How not to dry out my turkey?

dsyncor · November 2006

Just got my large Egg after many months of research. Did a roasting hen last night as a "test" before the big day. It was 6 lbs and I used an electronic temp probe set for 180 and kept the egg at 350. It sure looked good, but was dry. Don't want to have the same experience with my turkey. The hen was on a stand in a roasting pan and I rubbed with butter and seasoning prior to cooking. Do I need to cook at a lower temp? Take it off at 170? Help... got to convince my wife that the egg is worth the money!

Sundown · November 2006

dsyncor,[p]Where was your probe Leg/thigh? Breast?[p]If it was in the breast that could account for the dryness. The breast temp to shoot for is 170º. Leg/thigh temp is 180ºish.

dsyncor · November 2006

Sundown, I had it in the thigh. Thinking maybe I should take it off at 170-175 and allow to finish cooking as it stands

fishlessman · November 2006

dsyncor,
if your cooking a big bird, take it off the egg when the breast hits about 161/162 and the temp will rise to 170 on the counter.it will be moist. get a copy of the mad max turkey recipe and it has all the tips to get that bird moist. be aware that sometimes egged turkey meat will have some pinkness. its from the smoking process, not necesarily undercooked.

Sundown · November 2006

dsyncor,
See above. Fishless has it all written down for you. Good luck and don't be discouraged. The learning curve is steep but short.

dsyncor · November 2006

fishlessman, sounds like a plan. Where can I find this famous Mad Max turkey recipe?

dsyncor · November 2006

Sundown, Thanks. Just want to cook great food and keep Momma happy!

stike · November 2006

dsyncor,
i pull mine off the grid at 155 breast, and it will continue to cook to 160.
yours came off at 180, and likely kept going to 190 or so. yikes.[p]your turkey will be so moist, your wife and mother in law will tell you over and over that it's undercoooked.[p]you can't win sometimes.

dsyncor · November 2006

stike, ain't it the truth! The key here seems to be that I need to take it off at least 10 degrees before done.

Celtic Wolf · November 2006

dsyncor,[p] You need to check out all of the site this link is on.
[ul][li]The Max Bird[/ul]

Unknown · November 2006

Celtic Wolf, Awesome... thanks!

Unknown · November 2006

fishlessman,[p]From Cook's Illustrated - [p]"Having prepared thousands of turkeys in the test kitchen, we too have experienced the occasional slice of pink turkey meat. First off, always rely on an instant-read thermometer to ascertain doneness when roasting poultry. In the case of turkey, look for 165 degrees in the thickest portion of the breast and 170 to 175 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh. [p]So what about the unsettling color? Just because a slice of turkey has a pinkish tint doesn't necessarily mean it is underdone. In general, the red or pink color in meat is due to the red protein pigment called myoglobin in the muscle cells that store oxygen. Because the areas that tend to get the most exercise-the legs and thighs-require more oxygen, they contain more myoglobin (and are therefore darker in color) than the breasts. When oxygen is attached to myoglobin in the cells, it is bright red. As turkey (or chicken) roasts in the oven, the oxygen attached to the myoglobin is released, and the meat becomes lighter and browner in color. However, if there are trace amounts of other gases formed in a hot oven or grill, they may react to the myoglobin to produce a pink color, even if the turkey is fully cooked. [p]When cooking turkey or other poultry, don't be afraid if you see a little bit of pink. As long as you've let your thermometer be your guide, the meat is perfectly safe to eat."

gdenby · November 2006

dsyncor,[p]Also, roasters are improved by brining. Being older they are a little tougher than fryers, so the extra moisture and softening that brining adds helps it turn out better during a slightly longer cook than fryers.[p]Not to worry. You will soon be doing food that's so good, your wife will be thrilled. After a few months of eating Egged food, my wife said, "You know, just good is kind of disappointing," and also what so many here have experienced after a restaurant meal, "I think we should have stayed home, yours is better."[p]gdenby

mad max beyond eggdome · November 2006

dsyncor,
if you follow my guidance, brined or not, i promise your turkey will be nice and moist. ...

dsyncor · November 2006

mad max beyond eggdome,
Thanks, have reviewed and printed out. Plan on laying the turkey breast side up in a roasting pan and sitting directly on the grill. It is a 21 pounder and have tested the fit. Will that work? Also, at 325 how many minutes should I plan per pound?[p]Thanks for your help

mad max beyond eggdome · November 2006

dsyncor,
if you are going to have your roasting pan sitting direct on the grill over the fire, you better have your bird raised up in pan, either on a v rack, or on a bed of celery and carrots, or something. ... cause without a heat barrier under that pan, that pan is gonna get hot, and probably burn/scorch your drippings and anything else that comes in contact with it. ...[p]at 325 degrees, figure about 15 minutes per pound. . .

dsyncor · November 2006

mad max beyond eggdome,
Great! That is what I'll do. Thanks for taking the time to help out a newbie.

mad max beyond eggdome · November 2006

dsyncor,
no sweat. ..i expect to hear a great report from you on thursday night/friday morning :-)

stike · November 2006

Keyboard Jac,
the other thing is (as with pork) people complain that their mom overcooked their turkey/pork and it was dry and hard. yet they base their visual 'doneness' expectations on what that dry hard meat looked like. which was white.[p]fully cooked turkey breast is not hard white. [p]

How not to dry out my turkey?

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