Stuffing Inside or Outside of the Bird?

wdan

OK, I just had to let this horse out of the barn. Seems every program on FoodTV is doing their stuffing outside of the bird because of all the bad biological things that might could happen. I admit my kitchen hygiene habits have changed a lot over the past few years...I use a lot of bleach these days and take extra precautions to keep food prep surfaces clean and avoid cross-contamination, etc, etc.[p]But dammit, I'm 50 years old and have eaten at least 3 times that many home-made turkey dinners with the stuffing made inside the bird and I'm still here to tell about it and can tell stories that NEVER include any episodes of becoming ill after the meals. Sleepy? Yes. Sick? No.[p]So here's my question. Do you personally, make/eat stuffing made inside the bird or outside? If it is both, you are an inside the bird statistic and the outside is strictly an overflow management issue. Am I part of a dying breed (no pun here)? Or, is this just another silent majority thing where the in-your-face radicals are running wild yet again with their latest campaign to create another phantom cause?
Please, say it ain't so. Are you an inside the bird or outside the bird kind of person?

Bobby-Q

WDAN,
I think the real question is what are you gaining by having the stuffing inside the bird? Flavor from the drippings? You can add that in by adding drippings or stock to the dressing that you cook outside the bird. Presentation? Put one scoop in the bird's butt after you cook it and bring it to the table.[p]When you stuff a bird you are in essence making that a solid mass weighing quite a bit more than what the package said. You run the risk of having to overcook the meat to get everything to temp.[p]If you feel you need to stuff, then by all means stuff. One other thing to consider, the older you get the more immuno compromised you become and the more food borne illness will effect you.[p]HTH

CJ

WDAN,
I, like you, have eaten 'in the bird' stuffing for over 70 yrs w/ no problem. But....Alton Brown (FoodTV) had an episode the other night showing that when the breast was at 160º, the 'inside' stuffing was only 135º.

Unknown

WDAN,
I'm an insider. If it ain't inside it ain't STUFFING.

Puj

WDAN,[p]Insider! ... including the PDK Bird (except when I roasted it at Eggtoberfest 2000. I didn't want to here it from the "outsiders".)[p]Puj

reched

WDAN,
Inside all the time, I am even older than you and have no worries about bad biologicals. I think sometimes we get way too careful. Let's enjoy it.

Gooba

WDAN,
I am an outside stuffing person.The reason for that is that I stuff the turkey with apples oranges and onions before putting it on the Egg.We like the moisture we gain from that as well as it enhances the flavor of the spices.We use Citrus Splash and it makes for a very tasty turkey.

Cornfed

WDAN,[p]Outside for me, I guess making it "dressing" instead of "stuffing."[p]I've stuffed a bunch of birds, and have eaten stuffed birds all my life, and will again this Thursday at my relatives' house. Last couple of years, though, I've been trying to get more consistent at roasting good birds, and I just think it's easier to more evenly roast an unstuffed bird on a consistent basis. I also like the idea of putting a few aromatics inside the bird rather than completely filling it with stuffing.[p]So when I'm cooking, the "dressing" goes on the outside. If someone else is cooking, I have no problem eating stuffing.[p]Just my 2 cents,
Cornfed

Mik of Alaska

WDAN, I've always been an insider but this yr. I'm doing a Mad Max style bird and it calls for fruit and veggies to enhance the flavor of the bird. I know Alton says the temp will only be 135 but in my stuffing there's no meat just bread veggies spices and butter. I think it always came out fine and never had a sick person yet. Mik

ted

I make dressing on the outside. You just can't get enough in the bird. I like the dressing more than the turkey.

Hustling Hare

WDAN,[p]Then there is the advantage that you can make a whole lot more than the inside of the turkey will hold of the really good stuff...one would call dressing.