mguerra Posted November 23, 2010 Report Share Posted November 23, 2010 We can have one main thread for Thanksgiving here, like last year, if you all like. Keep all our info in one place. Yesterday I watched Alton Brown and Martha Stewart give two totally opposite takes on how to do the bird, it was hilarious. She's a baster and a stuffer, he is adamant that those are terrible ideas. His logic made sense to me, so I'm going with the no basting and no stuffing of the bird. Just finished making the apple brine a few minutes ago, it's cooling. It's oft mentioned to air dry the bird in the fridge for 24 hours after brining to get crispier skin. We don't eat the skin, so I'm skipping that. Alton, and also someone here on our board, mentioned the technique of doing the first thirty minutes of the cook at 500, then nicking it back to 350 for the rest of the cook. Might be a little tough to cool the KK down from 500 to 350, I'm just going 350 all the way, indirect, on a rack in a roasting pan to catch the drippings. A little apple wood for smoke. I think we will also lift up the skin and spread some paste of olive oil, garlic and fresh cracked pepper under there. It works great on roti chicken! A couple of ya'll have talked about icing the breast and I'm for sure trying that trick this year. On a tangential note, Krispy Kreme have some luscious pumpkin spice donuts this time of year, if you like that sort of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paswesley Posted November 23, 2010 Report Share Posted November 23, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 @Doc: You are of a discerning, no nonsense sort, so I want to ask your opinion. What are the advantages/disadvantages of brining a bird? I have to cook two twenty pounders in Mable. One after the other, of course. Does brining the bird elevate one's blood pressure? That is to ask, if you take Diavan 120 mg for hypertension, should you eat less turkey when it has been brined than not? If you feel uncomfortable offering medical info, I can understand that. Thanks, Anton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted November 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Here you go: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brining.html All you could want to know right there. Hypertension and brining? I don't know, but I do remember that monument of intellect, surgeon general Jocelyn Elders, saying this: "Everybody's gonna die from sumpin!" So I just enjoy life. Honestly I don't think that much salt gets in the turkey, and how much of it are you actually going to eat, anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted November 23, 2010 Report Share Posted November 23, 2010 The TG quandary... Ah, what to do. TG was canceled at our house. We had moved it to Saturday to accommodate favorite friends, but they just called to say they cannot come after all. So, we said screw it. No point in TG supper for just 2 of us (my mother and me). We'll have a festive supper or something instead. Might make home made pasta, maybe go see Harry Potter movie. BUT, it seemed sad not to have a turkey for sammiches later in the week, right? So, I bought a 10 lb bird to cook at some point this weekend. Perfect oppty to experiment on the cooker, no? No risk of screwing up the Big Event on a new recipe. Spatchcock/butterfly? Brine and roast? Or just leave it in the oven in the kitchen to make the house smell yummy? Haven't decided yet. Brine is probably a given, since that was so delicious last time I did that. Film at 11... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted November 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Thanksgiving is a state of mind, so you and your Mom are enough people to celebrate. Let us know what you do with that 10 pounder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Sanny: None of us are getting any younger. You and your Mom have each other and that's alot to be thankful for. Whatever you decide to do, do it in a BIG way - just to celebrate the two of you!! Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Rex Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Hey Sanny, we are just the two of us as well unless we have my mom join us........ I suggest that you do a turkey as we will do and send her home with some treats............... I am glad that you are back...... SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjbru61 Posted November 25, 2010 Report Share Posted November 25, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Fellow KK friends - I am new to using my KK - smoking a 10 lb turkey now and I am having trouble keeping the temp below 300 degrees. I have the bottom vent closed and the top open 1/2 turn. Trying to get down to about 250 degrees. weather is 60 degrees, bird was at room temp. Too much fuel? Sorry for clogging up the bandwidth here with simple things, just looking for help Newbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcoliver Posted November 25, 2010 Report Share Posted November 25, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Have you checked to be sure the latch is all the way latched? Past the second click. If it is you may have raised the temp too high at first and it may take a little bit to get it down. Good word of advice is to not overrun your target temp. Its easier to go from low to high than to bring it back down from too high. Close up the top until it touches, bring the temp down and then start adjusting up again. I suggest closing the bottom damper but opening the "wheel" to full open. Then adjust the top the rest of the time. Good luck, either way the Turkey will taste great!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paswesley Posted November 25, 2010 Report Share Posted November 25, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Happy Thanksgiving 2010 KK family! I am in the middle of a large cook. I have two twenty-one pound turkeys to cook. The first one is done. Twenty-one pounds, unstuffed, on a roasting rack and pan on the main grill surface. I put it on at 1:00 a.m. this morning and took it off at 6:30 a.m., when the thigh temp reached 185. I know that is overdone for most folks, but we prefer it that way. The temp ranged from 300 to 330 for the cook. I took pictures, but I will have to post them later, too busy now. The second bird, also 21 pounds, is stuffed with Pepperidge Farm's sage dressing, to which I added a cup of raisins, a half cup of chopped cashews, and a half teaspoon of my own proprietary blend of herbs and spices. I am using the same temp range. I anticipate it taking about a half hour longer to get the stuffing temp up to 170. That is 5 degrees more than nominal, but I prefer to err on the side of caution. Better to eat a slightly overdone bird than to eat an underdone one and suffer the consequences. I have already done food poisoning and have no desire for a second helping! It was a little strange to see 115 degrees on the RediChek when I inserted it into the center of the stuffing. I am used to a starting temp of 50 degrees or so for meats. However, I reasoned that the warmth of the stuffing would be absorbed by the cooler bird, and I was right. The temp slowly dropped over the first 1.5 hours, falling to 91 degrees, before it began to rise. I am taking pics of this bird too, and will post later. I also need to bake 20 pounds of Beauregard sweet potatoes, the only kind worthy of my consumption I do believe.Finally, I need to cook about ten pounds of collards. I have to go now to wash them and put them on. So long for now. I will post pics later. I just averted a potential disaster on the second bird. Temp stuck at 310 and unable to raise it. Dedeuced I must be running low on fuel. I am using Stubb's briquettes. I like them. However, after holding 325 temps for 14 hours, I guess they needed replenishing. What an amazing cooker we have! I can't imagine a non-ceramic capable of doing what Mable is doing on ten pounds of briquettes, and the Gen. II OTB is the best , of course. I spent ten minutes heating up three pounds of briquettes in my chimney, and poured them in. The bird was off the nest for no more than two minutes, total, and no harm done. I am bringing Mable up to 350 to finish off this bird. True Temp says 325, RediChek is reading 145 now, so it should be ready around 4:30 p.m. or so. Cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted November 26, 2010 Report Share Posted November 26, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Thanks, all. Mother and I had our supper together. I made a turkey, after all. I cut it into parts and roasted it at 275 for under 2 hours (Cook's Illustrated's recipe) over mirepoix. Then used the drippings and flavor of the roasted veggies to make the gravy. Excellent birdy. Mother made the family recipe of dressing - white rice, wild rice, ground sausage, ground meat. And pumpkin chocolate chip cake for dessert. Even better - I made the King Arthur Flour soft wrap bread (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/ ... ead-recipe) for the leftovers. Smeared with some hoisin, and I have Peking turkey! All good. I hope all of you enjoyed the blessing of family (born, or chosen). xo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted November 26, 2010 Report Share Posted November 26, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 What no pictures? Spent T-Day with Mom in SLC this year so no cooking for me (with the exception of some green beans). While it was different not cooking on the KK (first T-Day I've had her) it was great spending the holiday with my family, first time in 10 years. Got a bird at home that I'll be doing next weekend. Now how about some pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted November 26, 2010 Report Share Posted November 26, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 No pics here. All imaginary. But that's ok. I saw Charlie Brown last evening, and he's imaginary, too, even if he does have pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Posted November 26, 2010 Report Share Posted November 26, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 I cooked a turducken this year. This was not a 'typical' turducken in that I stuffed the turkey with duck breast and chicken thighs rather than a whole chicken and duck. I also added a mild ground sausage between each layer. I brined the duck in a sweet orange brine. For the chicken and turkey brine I started with veggie stock and kosher salt and added brown sugar, Turkish bay leaves, grains of paradise, cumin, cloves, sage, black peppercorns, paprika, all spice berries, and ginger. I coated each layer, and outside, with a poultry rub. This was the first turkey that I de-boned and had some trouble (especially around the leg joints). Ultimately, I got the carcass out but created an open cavity in the skin that was larger than I had planned. This caused some trouble for me when I closed the turkey around the rest of the meat. I had to use quite a bit of butcher's twine to close up what could best be described as looking like a horrific battle field wound. After much looping, twisting, and tying I got the opening reasonably closed. It was definitely not the work of a plastic surgeon. I started it at 270 for 3 hours and pushed it up to 325 for the last 4 hours. I bumped it to 500 for a few minutes to get that final crisp of the skin. I pulled the turkey at 158 and after about 30 minutes of resting, it peaked at 163. The family has requested it again for next year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted November 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 What's that pan you roasted in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted November 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Sanny; AKA flowergardennj? Thanks for the tip to check out KAF! Looks like some good info there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted November 27, 2010 Report Share Posted November 27, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Thenardier I cooked a turducken this year......stuffed the turkey with duck breast and chicken thighs rather than a whole chicken and duck. I also added a mild ground sausage between each layer..... The family has requested it again for next year... I think you'll be on the hook for this incredibly impressive cook for years to come. Do you have any pix of it after slicing? It sounds wonderful! Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Malter Posted November 27, 2010 Report Share Posted November 27, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 I made one this year as well. I cheated a bit and stuffed the turkey with boneless chicken thighs and duck breast to reduce the number of carcasses. I also layered with andouille sausage and kale. I cooked mine low and slow- 220 for 10 h indirect. The skin was worthless but the inside was exquisite. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted November 28, 2010 Report Share Posted November 28, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Here are pix of my 16.5 lb stuffed turkey KK'd yesterday. This cook was quite different from last year's 17.5 lb stuffed turkey timewise. Last year I did 325 stoker with a pit probe, stuffing packed tightly and it took 4 hrs 15 min more or less to get to 158 breast with a 168 thigh. This year I had a slightly smaller turkey, stuffed more lightly, ( I made less stuffing because the bird was lighter but I could have easily used the same amount as last year), and it took 3 hours 15 min to get to 158 breast with a 188 thigh - confirmed with a Thermapen. This was at 300 stoker with a food probe, which sat higher in the cooker than the smaller pit probe would. The tru tel read 340 thru the cook but it seemed to me that everything was hotter than that in there though I wasn't seeing hotter temps on the thermos. The bird did, in fact, cook faster than I expected. It was delicious!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Rex Posted November 28, 2010 Report Share Posted November 28, 2010 Re: Thanksgiving 2010 Nice bird Susan, thanks for the post! T Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
