I'm an idiot (simple turkey question)

FanOfFanboys · November 2012

So I picked up my turkey yesterday and I'll be smoking Fri bc I work tomorrow. Two related questions: the turkey has the red pop thermoter deal in it and it has the plastic piece holding together on the end. Do I remove them before cooking? I assume I do but wanted to be sure. I have it brining right now.

Doc_Eggerton · November 2012

LOL, indirect on the Egg is no different than in an indoor oven, so you could leave the pop-out thermometer. But it serves no purpose for you. The plastic on the tail is just for handling the bird, and is in the way of removing the innards. I recommend removing all plastic accoutrements on your turkey.

Little Steven · November 2012

I think that little pop out thing goes off at about 220*. Use your thermapen Luke

FanOfFanboys · November 2012

Ha ok awesome. I assumed as much. Thanks guys. I'll remove before cooking. Oh and @little_steven I don't have a thermapen yet. One day but right now I rock a digital thermoter I got from Lowes. Not very fast ha.

bigphil · November 2012

Little Steven said:

I think that little pop out thing goes off at about 220*. Use your thermapen Luke

+1 i did a 7 pound roaster last weekend with that pop up thing left in, When the bird was done it had never popped out had i waited for it would have been dry .

Doc_Eggerton said:

LOL, indirect on the Egg is no different than in an indoor oven, so you could leave the pop-out thermometer. But it serves no purpose for you. The plastic on the tail is just for handling the bird, and is in the way of removing the innards. I recommend removing all plastic accoutrements on your turkey.

+1 Doc i agree toss all the plastic out

FanOfFanboys · November 2012

Ok one more stupid question. I'm going with a plate setter legs up, turkey on my standard grate with drip pan on plate setter being elevated with my 3 green feet. Is this an efficient setup? Should I put something in the drip pan and if so what?

lousubcap · November 2012

Pull and toss/bury the pop-up thing and if you want to get some great flavor get rid of the plasitic on the tail and loosely fill the cavity with some chopped up fruits. Check out this treatise for the whole deal...quite long but a great learning experience- http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/chicken_turkey_duck/ultimate_smoked_turkey.html Enjoy the journey and Happy Thanksgiving!

Doc_Eggerton · November 2012

FanOfFanboys said:

Ok one more stupid question. I'm going with a plate setter legs up, turkey on my standard grate with drip pan on plate setter being elevated with my 3 green feet. Is this an efficient setup? Should I put something in the drip pan and if so what?

As good a starting point as any. I always put some water in the pan to promote an avoidance of smoking.

LizzieSamps · November 2012

Doc_Eggerton said:

FanOfFanboys said:

Ok one more stupid question. I'm going with a plate setter legs up, turkey on my standard grate with drip pan on plate setter being elevated with my 3 green feet. Is this an efficient setup? Should I put something in the drip pan and if so what?

As good a starting point as any. I always put some water in the pan to promote an avoidance of smoking.

This is exactly the what I will be doing!!

FanOfFanboys · November 2012

lousubcap said:

Pull and toss/bury the pop-up thing and if you want to get some great flavor get rid of the plasitic on the tail and loosely fill the cavity with some chopped up fruits. Check out this treatise for the whole deal...quite long but a great learning experience- http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/chicken_turkey_duck/ultimate_smoked_turkey.html Enjoy the journey and Happy Thanksgiving!

awesome link

nolaegghead · November 2012

Just push that little pop-up thing that goes off after your turkey is ruined deep into the breast. Whoever almost chokes on it has to buy the turkey next year. This is what we do with king cakes, except we use plastic babies instead of pop-up turkey thermometers.

Lit · November 2012

Everything I have ever read says leave the pop up thing and cook to 160 breast. Removing the pop up thing creates a hole for juices to leave from. I am putting chicken broth in my drip pan with potatoes, onions, and parsnips and gonna use the veggies for mashed potatoes and the broth and drippings for gravy.

FanOfFanboys · November 2012

Lit said:

Everything I have ever read says leave the pop up thing and cook to 160 breast. Removing the pop up thing creates a hole for juices to leave from. I am putting chicken broth in my drip pan with potatoes, onions, and parsnips and gonna use the veggies for mashed potatoes and the broth and drippings for gravy.

interesting point.

nolaegghead · November 2012

I respectfully disagree with popular consensus with holes in the meat leaking out moisture. The moisture in the meat is a complicated relationship within the muscle cells. Meat isn't a balloon that holds water. There's an old Stike thread that covers this (hate to show the "stike" card). As much as I tried to disprove it, I couldn't beat his logic that it's a myth. I can get into it more tomorrow, but there's compelling evidence against the "hole in the meat leads to dryness" theory.

Lit · November 2012

Nola all you have to do is stick a thermometer into a done chicken breast and watch the juices run out. This is a really hard point to argue as its so easy to prove.

FanOfFanboys · November 2012

Lit said:

Everything I have ever read says leave the pop up thing and cook to 160 breast. Removing the pop up thing creates a hole for juices to leave from. I am putting chicken broth in my drip pan with potatoes, onions, and parsnips and gonna use the veggies for mashed potatoes and the broth and drippings for gravy.

interesting point.

FanOfFanboys · November 2012

Stupid draft double post

Tjcoley · November 2012

nolaegghead said:

I respectfully disagree with popular consensus with holes in the meat leaking out moisture. The moisture in the meat is a complicated relationship within the muscle cells. Meat isn't a balloon that holds water. There's an old Stike thread that covers this (hate to show the "stike" card). As much as I tried to disprove it, I couldn't beat his logic that it's a myth. I can get into it more tomorrow, but there's compelling evidence against the "hole in the meat leads to dryness" theory.

+1 on meat is not a balloon. Poking a hole in it may release juices from the cells you puncture, but that is miniscule to the overall piece of meat and the overall juiciness. Squeezing with tongs probably destroys as many cells, releases just as much juice. Over cooking dries out your cook much more than poking a hole in it.

Skiddymarker · November 2012

Fully agree with Nola and TJ. After putting over 200 "holes" in an eye of round steak with a Jaccard, I defy anyone to tell me it is not as moist as the "un-Jaccarded" piece.

Thanks Stike....

calracefan · November 2012

Skiddymarker said:

Fully agree with Nola and TJ. After putting over 200 "holes" in an eye of round steak with a Jaccard, I defy anyone to tell me it is not as moist as the "un-Jaccarded" piece.

Thanks Stike....

Fully agree, after all how many holes do you make when you inject meat also ?

nolaegghead · November 2012

There was a good show on PBS last night, I think it was Nova, about cooking and moisture in meat. America's test kitchen has a chemist and some food scientists and they explained that meat is mostly bundles of muscle cells. The cells are reservoirs that hold moisture both in the cell and within the bundle. Cooking the meat denatures the proteins and make muscle hold less water - it gets squeezed out. That squeezed out water is never going back into the meat cells and bundles. It's still in the meat, and that's what leaks out if you put holes in it.

Salt causes more space in the muscle cells and in the bundles and allows them to retain more water. That's why brining results in a more juicy roast. They did experiments - comparing brined and unbrined meat, and meat cooked at lower and higher temps. They measured the "softness" (how easy/hard it is to chew) with an instrument. They measured water weight by water loss (a turkey is about 75% water). The hotter you cook, the less water. The free juices don't make the meat more tender - they're lost water. Just like if you take dry turkey breast and add gravy, you still have dry turkey breast, but with gravy.

FanOfFanboys · November 2012

Nola you're a smart guy.

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I'm an idiot (simple turkey question)

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