Turkey is Blah
 

Looking forward to cooking my Duck.
Duck gravy and Turkey gravy just don't compare.

What are you having instead of Turkey?

I've never liked turkey white meat.
We're having turkey, but I'll go for the thigh meat.

We buy a smoked turkey. All cooked, so we warm it up and enjoy the. Super juicy and tasty white and dark meat.

Fried or smoked turkey is better than oven roasted any day. Started using an marinade injection before frying, just an off the shelf brand. Probably the moistest turkey I've ever had, even the white meat wasn't dry.

I love turkey, but usually only get to eat it over the holidays. I'll roast one on Thanksgiving, but we'll also have a roast and some other things. I also have a duck that's frozen, which I will plrobably cook over the Christmas holiday. I had a gout attack some months ago and now watch out for foods high in purines. Unfortunately turkey is on the high purine list.

The turkeys have left my buddys property - we haven't seen any around since August, and then only once and no activity over summer. So the only wild turkey will be coming in a bottle...

I do have some venison... but turkey is the one meal my mom can actually cook and have come out good (because she actually follows a recipe ....) and it is my once per year to get some of my favorites

Also look forward to the leftover turkey enchiladas that the wife makes, yummy....

About ten years ago on Thanksgiving I had a slightly early Thanksgiving dinner, then flew to Istanbul for a week. Turkey is a wonderful country to visit. :)

This looks like a good recipe https://www.sipandfeast.com/spatchcock-turkey/

Time to start thawing is probably now.

Turkey + stuffing + gravy is culinary crack for me.

Without turkey you can't have turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce sandwiches the next day. Why even bother to go on living if you can't look forward to the day after Thanksgiving?

That said, if you have some duck livers, cognac, heavy cream and currants, you could have a duck breast, duck liver mousse with Riesling poached pears sandwich instead. I could see living another day for that.

Maryland Stuffed Ham.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1732651465.jpg

My wife has made goose several times (instead of turkey) for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Goose is excellent. Duck is OK too.

I wonder if a wild hunted turkey has more flavor than a store-bought bred for their big hooters birds. I've never had a wild/hunted turkey.

Turkey sucks. I'm making a Prime Rib, sausage dressing, roasted brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

[QUOTE=masraum;12364800]My wife has made goose several times (instead of turkey) for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Goose is excellent. Duck is OK too.


I'll second goose or duck as a choice. Both are excellent.



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I've had wild haunted turkey. It was scary.

the best way to make turkey is to brine it for several days, and then fry it.

but at the end of the day, thats just like how to make it as good as chicken. like when the highest compliment for turkey is that it can taste, when prepared properly, chicken ... just make the chicken instead.

I've tried many ways of cooking turkey. Fried, stuffed under skin, smoked, grilled, you name it.

This is my go to method for turkey, Spatchcocking. Quick and easy. a couple of links....

https://www.seriouseats.com/buying-prepping-cooking-carving-thanksgiving-turkey-complete-guide-food-lab?

https://www.seriouseats.com/butterfiled-roast-turkey-with-gravy-recipe

The breast is about the same, but over all less fat content. The dark meat has a much stronger flavor, but it is also much tougher than a farm bird, to the point where it is really good for making stock and such and then pick some of the meat from the back and thighs, everything else is dog treats if you can get all of the structural stuff out. Though a buddy of mine swears that a couple hours in a pressure cooker makes the legs tasty too - I tried, too chewy still.

I might just eat the pecan pie and drink the wine and call it a day.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1732658592.jpg

Turkey is generally blah by not if it's deep fried. I've experimented over the years and there's only one way I cook it now. Wash the bird and dry throughly. I melt 2 sticks of butter with a full bottle of Tabasco stirred in. Inject the bird everywhere. Bring the peanut oil (no other oil tastes right) to 400°, slowly slip the bird in and maintain 350° for 3.5 minutes per pound. The Tabasco loses most of its heat but adds a great flavor and everyone says it's the best tasting and moistest turkey ever

Forget Turkey. My family tradition is steak, thanks Dad!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1732662342.jpg

^^^ Now that looks good.

I used to do it the same way. Always a 12lb bird = 45 minutes.

My brother is frying a turkey... I usually make a dessert or sides..This year Mud pie, and chipotle mashed sweet potatoes...

Turkey is so meh

Let cook


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1732665456.jpg

Joint it - remove the back and separate the legs - so you can cook the pieces individually to the correct temperature. Cover with strips of bacon while cooking.

There's a tremendous improvement in the flavor then.

We just made one last weekend in honour of the American Thanksgiving. We use the Gordon Ramsay Christmas turkey recipe.
Well make another one for Christmas.

It’s not the turkey, it’s the gravy and everything you can pour it on. Delicious.

Since the only time I ate turkey was Thanksgiving and Christmas, I like it. Especially the turkey sandwiches for days afterwards.

This will be the first Thanksgiving that I’ve not gone to my parents house, for the family get together, and my mom’s cooking…. Turkey, dressing, cheeseballs, deviled eggs, etc.

We're doing Salmon.

Oh yeah, I forgot about turkey sandwiches the next day. White bread with Duke’s mayonnaise on one slice and cranberry sauce on the other slice. I can devour 2 sandwiches in 5 minutes then promptly have a nap.

I like that.
That may be the closest to a true Thanksgiving dinner.

They had a large mouth bass .... and Punkin' Pie :D

or a catfish and turtle soup?


The very worst dish of a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner are cranberries.
I can't eat them.

https://imgur.com/gallery/monster-DrxFL1t

I like Turkey at Christmas time... But I don't miss it during the rest of the year.

New Mexico lamb.

A big butterflied leg, probably spiced "normally" so as to work with traditional fix'ns - but seriouseats was making a compelling argument for something szechuan-ish. That's too risky for me to commit that chunk/$$ of meat, but I gaurawntee that idea'll carry on, probably for kebabs.

It'll be odd, but after Mrs mjohnson introduced me to oyster stuffing/dressing - we're definitely having that as a side. It is so much better than this DeepFriedGenXMichigander expected. And the same habanero/cilantro cranberry sauce we've served since that kind of thing was cool late in the last century. Nothing chipotle though, we do have some limits.

Try this next time. Good stuff!

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/waffled-leftover-thanksgiving-brunch-recipe-3362110

The main protein this year will be leg of lamb.

But people want turkey, so I’m making each person their own little boneless stuffed turkey. Slice brined breast to 1/4”, wrap meat around pre-cooked stuffing to make a bun, sous vide 135F for four hours (I use a steam oven), with a glaze for color. Make-ahead gravy.

I hate sweet potatoes as a rule but occasionally I slice sweet potatoes really thin, assemble them tightly in a gratin dish and cover them with heavy cream, which has been seasoned with salt and pepper and a minced chipotle. Into the oven and...

Pretty awesome...

Never tried them mashed, might have to look into that.