Uncle Bill’s Method for Cooking Turkey: A Recipe for Success

After another long day of responding to all of your questions,* I believe we have created a very helpful guide for troubleshooting the heck out of your Thanksgiving. If you have a question, the answer is probably in this series! All questions about brining, roasting, and flavoring turkeys as well as non-turkey main dishes are addressed here first.

On Turkeys, Smoked or Grilled

I was wondering if you had any tips for smoking a turkey this year. —freets at 8:50 PM on 11/10/11

Oh, absolutely. Josh Bousel has got you covered! Check out his great recipe for Cajun Smoked Turkey!

Is there a good recipe for grilled turkey? Should I butterfly it? Will the cranberry glaze that’s added in the last 30 minutes show through or is it just a ploy? —esjay at 4:28 PM on November 10, 2011

Grilling a turkey is actually one of the best ways to cook it because it makes it much easier to cook the legs and breasts to the right temperature. Yes, Id butterfly the bird so that it lays flat. The key to great grilled turkey is to build the right kind of fire. What you want is a two-zone indirect fire, where all of the coals are piled on one side. With the turkey skin-side up and the legs closer to the coals than the breast, place the grate over the coals. Roast the turkey until the legs are at least 165°F (they may even reach higher temperatures) and the breasts have reached 145°F. Cover the grill and leave the vents open above the turkey side.

Feel free to add a few more during the cooking process if your coals start to go out in the middle. Itll take around 3 to 4 hours for a 10 to 12-pound bird.

At the very end, you can carefully flip the bird (ha) and place it directly over the coals for a few minutes if you want your skin to be extra crispy. Let it rest at least half an hour under foil, then carve and serve.

Suggestions for smoking a bird on the Weber? This year, I’m cooking off-site and will only have access to a kettle barbecue. Normally, I smoke mine on the Weber Smoky Mountain Bullet. tips like timing and amount of coals would be very helpful. Ive already purchased coal rails, so ive got that covered. —shimpiphany at 5:18PM on 11/10/11.

See my response above. In terms of coal quantity, I would begin with a 3/4 full chimney and add more as needed while cooking.

I’ve tried grilling my bird before, but it always comes out a little too dry. Do you have any good grilled/smoked turkey recipes, techniques? —dasago at 5:37PM on 11/10/11.

Check out the comments above, and if you have a rotisserie, Josh Bousel has a fantastic rotisserie turkey recipe.

On Turkey, Alternative Cooking Methods Of

This month, I’d like to try the newest Cooks Illustrated recipe, which calls for braising turkey parts. However, I cant find a scaled down version to see if its good. Please help me reduce the size so I can check to see if the white

I couldn’t tell you how exactly they do it or if it could be scaled down because I don’t have the most recent Cooks issue, but this braised chicken leg recipe uses a method that would also work well with turkey legs. Yes, that’s exactly how I’m going to cook my turkey legs this year: sear them in hot oil and butter until the skin is crisp, then move them to a roasting pan. Next, surround the turkey with aromatics (garlic, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and parsley stems) and cover it with stock until it’s about halfway covered. Finally, braise it in the oven.

Throughout the entire cooking process, the skin should remain incredibly crispy, and you’ll be left with incredibly moist, fork-tender meat and a delicious liquid to use for gravy.

—katyc at 7:08 PM on 11/10/11 —We’re having turkey cutlets instead of a whole bird; how much should we buy per person?

In a normal situation, I would estimate half a pound per person, but since it’s Thanksgiving and leftovers are practically a must, I’d estimate at least 3/4 of a pound per person.

Your writing on sous vide cooking is fantastic! It’s informative without being too detailed or sophisticated for someone who hasn’t used a sous vide machine before. Jaycain asked at 8:31 PM on November 10, 2011, “Do you have any suggestions for cooking turkey parts sous vide (or any other Thanksgiving stuff sous vide)?”

Sure, I did my turkey sous-vide last year. I separate my breasts and legs and put them into separate bags. To fully tenderize the legs, cook them at 165°F for 5–6 hours. After that, cook the breasts at 145°F for approximately 4 hours. You can reheat the legs in the same water bath as the breasts before serving. You can put whatever youd like in the bag, but I usually go simple. Salt, pepper, perhaps some thyme sprigs.

Remove from the bag, sear the skin in a hot skillet with butter or oil, slice, and serve! You can also add some bacon bits or salt pork if you’re feeling very pig-loving.

Do you have a recipe for a sous-vide turkey? Preferably made in the beer cooler method. —justin h at 11:43PM on 11/10/11.

See above. Unfortunately, theres no way to do this in a beer cooler—it just doesnt stay hot for long enough!.

I would have no time to prepare anything the week before Thanksgiving, so what kind of turkey dinner-ish dish would you suggest for a single person arriving home after 7 p.m.? (Celebrating belatedly doesnt work out, either. ) —Yukiyummy at 10:37PM on 11/10/11.

Turkey cutlets are a good, no-fuss way to go. The night before, prepare a baking dish of stuffing and arrange a few turkey breast cutlets on top. Cover the dish with foil. The following day, simply place the entire thing directly from the refrigerator into an oven preheated to 400°F and bake for 45 minutes or so, or until the turkey reaches a temperature of 145°F. Remove the foil, and there you go: turkey and stuffing with almost no effort. If you add some gravy and a nice salad, you can have a Thanksgiving dinner that’s more appropriate for a single person returning home after 7 p.m. on the holiday rather than one fit for a king.

I haven’t had a chance to use the molecular gastronomy set that my brother gave me, even though it comes with the usual assortment of chemicals and starting materials. Capricho asked at 11:56 PM on November 10, 2011, “Do you have any suggestions for Thanksgiving dishes that incorporate a few modern twists on traditional recipes?”

Oof, this is such a large can of worms that I dont even know where to begin.

Pouring Boiling Water Over A Whole Turkey Is A Game-Changer