The hypnosis worked!!

Mark Backer

Mrs. Backer and the other holiday hosting family have consented to my request to prepare a turduckhen for T-day. [p]Now, I have been doing a good bit of reading around online for details on how to cook the monster.[p]My question is, does anyone have any experience with these? Darrell, I know you said you cook yours elevated direct at 325, but that's quite a different temp than I've found elsewhere. Some sites say 225 for up to nine hours. [p]Can anyone recommend a safe and reliable temp and method (raised or grid level, direct or indirect) for a family just dying to be the hit of the holidays.[p]Hell, if it goes right, I could be making one for Christmas too!!![p]Thanks in advance for your help everyone. [p]p.s. darrell, I contacted the folks in marietta, and will be making the trip over there saturday. They sound like good smart folks. Thanks for the hook-up.

katman

Mark,
I usually get my turducken from Herbert's Specialty Meats in Baton Rouge. I get the largest they make and it is real good. Has a nice kick to it and feeds a lot of eaters. Don't overcook or it will get very dry.[p]I recollect seeing some detailed prep and assembly instructions in Paul Prudehome's Louisianna Kitchen cookbook. I've never had the time to do the whole thing myself. I guess once I discovered Herbert's 15 or so years ago it was easier to make the telephone call.[p]My recollection is you cook about 325. I haven't done one in the egg, but I recommend doing it indirect. Put it in a roasting pan so you can catch juices for gravy. Don't need to put it on a rack. There will not be a lot of juice cause the turducken is packed with stuffing that will retain much of the liquid given off during the roasting.[p]A properly assembled turducken is dense so figure the time like you would a beef roast or uncurred ham. I've seen recommendations for cooking up to nine hours but my recall is a 16 pounder took about 5 to 6.

Mark Backer

katman,[p]Oh, I'm not making one. We're buying it from someone. [p]But 325 sounds about in the neighborhood of what I wanted to do. There are some that say 225, but that'd take 16 hours or some such nonsense. [p]I think if I do it indirect in a pan sitting on the grid at 300-325 dome, we should be fine. besides, can't you cover it or wrap and insulate it in a cooler like a butt? Shouldn't you be able to finish it and wait a couple of hours before serving it?

Wise One

katman, it's actually in his "Prudhomme Family Cookbook". He says to cook at 190 for 12-13 hours until a meat thermometer to the center reads 165. I would try around 225 to assure thatthe grill temp is around 190.

Smokin Bob

Mark Backer,[p]The fellas at the Cajun Meat Market on Roswell Road will give you some general tips for cooking on the Egg since they have many people that have prepared them on the Egg for years now.[p]I'll be picking mine up this weekend![p]B o B

Eggsellent

SmokinBoB,
How do you prepare yours? Since we're getting them from the same place and cooking them on the same thing - any help would be appreciated.

Mark Backer

SmokinBoB,[p]So, how are you gonna cook yours? I've gotten conflicting info from 225 dome all the way up to 350 dome. [p]I do not want to screw this up, so I am all ears...

katman

Wise One,
Okay, hard to keep all those cookbook titles sorted out. I know Prudhome goes for the lower temp, but Herbert's instructions for the 14 to 16 pounder call for fully defrost (4 or five days in the frig) and then bake at 375 for about 4 hours or so. I've never done the slow cook that Prudhome suggests. I've cooked many of Herbert's turducken and they came out great. I do think anywhere from 325 to 375 would work well. Pretty sure the instructions are on the web site for Herbert's Specialty Meats. Don't have the address, but google will work.[p]I do like Prudhome's food, so maybe his version needs the slow cook. I'll have to go back and look at his recipe to see if there is anything in the stuffing that would benefit from such low temp. The turduckens i've had have been pretty lean so I think a low and slow would tend to dry them out.

katman

Mark,
I can't think of any reasons why you can't wrap and store a turducken. This is one hefty roast. You slice it like a ham so you can see all the different layers so there is no air cavity. Go for the higher cook temp and shorter time so you don't dry it out!

djm5x9

Mark Backer:[p]I think the important thing is to reach the proper internal temperature. If you can do it with a lower cooking temperature and like the results, it works. I think 250º to 275º would be as low as I would go for fear the cook would take too long and the skin would be like rubber. To keep the birds on the grill an hour or two past the desired internal may produce a collection of birds that could prove to be dryer than you like.[p]One last thought is that if you are entertaining, I would use very little smoke on the birds if any at all.