Kroger has Turkeys marked down to $0.30 LB

[TripleDigitRide]

Any good recipes for cooking in an oven. We don't have a smoker or frier.

I'f I'm cooking a turkey in the oven, it would have to be injected. I'd buy two bottles of either of these:

http://shop.tonychachere.com/creole-style-butter-17-oz-p-21707.html

http://shop.tonychachere.com/creole-butter-jalapeno-17-oz-p-21706.html

The biggest drawback to oven-baked turkeys is the fact that they tend to be way too dry. That is what you're fighting against.

[felinesNfreedom]

You can do something like mentioned above or brine it. Try cutting up an orange, thyme, rosemary and a few cloves of garlic and stufing the cavity before baking. Use a dryrub on the outside of the turkey.

[peejman]

Since we're sharing....

 

 

 

 

I've never brined a turkey.  Step 1 is making darn sure the bird is completely thawed before you start, and you really want the whole bird at nearly room temp before you put it on the smoker.  I rub mine down with olive oil and maybe some herbs of some sort, quarter and onion and an apple and stuff inside, and put it on the smoker breast down.  If you've never done one before, I'd suggest starting with a small-ish bird at 12-14 lbs.  Mine typically smoke for 8-12 hrs, depending on the size of the bird and the ambient temp.  I put a mixture of cheap beer, water, and apple juice in the water pan. 

 

 

 

And since the smoker's going, may as well fill it up.... :yum:

 

[TripleDigitRide]

Damn! Y'all are making me hungry!

[peejman]

I'f I'm cooking a turkey in the oven, it would have to be injected. I'd buy two bottles of either of these:

http://shop.tonychachere.com/creole-style-butter-17-oz-p-21707.html

http://shop.tonychachere.com/creole-butter-jalapeno-17-oz-p-21706.html

The biggest drawback to oven-baked turkeys is the fact that they tend to be way too dry. That is what you're fighting against.

 

 

The Tony Chachere's seasoning are yummy.  Tricks to keeping it from drying out....

 

1. Don't over cook it.

 

2. Cook it breast down.

 

3. Don't over cook it.

 

4. Use an oven bag.

 

5. Don't over cook it.

[nightrunner]

That's a great deal! Quick everyone run buy all that they have. Just make sure you have a legitimate excuse when LEO questions you after someone calls the law for a suspicious purchase...


Sorry, just poking fun at recent events :)

[Oh Shoot]

I wish you could buy only the dark meat half.

 

- OS

[Garufa]

I wish you could buy only the dark meat half.

 

- OS

 

:yuck:

[jgradyc]

I checked the Madison Kroger today. One turkey at $.99/lb. The others were $1.79/lb.  Any luck anywhere around Nashville at finding super low prices?

[peejman]

I wish you could buy only the dark meat half.

- OS

Mmmmmm.... turkey leg.

[JAB]

The biggest drawback to oven-baked turkeys is the fact that they tend to be way too dry. That is what you're fighting against.

 

I lived at my grandmother's house while going to college because she lived very close to UTK.  The woman was a really good cook but when she cooked a turkey it inevitably came out dry.  The first year I lived there I asked her if I could cook the Thanksgiving turkey and she agreed.  I didn't brine, marinade, inject or use a cooking bag.  What I did do was thoroughly baste it with the pan juices several times (like every half hour or so.)  When my parents and sister showed up for dinner it didn't immediately come up that I had cooked the turkey.  Well, my mom starts going on about how good the turkey is that year and so on.  Finally, she says to my grandmother, "Your turkeys are usually kind of dry but this one is really moist and has a great flavor.  I think this is the best turkey you have ever done.  What did you do different?"  My grandmother just gave her kind of a pursed-lip look then laughed, pointed at me and said, "I let him cook it."

 

Brining is good, though.  In the past I have done a brine for turkey in which, in the spirit of the season, I used white cranberry juice ('cocktail' as the Ocean Spray, etc. stuff ain't pure cranberry juice) as the liquid.  Tasted really good.

 

One trick to prevent the white meat from drying out and add a little flavor that I have never done with a turkey but that I have done with cornish hens and baking hens is to take softened cream cheese and mix in chopped chives.  You then take the raw bird, carefully raise the skin at the 'cavity' end of the breast and work your fingers under it until the skin is completely separated from the meat.  Often, if you are careful, you can loosen the skin down to the thigh joint without tearing it.  Once the skin is loose you can either spoon the cream cheese mixture in as deeply under the skin as you can get it or use a pastry bag to 'squirt' the mixture in.  Work your fingers over the top of the skin to distribute the cream cheese as evenly and across as much of the meat as possible.  The skin keeps the cream cheese from burning and the cream cheese mixture largely 'melts' into the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.  I have done the same thing with softened butter instead of cream cheese and using fresh ground black pepper instead of chives. 

Edited December 14, 2015 by JAB

[johnwilliams5721]

I checked the Madison Kroger today. One turkey at $.99/lb. The others were $1.79/lb. Any luck anywhere around Nashville at finding super low prices?

No luck at Inglewood Kroger. $0.79/lb for turkey. But I did score some good looking $4 steaks in the manager special bin. They've already made acquaintance with the grill.

[JAB]

I wish you could buy only the dark meat half.

 

- OS

 

Or, as I call it, dog food :) (that is what I usually do with the dark meat when I cook a whole bird of any kind.)

 

I have bought packages of just the turkey legs, before (haven't looked this year) and have seen packages of just the thighs.  If you cure then smoke the legs they taste like ham (which is why I bought them.)  The place where I saw/bought them was, of all places, UGO (United Grocery Outlet.)  Not sure if the UGO locations in Knoxville have them or not (I haven't been in the Knoxville locations) and I know of at least one UGO that doesn't even have a fresh meat section (Lenoir City) so I don't know if you'd have any luck finding them this year or not.

Edited December 14, 2015 by JAB