ensure that it is also about 180 degrees. If you had not stuffed the turkey then it is nearly done, and you can turn off the roaster or turn it to 180 ~ 200 degrees if you want to wait a while. Since I stuffed mine I put the probe in the middle of the body cavity's dressing and continued to cook at 325 till the dressing reaches 140 degrees. The moisture in the stuffing will keep the bird moist during this part of the process. When the dressing reaches 140 degrees all is done and you can turn off the roaster. Remove the turkey from the roaster and let the thing rest for at least 15 minutes to set the juice into the meat. During this resting period you can make the gravy right in the roaster with a little corn starch and water. This method will not brown and crisp up the skin, which is fine with me because I serve it sliced on a plate. I do not slice the breast while it is still on the bird. What I do is cut down at the breast bone and remove the breast in one piece from the rib cage. Remove any skin and set the piece on a carving board, and slice it from one of the small ends like a brisket across the grain. I make my slices about 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick. That way they really hold the moisture and the pieces are just about the size of a pork chop on the plate. Once again, the secret is to not overcook the turkey, and you will be a Thanksgiving Genius.

The boss can put a copy of this post in the recipe section if he wants.

What I do is cut down at the breast bone and remove the breast in one piece from the rib cage.

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Best way to go. With a little practice you can get nearly every crumb. I did 2 breasts and the breast of a whole turkey yesterday and didn't leave enough meat on all 3 carcasses to make a decent sandwich.

Turkey roasters won't work with the wifey's Grandad. He only likes the turkey leg, and its gotta have a dark, crispy skin.
And when you're 81, live alone, on dialysis, and fought from one end of Iwo Jima to the other as a marine in WWII, then your wish is my command.

Dark skin is easy

Saiko said:

Turkey roasters won't work with the wifey's Grandad. He only likes the turkey leg, and its gotta have a dark, crispy skin.
And when you're 81, live alone, on dialysis, and fought from one end of Iwo Jima to the other as a marine in WWII, then your wish is my command.

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If you have to have dark crispy skin then put the turkey (or just his leg) legs under a broiler or use a propane torch (Hank Hill Mod) to brown the skin. With the torch yo can avoid burning the tips also and limit the process to his leg only.

Wayne-
Gonna save that turkey recipe. Sounds like the right way to roast a bird. Thanks for posting it

It is right! I fixed a non-stuffed 18# turkey last Tuesday and a stuffed bird on thursday, and they were both suculant and juicy. Even the stuffing and turkey I microwaved today tasted like it was fress out of the oven. Sometime soon I will fix the turkey cheese soup in the recipe section.

http://www.bandera-brethren.com/index.php?module=recipes&func=display&lid=60&pid=7

Don't ask me why it is not posted under the Bird section but it is not. Maybe the boss can move it to the bird section.

BigAl said:

Wayne said:

I make great and moist oven roasted turkey, and here is how it is done. .....( Once again, the secret is to not overcook the turkey, and you will be a Thanksgiving Genius.

The boss can put a copy of this post in the recipe section if he wants.

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Wayne, you might be right without a doubt but I will never get a chance to try it here....the 'matick is in charge of "her kitchen" and that is the way it it is!

PS - Her Turkey was dryer than AZ in the summer!

The 'matick asked one of the twins was it "too dry?", the poor girl almost choked before she finally said "no". :?

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You should tell her the truth. You can also give her my post and tell her that I roast about a dozen birds a year and always get rave reviews. I have never had to asked anybody if the turkey is dry because they always volunteer complements at the moist white meat on my birds. But it does sound like the last thing you want to do is to cook a bird with my method in her kitchen and then serve up a better bird than her. If her own children lie to avoid her wrath then you have my deep sympathy. My wife not only let me cook the bird (she has broken ribs) in her kitchen but she also complemented me on the moist results. Gawd, I love the old hippie gal that I married. She is as good as gold.