Thanksgiving Turkey Time!

A couple of friends have asked me various questions about cooking their Thanksgiving Day turkey.  It isn't terribly complicated, but since it is the type of meal that only happens once a year, and since it usually involves family and friends, no one wants to be the one who serves burnt or dried out turkey.  So here are some suggestions that I have cobbled together from some sources that I trust the most with this sort of thing.  I hope this helps!

First, you have to thaw your bird!  Did you take it out of the freezer on Saturday?  I hope so.  The information below gives you the breakdown on how long that bird will take to thaw in the fridge.  Did you forget?  No worries, you can still have a perfectly thawed and safe bird, you are just going to work a little harder for it.  Cold Water Thawing instructions are included below.  This information was sourced from the USDA page dedicated to food safety.  Follow these instructions very carefully, and you can be assured of serving a dinner that won't make your guests ill.

Thawing your bird:

I've included the methods and timing for thawing a turkey using a refrigerator and quick thaw by water below.  These are the only methods I recommend for thawing a bird.  The USDA website includes other methods, such as using a microwave, which I cannot and will not condone! 

 USDA Guidelines for Thawing Your Turkey

Refrigerator Thawing

When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator:

• Plan ahead: allow approximately 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds in a refrigerator set at 40 °F or below.
• Place the turkey in a container to prevent the juices from dripping on other foods.

Refrigerator Thawing Times

Whole turkey:

• 4 to 12 pounds — 1 to 3 days
• 12 to 16 pounds — 3 to 4 days
• 16 to 20 pounds — 4 to 5 days
• 20 to 24 pounds —5 to 6 days

A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days before cooking. Foods thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking but there may be some loss of quality.

Cold Water Thawing

When thawing a turkey quickly in water:

• Allow about 30 minutes per pound.
• First be sure the turkey is in a leak-proof plastic bag to prevent cross-contamination and to prevent the turkey from absorbing water, resulting in a watery product.
• Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed.

Cold Water Thawing Times

Whole turkey:

• 4 to 12 pounds — 2 to 6 hours
• 12 to 16 pounds — 6 to 8 hours
• 16 to 20 pounds — 8 to 10 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds — 10 to 12 hours

A turkey thawed by the cold-water method should be cooked immediately. After cooking, meat from the turkey can be refrozen.

Time to Cook!

Oven-Roasted Turkey:

Brining: Alton Brown - Brining a Turkey

Prepping: Alton Brown - Prepping your Turkey

Roasting: Alton Brown - Roasting your turkey

Carving: Alton Brown - Carving gracefully, don't be a hack!

Fried Turkey:

Fry Derrick: Over the top turkey frying equipment - nice, but not necessary!

Injection and Rub: Texas Monthly Fried Turkey rub and injection that I use!

Brining: Alton Brown's Turkey Brine Recipe

Testing and Frying: Don't just drop the bird, here's how to NOT burn down your house!

Smoked Turkey - Aaron Franklin:

Part One: Aaron Franklin breaks down the brine and prep

Part Two: On the Smoker and a recipe or 2 from Stacy Franklin

Part Three: Bringing smoked joy to your table

My personal favorite is the fried turkey variation.  Here's my bird from last Thanksgiving, which we cooked and enjoyed while camping on Lake Buchanan.

Texas Fried Turkey with Cinnamon Chile Rub

The Background

I take no credit for this recipe, this incredibly delicious, insanely flavorful, and down right amazing recipe. I have however used it very successfully for several years now and take great pride in cooking up a great bird whenever the opportunity arises. I got the recipe from Texas Monthly a couple of years ago, who got it from Grady Spears, a chef at Reata, and published in the Wild Turkey edition of Texas Monthly in 1998. So with proper credit given, let's cook!

The Ingredients

Equipment

1 turkey cooker with a propane burner
(also called a catfish cooker or crawfish boiler)
1 36- to 40-quart stockpot and basket
1 large turkey injector with needle
1 deep-fryer thermometer or candy thermometer
elbow-length oven mitts

 Cinnamon-Chile Rub

1/2 cup cinnamon
1/2 cup pasilla or other red chile powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Turkey

4 to 6 gallons peanut oil (depending on size of stockpot and turkey)
3 1/2 cups chicken stock (two 14.5-ounce cans)
1/2 cup Tabasco sauce
1 turkey, 12 to 15 pounds (insides removed)
2 cups cinnamon-chile rub (recipe above)

Making It Work

Place the peanut oil in the stockpot on the turkey cooker and preheat to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the chicken stock and Tabasco. Place the turkey in a shallow pan or bowl. Fill the syringe with stock mixture, inject all parts of the turkey (legs, breast, thighs), and then thoroughly coat the outside of the turkey with the cinnamon-chile rub. When the oil reaches 350 degrees, place the turkey in the basket and, wearing oven mitts, carefully lower it into the stockpot. Cook for 3 1/2 minutes per pound (for example, a 12-pound turkey will be done in 42 minutes). Remove the turkey from the oil and drain well. Place it on your favorite platter and carve away.

Helpful Hints
1. To determine how much oil you need, put the uncooked turkey in the stockpot and cover with water. Measure the water and use the same amount of oil. (The cooks at Reata use a 40-quart stockpot and 6 gallons of oil.)

2. Large containers of peanut oil are available at Sam’s Club, Randalls, Wal-Mart, and Albertson’s.

3. Turkey cookers with pots and propane burners can be bought at large supermarkets, sporting goods stores, restaurant suppliers, building-supply stores, and hardware stores, but availability is unpredictable. A spot-check found them at some Academy Sports and Outdoors stores, Albertson’s food stores, and Builders Square, among others. Injectors are available at cookware stores, department stores, and some of the outlets mentioned above. If you don’t have a cooker and stockpot and don’t want to buy them, they can be rented at party supply stores.

4. The injector is easier to fill if you remove the needle.

5. The oil may be strained to remove food particles and reused. It may also be disposed of with regular garbage.