How to Cook Your Thanksgiving Turkey

This post will show you how I prepare the guest of honor...





What you will need

Turkey...any size, we usually get between 20-25 lbs.
Turkey bag...used in the baking process
Turkey Pan
Meat Thermometer (the kind that can be read from outside the oven. Has a probe and then a cable that leads to the thermometer).
Flour...1 Tbsp
Compound Butter...Click here for recipe
Oranges...2-3
Onions...any leftover from other recipes
Celery...any leftover from other recipes
Herbs...any leftover from other recipes



Cooking the Bird

• First remove the surprise packages in the neck and the body cavity
• Wash the bird inside and out
• Remove the pop-up thermometer
• These things are set to pop at 185°. Your bird will continue to cook while resting and the final internal temperature will be around 195° or more. This will give you a turkey that is less moist than I prefer. I use my own thermometer and remove the turkey at about 165° to 170°, which will give you a nice, moist turkey that is also well-cooked (final temperature around 175° to 180°).
• Take the Turkey bag and put the flour inside it, then shake to coat the bag
• Work your fingers between the skin and the breast on both sides...making a cavity
• Take the compound butter, slice it, and insert in the cavities you created
• Once the cavities are filled, cut the oranges in half and squeeze juice over the turkey
• Place used oranges inside the body cavity
• Place a few slices of your compound butter inside
• Place any extra herbs, onions, celery, etc, inside the body cavity
• These are used ONLY as aromatics and are NOT to be eaten
• These additions will help flavor the turkey as it bakes
• Place the bird in the turkey bag, cut of few slits in the bag, and place on pan
• Insert thermometer, through the bag, into the thickest portion of the bird
• Place the turkey in the oven and cook according to the directions
• When the thermometer reaches 165°- 170° remove the turkey and let rest at least 30 minutes
• Your turkey will continue to cook and carry-over will continue to raise the temperature an additional 10 degrees
• Remove aromatics and discard
• It will looked burned where the compound butter was placed, but believe me, it isn't
• You should end up with a nice, moist turkey with a great flavor

Here is a thermometer like the one I use. Very good and versatile...




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