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I'm stuffing a turkey - Gotta get it right - need tips!

Unknown
Unknown
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
I am a new Egg owner. I'm going to jump on a stuffed turkey tomorrow and I'm a little nervous. I always make the turkey for the holidays, but this is a new one for me. I have a dozen people coming over for dinner and it needs to be right. I'm looking for do's and don'ts.[p]I have a 15# fresh turkey and a large Egg. Any help is very much appreciated. Merry Christmas!
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Comments

  • Hugh Jass
    Hugh Jass Posts: 11
    Art Klass,[p]I wouldn't stuff the turkey with anything but vegetables. There are concerns about bacterial growth, etc. in the stuffing. I'm not sure I completely buy into that, BUT, stuffing sure does absorb too much smoke and does taste very bitter.[p]Hugh
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  • Wise One
    Wise One Posts: 2,645
    Art Klass, the best way to get it right is ...Don't do it.[p]A traditional stuffing will not be done by the time the turkey is done and so it becomes a great incubator for lots of little nasty stuff. Or you cook until the stuffing is done and you have an overdone turley that might be good for shingling a house. Cook your turkey and stuff with citrus fruit for flavor and them make a dressing (stuffing done outside the turkey) that you can cook properly in your oven (or in a second egg).

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  • Mike in Abita
    Mike in Abita Posts: 3,302
    Art Klass,[p]Bread stuffing picks up alot of wierd odors from the smoke. Try and seal the cavity up as much as you can.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Hugh Jass, Thanks for the heads up. Most of the people are coming for my stuffing. That's a deal breaker. It's an old family recipe from the 1920's. I don't know how it is going to turn out, but I'm going to roll the dice.

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  • Hugh Jass
    Hugh Jass Posts: 11
    Art Klass,
    I'm also a fan of stuffing, but it always turns out very oversmoked. The breading soaks up the smoke like a sponge.[p]I started making dressing, outside the bird (in the oven) but adding chicken broth instead of water or any other liquid in the recipe. Also, additional giblets will help.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Wise One, Thanks for your response. That's a concern. What if I stuffed it a little bit?... I gotta have some stuffing.

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  • Morro Bay Rich
    Morro Bay Rich Posts: 2,227
    Art Klass,[p]My advice:[p]1. Don’t stuff the turkey
    2. Turkey out of frig for at least 1 hr before going to step 3
    3. Ice breast for 30 min prior to putting turkey in BGE
    4. Have BGE at 325 degrees
    5. Indirect with temp probe in the breast
    6. Pull turkey when breast temp is 160 – 162 degrees (about 3 hrs)
    7. Cover with foil and hold for 30 min on cutting board
    8. Dismember and eat

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  • Morro Bay Rich
    Morro Bay Rich Posts: 2,227
    Art Klass,[p]Put the stuffing in a foil covered pan with about a 1/4 C chicken broth and put it in the oven.[p]NO stuffing in the bird.
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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
    Art Klass,
    here is a link to how i do em. .. . and thousands have followed. .. like others said, make your famous recipe outside the bird, stick a couple of roasted turkey wings on top of it, and use some turkey stock for the liquid. . . it will taste just as great as when you used to do it in the oven ..wet bread picks up way too much smoke... . and now you will also have the best turkey and gravy you ever had to go with it. .. .
    [ul][li]http://www.nakedwhiz.com/madmaxturkey.htm[/ul]
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  • Morro Bay Rich
    Morro Bay Rich Posts: 2,227
    Art Klass,[p]"...... but I'm going to roll the dice."[p]GOOD LUCK. If it doesn't go well, your guests will certainly remember your dressing.[p]Consumers Reports did a study of the umber of contaminated birds (turkey and chicken) being sold and found >80% were contaminated.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Morro Bay Rich, Thanks for the advice! We are going to put some stuffing in the bird and cook some in the oven and see what happens. I like the way the rest sounds. Will do.

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  • Wise One
    Wise One Posts: 2,645
    Art Klass, two suggestions. One is to precook the stuffing a bit and then stuff the bird. The problem I have with that is that the interior of the bird is cool and the stuffing may not be hot enough to kill any bacteria on contact. The second is to stuff the bird and then remove the stuffing when you take the turkey off and finish cooking it in the oven while the bird rests. You could of course put the stuffing inside one of those oven bags while on the inside but then what's the point of even placing it inside the turkey if it will not flavor the turkey and the turkey will not flavor the stuffing.

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  • Wise One
    Wise One Posts: 2,645
    Morro Bay Rich, that's the best suggestion.

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Morro Bay Rich, Okay. I thought about it and everybody is pretty much saying the same thing. I asked for advice and will heed. No stuffing in the bird it is. I will cook it in the oven and cross my fingers. Thanks.

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  • Ross in Ventura
    Ross in Ventura Posts: 7,234
    Morro Bay Rich,
    Rich,
    Some people just don't get it!
    Happy Holidays my friend,
    Ross
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  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
    Art, listen to Mad Max. I did the MM turkey this thanksgiving and my guests raved about it.
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  • Morro Bay Rich
    Morro Bay Rich Posts: 2,227
    Ross in Ventura,[p]Once I get back to CA we have to meet.[p]Rich
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Art Klass,
    you can cook it in a casserole in the egg, cover it with foil after maybe 15 minutes and continue til done. or unfoil at the end for about the same amount of time. it'll pick up a tinge of smoke.[p]
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 317
    Art Klass,[p]Question for you... Does your inbird stuffing taste good when cooked in the oven?[p]If no, then don't inbird in the egg.[p]If yes, then cook do it in the egg. [p]The egg is a great oven with smoke.[p]I use madmax method (without wine) and put the stuffing in the bird. [p]We also cook the stuffing out of the bird and use either turkey stock or chicken stock. It comes out great. [p]The bird is cooked perfect and the stuffing is cooked well.[p]I use apple wood for flavor and that does get into the in bird stuffing. It all is gone at the end of dinner and none is left of the dinner plates.[p]The smoke flavor in the stuffing will be stronger on the stuffing closest to the open end of the bird - so either skim it off or mix it in.

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