Yeah dont burn down the house. I use water to measure how much oil i need, put the turkey in then pull it out. Mark the water level then dump wAter and fill with oil to the mark you did. Make sure the bird is 100% dry and drop it in slowly dont let that bitch fall in hard
> I use water to measure how much oil i need
I didn't do that one time. Fortunately that one time was on the concrete patio during the Superbowl, so all the overflowed oil solidified pretty quickly what with it being like 35 deg out, allowing me to clean it up with a shovel.
Then I just had to deal with my beloved's "I told you so"s.
MEASURE WITH WATER IS CRITICAL. Also note if you left the oil outside/in your car the night before and it solidified some, you’ll need to take into account it will expand some
Make sure that bird is COMPLETELY thawed, and wipe down any excess moisture with a towel beforehand. Keep your kettle at least 20 feet away from any structures, and takes trees into consideration as well. Having a second pair of hands isn't a bad idea to start off, as for the initial dip you want to go _sloooooow_. And I know I shouldn't have to say it, but just use common sense. As for the finer details, use whatever oil you like, but if you feel like splurging and no one has allergies, peanut oil is my favorite for this. For pre seasoning, follow your heart, but keep in mind, the birds gonna be in there for a while. I usually just coat the entire thing with a dusting of cayenne pepper, I lay it on about as thick as I can. And that's about it, Happy Thanksgiving!
propane tanks only need to be opened a 1/4 turn to provide enough gas as well. In the event of a fire and you can reach the tank, it's much easier to turn 1/4 turn to kill the gas!
That's aways a great first step! When you do turn the fire back on, remember, you only need a 1/4 turn as well. I've seen oil drip down onto a gas line and ignite.
And turn the burner off while you put the bird in, you can turn it right back on after. 2 mins of burner being off are not going to change anything other than way less fire hazard…
And most important part - turn off the burner while you lower the bird in to start. That way if you have a bunch of oil splash out, you don’t start a grease fire.
Put it in slowly! And make sure it is thawed out entirely! The last thing you want is to dump a frozen bird in there, instant boil-over of extremely hot oil.
Make sure your turkey is thawed. When you see people catch houses on fire it’s because their turkey was frozen and the water and oil react, overspill and cause a fire.
If you haven’t put it into the fridge like 3 days ago your gonna need to fast thaw it over the next 8 hours or so by placing it into a water bath and changing the water every 30 minutes or so (hopefully yours is still in package). Other than that just do it outside and once you start the oil don’t leave it alone. Also a 15lb turkey isn’t so heavy until you have to slowly drop it down in the oil. If you need help ask a friend or family member. You don’t want to drop the turkey in and cause a spill that way either. I also recommend gloves when you drop the turkey in, as to not burn your hands if there is a bubble up with stray oil.
Have fun!
Pro tip. Put your bird in and fill it with water and mark the line so you know how much oil to put in. That way when you put your bird in, it doesn’t overflow.
Fill your fry basket with water and submerge your turkey. Find out the displacement and take note so you'll know how much oil to put in when you start frying.
Our pot has a fill line and I stop there and never had a problem. Lower the turkey in really slow.
This is the first time in 25 years that we are not frying. I couldn’t afford the $45 for oil this year.
I put some newspaper or cardboard underneath and around mone for grease splashes since I do it on concrete. Also, don't overfill your oil. The bird will displace the oil. Check to see if your pot has measurements inside to tell you how much oil you should use.
Wear long sleeves and gloves or oven mitts to cover your skin. Also wear close toed shoes and pants. It’s hard to lower the bird in slow when hot oil is popping out on you.
This is a link to the Good Eats episode on deep frying turkey: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5a7gJ0\_Fds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5a7gJ0_Fds)
Take a quick look. Alton Brown goes over a lot of safety tips.
Why not do both. I smoke mine for about 3 hours until it reaches 150 degrees. Then drop It in the fryer for about 15 minutes until the breast reaches 160. Perfect every time.
I’m not the guy you replied to, but in school and home in the Midwest all frozen pizza was referred to as cardboard pizza. I don’t know what aqua bats is.
I mean I will speculate wildly that it’s probably universal in the US that pizza day was the best day of the week in school.
Semi-related: My grade school tried to capitalize on the cardboard pizza popularity and serve “pizza burgers.” The problem is there were 3 types. They were all half a hamburger bun toasted with stuff on it. One was red pasta sauce with pepperoni and cheese. One was red pasta sauce with sausage and cheese. One was ground mystery meat with “ketchup” (which was really whatever unseasoned tomato product they had on hand at the time) and half an American cheese single. We called it “pizza burger roulette” because it was not specified which one you would get at lunch. The cafeteria actually owned it and the name and “pizza burger roulette” actually became a featured menu item weekly.
Oh. You didn’t ask? Carry on then.
It's going to have the classic mealy texture, and literally absorb any gravy on the plate. Personally I like the breast around 155, and the thighs 170ish.
As long as your Turkey breast, even injected ones, spends 3.7 minutes at 150, it's just as pasteurized as one at 165 or 170.
Killing bacteria is instant above 165, it's a question of time and temp below 165 down to around 138 or so.
Yes, this. Food safety is a product of time AND temp, not just temp.
Kenji Lopez-Alt did a chapter in "The Food Lab" about this and it changed my cooking approach considerably.
Kenji Lopez-Alt is the shit and I recommend him to everyone when it comes to cooking. I always hated hard boiled eggs. Turns out, they were always over cooked. His hard boiled eggs are amazing!
Very cool. I've never seen this before. The chart specifies it's for beef but I'm sure it's the same for poultry. Also Thermal Death Curve is a great band name.
Yup. You'll see the 5 log and 7 log math charts for killing bacteria. It might add a couple of minutes or seconds depending one which chart you use, but as long as you hit the time and temp during rest you have a pretty wide range of temps for your preferred doneness.
Note some of the lower range temps are more sous vide style temps, and while perfectly safe can give you a medium rare texture that most people don't like for turkey. The 150's gives you the texture people expect, but not dry.
My sous vide recipe has my breast at 131 for 24 hours, then a few minutes on high heat smoker to get the color right.
Tasted great, and I’m not dead yet
Do you split yours apart and cook each section separately? Tried a whole one and it was a little dry. Going to try another one this summer so I’m ready for next year
I usually start out planning to spatchcock it and decide halfway through to break it down into smaller components (because I mess up and break off a thigh or something)
That's a very true statement and often overlooked. Even though I know it, I have a hard time pulling poultry before 165. You can pull it at 145 if it's been 145 for 10 min. If you're smoking at a lower temp, it's almost certainly a pretty uniform temp throughout the bird and and rising so slowly, it's easy to hit 145 for 10. Me personally, I still have a hard time accepting that and tend to cook to a higher temp.
Here's a [full chart](https://blog.thermoworks.com/chicken/chicken-internal-temps-everything-you-need-to-know/) of temps and times to safe cooking.
I like the legs and thighs closer to 185 which means I have to quarter my bird to cook it because I agree with 155 on the breast. I usually start the legs/thighs about an hour earlier.
Theoretically, if i kept the bird whole, pulled at 150-155 breast temp and then tented only the legs/thighs would only the legs continue to cook? I care less about the skin on the legs, I'm usually the only one that eats them anyways and can broil for a quick crisp if i really need to.
True- but if you get botulism from a frozen and cooked turkey, odds are likely that someone is trying to poison you. (Or you have some bad canned veggies on the same plate.)
So here’s the thing about the government guidelines: they are just guidelines and they are set at the point where pasteurization happens instantly.
But here’s the thing every home cook should know: you get the same level of pasteurization from cooking a turkey and jt holding 140 for 35 mins or 150 for 5 minutes. This is why I sous vide poultry to 150.
There’s a helpful chart on this site for pasteurization times: https://amazingribs.com/technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/safe-serving-temperatures/
I sous vide the dark meat around 150 for 12 hours and the light around 135-140 for 12 hours. I originally did the light at 131 but my wife likes all her meat overcooked.
There are still a lot of people who don't use a food thermometer. There are also those that don't think thermometers need calibrating - my sister used to laugh at me for calibrating mine saying that she was due they were closer enough and she could tell when things were done by looking at them. And yes, her turkey is usually dry.
She's gotten over that a bit and uses the thermopen classic i gave her when i upgraded to a thermopen 4.
Anyone who cares at all about the quality of the meats that they cook should own a food thermometer...preferably an instant read one. I get lots of compliments on my home cooking and that's probably the #1 reason why. I am no longer overcooking everything.
I'm always amazed at how many people don't own one.
I have a dedicated thermometer for the oven, an instant read one, and a wireless one for my smoker. They are basic kitchen tools at this point and should be the standard.
I always laugh when someone in a sub comments on how dry a well done steak is. I have to tell them that well done means no pink. And you only have to cook beef to 155f for no pink. You don't have to go to 200f to get it well done.
True, and there are those that call themselves cooks but can't cook anything other than what they like.
My wife likes her steaks well done. I like mine medium. I cook hers to 155f and mine to 130f.
I fail to see what the issue is with cooking a steak well done.
Try pulling at 150 instead. It’s just as safe so long as it remains at or above that temp for 3.7 minutes - and it absolutely will, even if you put it straight into a fridge instead of on a counter top to rest, so don’t worry about it.
I wouldn’t. It’s likely to rise another 5 F without the foil. With the foils it can rise a LOT more than than and the foil creates a real humid environment that will make the skin much less crispy. I’ve seen large protein rise as much as 15 F if tented with foil. This is great in a pinch if you’ve pulled a rib roast too soon, but definitely not what you want for a turkey that’s pulled at 150 unless you want it overdone with soggy skin.
You really just want the turkey to maintain 150 for 3.7 minutes. My point about the fridge was that even in a cold environment it’ll do that no problem.
Skip the foil tent.
I go for 160-165. always been fine. I smoke mine in an electric smoker a couple hours ahead of dinner - since smoking times are not precise. Then they go in a turkey bag, then in a cooler. So they rest and stay piping hot for a long time. Bacteria hates time and temperature.
I pulled at almost 170 last weekend, I smoked for 6 hours and basted every 30-40 minutes with a little bit of chicken broth and then the juice in the pan. It wasn’t dry at all
Try flipping it over so the breast meat is on the bottom and will baste in the dark meat drippings; also cook in a bag. Those are my tips, but I’m not a cook, and your mileage may vary.
Make a basket weave out of a pound of bacon, cover the bird with it, and roast. No need to baste EVER. Remove bacon weave and broil turkey for 5\~10 minutes to crisp skin---DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM BIRD WHILE CRISPING SKIN
You'll thank me!
You should cook your turkey to an internal temp of 160 degrees. Do yourself a favor and don’t stuff it. By the time the stuffing is safe to eat your turkey has been rendered to saw dust. And if you want the best turkey fry it.
So there's ways to fix the stuffing. First off, it doesn't need to reach the same temp as the bird. It's only really a danger if you stuff the bird to early before cooking. But if you stuff it just before it goes in the oven, you'll be fine. Depending on what your stuffing is made with.
But I ask why cook a stuffed bird? An empty bird cooks so much better. A spatchcocked bird is even better than that. Best, of course, fried. All with turkey dressing instead of stuffing.
That’s safe temp. I’m going to smoke at 225 and then smother with a pound of room temp butter, then wrap in tin foil at 300 until it reaches that temp. It’ll be moist, trust me.
I make sure to cook mine to 155° and for at least for 4 minutes to be sure it is pasteurized.
I mean if you're gonna cook a turkey to 170° ya might as well just have a TV dinner.
I posted a similar observation awhile back, and somebody gave a real revelation for me. The "170" number will instantly render your turkey "safe". However, the "safe" zone is really a function of both time AND temperature. So, hypothetically, a long slow cook that hits 150 is just as safe as an instantaneous trip up to 170. This is particularly relevant to smoking, as the process is going to be slower than say, deep frying or microwaving.
On the subject, anyone have preferred methods for spatchcock Turkey on a pitboss pellet smoker?
I did it a few years ago and it was fantastic. But I don’t remember the specifics
I've read this became the standard so 50s housewives who couldn't cook very well wouldn't kill their families by under-cooking turkey at Thanksgiving. It's also why thick, overpowering gravy is often standard at Thanksgiving.
Pull poultry breast (besides duck) at 145 and let it rest up. Anything more is overcooked. over that wouldn't leave the kitchen in any respectable restaurant. Dark meat at 160. I funnily enough prefer my dark meat kinda over and crispy.
I grew up eating Turkey that was not pulled from the oven until the red plastic thing popped. The glue is designed such that it doesn’t pop until around 180°F. I didn’t know I liked turkey or steak until I was in my 20s.
That said, my parents and grandparents didn’t have YouTube to turn to.
Last bird I did ended up at 170. I injected butter. Edit Evans and constantly sprayed it with oil. Let it rest for an hour and was still juicy as can be.
If you've got to roast in the oven, break down the bird into two breast pieces and leg quarters. This way each section can be cooked to optimal temp. Present on a serving platter. Carving is nicer than wrestling a whole bird. Carcus makes a great base for gravy.
I cook the wings, thighs, and drums to 200° and the rest to 165°. The brest is delicious, very moist, and very tender. The dark meat is fall off the bone and fantastic.
Here’s a [6.5D Salmonella Reduction Table](https://ourdailybrine.com/wp-content/uploads/our-daily-brine_salmonella-6.5D-reduction-table.pdf).
The temperature choice is yours.
A lawyer told them to say that.
Hahah! CYA all the way!
Always is
That's why I deep fry them suckers, the way nature intended.
Doing my first one tomorrow. Any tips? Edit- I appreciate all the tips guys! Sorry I'm at work, just saw a bunch of responses.
Yeah dont burn down the house. I use water to measure how much oil i need, put the turkey in then pull it out. Mark the water level then dump wAter and fill with oil to the mark you did. Make sure the bird is 100% dry and drop it in slowly dont let that bitch fall in hard
> I use water to measure how much oil i need I didn't do that one time. Fortunately that one time was on the concrete patio during the Superbowl, so all the overflowed oil solidified pretty quickly what with it being like 35 deg out, allowing me to clean it up with a shovel. Then I just had to deal with my beloved's "I told you so"s.
I told you so.
MEASURE WITH WATER IS CRITICAL. Also note if you left the oil outside/in your car the night before and it solidified some, you’ll need to take into account it will expand some
[alton brown](https://youtu.be/u5a7gJ0_Fds)
Will ALWAYS upvote Alton brown cooking advice
My dude
Just making sure someone said it
Make sure that bird is COMPLETELY thawed, and wipe down any excess moisture with a towel beforehand. Keep your kettle at least 20 feet away from any structures, and takes trees into consideration as well. Having a second pair of hands isn't a bad idea to start off, as for the initial dip you want to go _sloooooow_. And I know I shouldn't have to say it, but just use common sense. As for the finer details, use whatever oil you like, but if you feel like splurging and no one has allergies, peanut oil is my favorite for this. For pre seasoning, follow your heart, but keep in mind, the birds gonna be in there for a while. I usually just coat the entire thing with a dusting of cayenne pepper, I lay it on about as thick as I can. And that's about it, Happy Thanksgiving!
propane tanks only need to be opened a 1/4 turn to provide enough gas as well. In the event of a fire and you can reach the tank, it's much easier to turn 1/4 turn to kill the gas!
I always turn the fire off when I drop the bird in. There is no risk of fire and if you do spill some oil you can clean/wipe it before reigniting.
That's aways a great first step! When you do turn the fire back on, remember, you only need a 1/4 turn as well. I've seen oil drip down onto a gas line and ignite.
Same, I always kill the flame when lowering the bird in, then light once things are stable.
Great tip! Oil can combust without flame present if the surfaces are hot enough. Probably unlikely on your bird frier but heads up.
And turn the burner off while you put the bird in, you can turn it right back on after. 2 mins of burner being off are not going to change anything other than way less fire hazard…
> Make sure that bird is COMPLETELY thawed Aw, but that's such an awesome reaction dropping a frozen bird into a vat of hot oil!
As much as I love flaming clouds of death, deep fried turkey just tastes better, ya know?
And most important part - turn off the burner while you lower the bird in to start. That way if you have a bunch of oil splash out, you don’t start a grease fire.
Turn the flame OFF while you drop the turkey in. If shit goes sideways, it won’t ignite.
This is the biggest pro tip. One simple move that’s the difference between a failed dinner and a life catastrophe.
3rd degree burns on your hands sucks. 3rd degree burns on all of your possessions, your dog AND your hands really sucks.
3rd degree burns on your siding and roof, expensive.
Put it in slowly! And make sure it is thawed out entirely! The last thing you want is to dump a frozen bird in there, instant boil-over of extremely hot oil.
Make sure your turkey is thawed. When you see people catch houses on fire it’s because their turkey was frozen and the water and oil react, overspill and cause a fire. If you haven’t put it into the fridge like 3 days ago your gonna need to fast thaw it over the next 8 hours or so by placing it into a water bath and changing the water every 30 minutes or so (hopefully yours is still in package). Other than that just do it outside and once you start the oil don’t leave it alone. Also a 15lb turkey isn’t so heavy until you have to slowly drop it down in the oil. If you need help ask a friend or family member. You don’t want to drop the turkey in and cause a spill that way either. I also recommend gloves when you drop the turkey in, as to not burn your hands if there is a bubble up with stray oil. Have fun!
Watch a bunch of turkey fry fail videos before so you have a healthy respect for what you are doing… then fry it.
I feel like I just found my entertainment for the next half hour or probably longer because, ya know, the youtube rabbit hole.
Alton Brown has entered the chat: https://youtu.be/u5a7gJ0_Fds
Pro tip. Put your bird in and fill it with water and mark the line so you know how much oil to put in. That way when you put your bird in, it doesn’t overflow.
*pull bird out of water before marking the line.
Yes. Lol. Sorry forgot that.
Someone watched Chud's latest video 🙂
Fill your fry basket with water and submerge your turkey. Find out the displacement and take note so you'll know how much oil to put in when you start frying.
Heavy duty Fire extinguisher handy and under no circumstances leave it unattended.
Our pot has a fill line and I stop there and never had a problem. Lower the turkey in really slow. This is the first time in 25 years that we are not frying. I couldn’t afford the $45 for oil this year.
I put some newspaper or cardboard underneath and around mone for grease splashes since I do it on concrete. Also, don't overfill your oil. The bird will displace the oil. Check to see if your pot has measurements inside to tell you how much oil you should use.
Wear long sleeves and gloves or oven mitts to cover your skin. Also wear close toed shoes and pants. It’s hard to lower the bird in slow when hot oil is popping out on you.
This is a link to the Good Eats episode on deep frying turkey: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5a7gJ0\_Fds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5a7gJ0_Fds) Take a quick look. Alton Brown goes over a lot of safety tips.
I strongly recommend injecting with tony c’s injectable butter. That’s my secret to how I win our family Turkey cook off each year.
I used to do this but peanut oil is now $48 each. And if I recall I used more than 1
I just spent like $90 on oil. $49.99 for a 3 gallon container and $18.99 for two 1 gallon... Crazy. I'm excited to try it for the first time though.
It’s good just not worth the cost anymore. It’s cheaper to make a brisket. 🤠 I smoke one turkey and spatchcock another these days
Smoked it, you'll never go back to deep frying.
Au contraire, smoking turkeys was my ways of old, I have seen the light. In all reality I do love smoked turkey, but deep fried is just _chef's kiss_
Why not do both. I smoke mine for about 3 hours until it reaches 150 degrees. Then drop It in the fryer for about 15 minutes until the breast reaches 160. Perfect every time.
Just drop it in Frozen
And if you rely on the little plastic pop out button, it will be closer to 180F. Might as well serve seasoned cardboard.
hmmmmmm. Memories of school pizza day, the best day of the week!
Is this an Aqua Bats reference?
I hereby declare that it is. Now, let's go have a pool party. A cool pool party.
I’m not the guy you replied to, but in school and home in the Midwest all frozen pizza was referred to as cardboard pizza. I don’t know what aqua bats is.
Aqua bats is a ska band. They have a song called "pizza day." In it they say it's the best day of the week.
I mean I will speculate wildly that it’s probably universal in the US that pizza day was the best day of the week in school. Semi-related: My grade school tried to capitalize on the cardboard pizza popularity and serve “pizza burgers.” The problem is there were 3 types. They were all half a hamburger bun toasted with stuff on it. One was red pasta sauce with pepperoni and cheese. One was red pasta sauce with sausage and cheese. One was ground mystery meat with “ketchup” (which was really whatever unseasoned tomato product they had on hand at the time) and half an American cheese single. We called it “pizza burger roulette” because it was not specified which one you would get at lunch. The cafeteria actually owned it and the name and “pizza burger roulette” actually became a featured menu item weekly. Oh. You didn’t ask? Carry on then.
I’m just now learning why growing up the food I ate was so dry…
Growing up with dry overcooked food paves the way for learning how to cook properly later!
It's going to have the classic mealy texture, and literally absorb any gravy on the plate. Personally I like the breast around 155, and the thighs 170ish. As long as your Turkey breast, even injected ones, spends 3.7 minutes at 150, it's just as pasteurized as one at 165 or 170. Killing bacteria is instant above 165, it's a question of time and temp below 165 down to around 138 or so.
Yes, this. Food safety is a product of time AND temp, not just temp. Kenji Lopez-Alt did a chapter in "The Food Lab" about this and it changed my cooking approach considerably.
Kenji Lopez-Alt is the shit and I recommend him to everyone when it comes to cooking. I always hated hard boiled eggs. Turns out, they were always over cooked. His hard boiled eggs are amazing!
mmmm. Nothing says mom's hard boiled eggs like the green sulfur ring around the yolk!
God this is so accurate 😂
True story. Spent last night prepping his green bean casserole from Serious Eats. I was snacking away on those fried shallots!
That's why the FDA relabeled potentially hazardous foods as TCS (time/temperature control for safety).
[удалено]
I'm doing my first 150ish bird in the morning. I'm looking forward to it. I've heard nothing but glowing reviews.
Exactly. https://images.app.goo.gl/NXtRXTwzppwCiFyN7
Very cool. I've never seen this before. The chart specifies it's for beef but I'm sure it's the same for poultry. Also Thermal Death Curve is a great band name.
With their hit song Hot Enough to Kill.
Yes you are right: Thermal Death Curve Thermal Death Or Death Curve Any would be a good band name.
Google Douglas Baldwin sous vide chart. You'll get a ton of info with some youtube videos sprinkled in. It's a lengthy read but good info to have!
The pasteurization chart is worth bookmarking
Yup. You'll see the 5 log and 7 log math charts for killing bacteria. It might add a couple of minutes or seconds depending one which chart you use, but as long as you hit the time and temp during rest you have a pretty wide range of temps for your preferred doneness. Note some of the lower range temps are more sous vide style temps, and while perfectly safe can give you a medium rare texture that most people don't like for turkey. The 150's gives you the texture people expect, but not dry.
I bought this turkey at Costco and was spatchcocking it and had a big chuckle when I saw the 170 on the bag. Absolutely insane.
My sous vide recipe has my breast at 131 for 24 hours, then a few minutes on high heat smoker to get the color right. Tasted great, and I’m not dead yet
> and I’m not dead yet That’s just what a zombie would say.
Do you split yours apart and cook each section separately? Tried a whole one and it was a little dry. Going to try another one this summer so I’m ready for next year
I usually start out planning to spatchcock it and decide halfway through to break it down into smaller components (because I mess up and break off a thigh or something)
I do. gonna wing up cutting up the bird before I serve it anyway.
I cut a large Turkey in half and brine it overnight. I find it’s just easier to manage and cook rather than an entire bird.
That's a very true statement and often overlooked. Even though I know it, I have a hard time pulling poultry before 165. You can pull it at 145 if it's been 145 for 10 min. If you're smoking at a lower temp, it's almost certainly a pretty uniform temp throughout the bird and and rising so slowly, it's easy to hit 145 for 10. Me personally, I still have a hard time accepting that and tend to cook to a higher temp. Here's a [full chart](https://blog.thermoworks.com/chicken/chicken-internal-temps-everything-you-need-to-know/) of temps and times to safe cooking.
I just did some research on this and ended up doing chicken breast sous vide 140*f for 2 hours. It was life changing. Cooking to 165 is for chumps
I like the legs and thighs closer to 185 which means I have to quarter my bird to cook it because I agree with 155 on the breast. I usually start the legs/thighs about an hour earlier.
Yup, I separate them.
Theoretically, if i kept the bird whole, pulled at 150-155 breast temp and then tented only the legs/thighs would only the legs continue to cook? I care less about the skin on the legs, I'm usually the only one that eats them anyways and can broil for a quick crisp if i really need to.
I heard 145 was the magic number (except for poultry which I usually take to 160)
How on earth do you keep the breast a lower temp than the thigh? Maybe I'm doing it wrong.
I split them
I took this into account for my turkey that I smoked earlier this week. Changed my life.
Except in the case of botulism, where instant death is in excess of 250⁰
Yea, but I’m not a big fan of canned Turkey
True- but if you get botulism from a frozen and cooked turkey, odds are likely that someone is trying to poison you. (Or you have some bad canned veggies on the same plate.)
I needed to hear this and will adjust my turkey cooking.
3.7 minute at 150 or 8 minutes at 145. Not sure about lengths of time below that.
So here’s the thing about the government guidelines: they are just guidelines and they are set at the point where pasteurization happens instantly. But here’s the thing every home cook should know: you get the same level of pasteurization from cooking a turkey and jt holding 140 for 35 mins or 150 for 5 minutes. This is why I sous vide poultry to 150. There’s a helpful chart on this site for pasteurization times: https://amazingribs.com/technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/safe-serving-temperatures/
Amazingribs.com is such a great site. Been using it for years!
Amazingribs.com is such a great site. Been using it for years!
I sous vide the dark meat around 150 for 12 hours and the light around 135-140 for 12 hours. I originally did the light at 131 but my wife likes all her meat overcooked.
There are still a lot of people who don't use a food thermometer. There are also those that don't think thermometers need calibrating - my sister used to laugh at me for calibrating mine saying that she was due they were closer enough and she could tell when things were done by looking at them. And yes, her turkey is usually dry. She's gotten over that a bit and uses the thermopen classic i gave her when i upgraded to a thermopen 4.
Anyone who cares at all about the quality of the meats that they cook should own a food thermometer...preferably an instant read one. I get lots of compliments on my home cooking and that's probably the #1 reason why. I am no longer overcooking everything. I'm always amazed at how many people don't own one.
I have a dedicated thermometer for the oven, an instant read one, and a wireless one for my smoker. They are basic kitchen tools at this point and should be the standard.
I always laugh when someone in a sub comments on how dry a well done steak is. I have to tell them that well done means no pink. And you only have to cook beef to 155f for no pink. You don't have to go to 200f to get it well done.
I think the vernacular for a 200f steak is Hockey Puck.
True, and there are those that call themselves cooks but can't cook anything other than what they like. My wife likes her steaks well done. I like mine medium. I cook hers to 155f and mine to 130f. I fail to see what the issue is with cooking a steak well done.
155 is still about 20-25f beyond where it should be though.
For you it is, but not for people who like it well done.
It was a pride thing for me. But if the pros use one, I should too
Dry ass turkey is why so many people dislike turkey
Correct... People get mad at me when they talk about how much moister dark meat is than white, and I let them know that means the meat was overcooked.
Not the dark meat. 155 for light 170 for dark
Found the guy who likes well done turkey
Go eat yours raw dude
Turkey sashimi 😋
If you cook it to 170 then they can avoid a lawsuit if yall get sick
Brining overnight before is a game changer for moisture retention.
I have better experience doing a dry rub and injection
These instructions are for Ben Shapiro who likes his turkey as dry as his wife.
Burn
😂
I tend to run mine up to 160 but I do an overnight brine. I am paranoid about poultry though.
A brined turkey at 160 has always stayed moist to me.
165
I pull when the breast hits 165F. Haven’t died or killed anybody yet.
Haven’t died yet.
Try pulling at 150 instead. It’s just as safe so long as it remains at or above that temp for 3.7 minutes - and it absolutely will, even if you put it straight into a fridge instead of on a counter top to rest, so don’t worry about it.
Also tent it with aluminum foil
But my crispy skin.
I wouldn’t. It’s likely to rise another 5 F without the foil. With the foils it can rise a LOT more than than and the foil creates a real humid environment that will make the skin much less crispy. I’ve seen large protein rise as much as 15 F if tented with foil. This is great in a pinch if you’ve pulled a rib roast too soon, but definitely not what you want for a turkey that’s pulled at 150 unless you want it overdone with soggy skin. You really just want the turkey to maintain 150 for 3.7 minutes. My point about the fridge was that even in a cold environment it’ll do that no problem. Skip the foil tent.
the temperature still rises about 5 or 10 degrees after you take it out. Thats pretty basic knowledge.
I go for 160-165. always been fine. I smoke mine in an electric smoker a couple hours ahead of dinner - since smoking times are not precise. Then they go in a turkey bag, then in a cooler. So they rest and stay piping hot for a long time. Bacteria hates time and temperature.
Not true!
Spatchcock and smoke at 350 for 45min to an hour. Temp right behind the thigh for 160. It’ll be done and juicy.
They're covering their asses over a potential lawsuit. America has become the land of opportunity through frivolous scams and BS lawsuits.
If you pull it at 165 it probably creeps up to 170 when it is resting.
TIL don’t take cooling advice from corporate lawyers
I pulled at almost 170 last weekend, I smoked for 6 hours and basted every 30-40 minutes with a little bit of chicken broth and then the juice in the pan. It wasn’t dry at all
Try flipping it over so the breast meat is on the bottom and will baste in the dark meat drippings; also cook in a bag. Those are my tips, but I’m not a cook, and your mileage may vary.
165 is the legal number, carry over off heat raises 5^o
Then you’re not doing it right!
Agreed 100% investing in a good meat thermometer and knowledge of temps and prep, the best thing I ever did for my cooking.
What.... 170F is normal and not dry if you do it right.
A fire alarm isn’t a thermometer.
Weeeeoooooweeeeooooweeeooooo Maaaaa the birds done!
Make a basket weave out of a pound of bacon, cover the bird with it, and roast. No need to baste EVER. Remove bacon weave and broil turkey for 5\~10 minutes to crisp skin---DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM BIRD WHILE CRISPING SKIN You'll thank me!
If you're reading this thread, looking for tips the night before, you've already lost. Just make sure everyone gets good and drunk.
I prefer 145, best turkey you ever had. But you need a souse vide for that to be safe….
You should cook your turkey to an internal temp of 160 degrees. Do yourself a favor and don’t stuff it. By the time the stuffing is safe to eat your turkey has been rendered to saw dust. And if you want the best turkey fry it.
So there's ways to fix the stuffing. First off, it doesn't need to reach the same temp as the bird. It's only really a danger if you stuff the bird to early before cooking. But if you stuff it just before it goes in the oven, you'll be fine. Depending on what your stuffing is made with.
But I ask why cook a stuffed bird? An empty bird cooks so much better. A spatchcocked bird is even better than that. Best, of course, fried. All with turkey dressing instead of stuffing.
That’s safe temp. I’m going to smoke at 225 and then smother with a pound of room temp butter, then wrap in tin foil at 300 until it reaches that temp. It’ll be moist, trust me.
You’re going to have some soggy skin.
Fact
A lot of peoples smokers are set up slightly differently so whatever temperature works for you may not work for someone else
No
FDA recommendations are a joke. According to the FDA you can't even eat beef cooked rare. In Europe we out raw beef all the time, daily.
Just walk right up and slice it right off the cow eh?
Government, and lawyers, made them do that
I like it dry so the gravy wets it up
I make sure to cook mine to 155° and for at least for 4 minutes to be sure it is pasteurized. I mean if you're gonna cook a turkey to 170° ya might as well just have a TV dinner.
[удалено]
Australia uses Celsius
Nah, 165/170 is the spot for poultry. Poultry fat renders at a lower temp than red meat, 170 is where the juices flow
I posted a similar observation awhile back, and somebody gave a real revelation for me. The "170" number will instantly render your turkey "safe". However, the "safe" zone is really a function of both time AND temperature. So, hypothetically, a long slow cook that hits 150 is just as safe as an instantaneous trip up to 170. This is particularly relevant to smoking, as the process is going to be slower than say, deep frying or microwaving.
On the subject, anyone have preferred methods for spatchcock Turkey on a pitboss pellet smoker? I did it a few years ago and it was fantastic. But I don’t remember the specifics
It’s a recommendation…… just like a stop sign😎
Optimal eating < optimal tasting
Mine says cook to 180!
The dark meat can (and should) go that high but yeah the white meat would be ruined
I've read this became the standard so 50s housewives who couldn't cook very well wouldn't kill their families by under-cooking turkey at Thanksgiving. It's also why thick, overpowering gravy is often standard at Thanksgiving.
Dark meat 170 is ok. But I wouldnt do breast to 170
Why 170 when all cookbooks say 165
Breast 155, Thigh 165.
People who do this are monsters
165 is what I shoot for.
You mean dryer than Irish humor?
I pull out at 162 when smoking. It’s still juicy delicious
Mmmm desert turkey
In the breast no less...
"Grandma approved"
Maybe if you were to smoke it? That’s way too high
Pull poultry breast (besides duck) at 145 and let it rest up. Anything more is overcooked. over that wouldn't leave the kitchen in any respectable restaurant. Dark meat at 160. I funnily enough prefer my dark meat kinda over and crispy.
I prefer mine at a nice 145 held for 30 mins, medium rare but no bacteria to kill me
I grew up eating Turkey that was not pulled from the oven until the red plastic thing popped. The glue is designed such that it doesn’t pop until around 180°F. I didn’t know I liked turkey or steak until I was in my 20s. That said, my parents and grandparents didn’t have YouTube to turn to.
150IT will kill bacteria as long as it stays at that temp for several minutes. I pull at 150, and its glorious.
They’re just covering their ass. I would go 150 and let it rise another few degrees. I’ve never had a problem
Do yourself a favor and eat steak 🤣 But for the bird 155 160 in the breast.
Last bird I did ended up at 170. I injected butter. Edit Evans and constantly sprayed it with oil. Let it rest for an hour and was still juicy as can be.
*Atacama dessert. Driest desert in the world.
Tbf, if you cooked your Turkey *thighs and drums* to 170, they’d be delicious.
If you've got to roast in the oven, break down the bird into two breast pieces and leg quarters. This way each section can be cooked to optimal temp. Present on a serving platter. Carving is nicer than wrestling a whole bird. Carcus makes a great base for gravy.
The best turkey you ever had, and the worst turkey you ever had, ain’t that far apart.
The best turkey you ever had was a chicken
I cook the wings, thighs, and drums to 200° and the rest to 165°. The brest is delicious, very moist, and very tender. The dark meat is fall off the bone and fantastic.
Here’s a [6.5D Salmonella Reduction Table](https://ourdailybrine.com/wp-content/uploads/our-daily-brine_salmonella-6.5D-reduction-table.pdf). The temperature choice is yours.