Five Ways To Cook That Thanksgiving Turkey

There are so many choices to consider when cooking that Thanksgiving turkey.  Will you cook an entire bird?  Will you stuff it?  How about a marinade or a dry rub?  There are recipes all over the internet, so rest assured that you'll be able to find the recipe that suits you and your family best.  The question that remains is how are you going to cook this bird?  I've tried many different methods when it comes to cooking this holiday centerpiece, but here are five of my favorites.  You might want to give one of these a try and see if it doesn't become one of your holiday traditions.

Roasting
This is the most traditional method of cooking the turkey.  The main challenge in cooking the bird in this method is to avoid drying it out.  The ideal turkey should be moist and flavorful.  When you purchase the turkey, you should look for a free range or organic turkey, but if you go with the frozen, grocery brand, never fear.  Just make sure you give the turkey plenty of time to thaw.  I suggest cooking the turkey with the breasts down and without stuffing.  This will help in giving it an even temperature in the oven.  Bring the turkey to room temperature while still in the plastic wrapping.  You can put some vegetables in the cavity to let their flavors permeate the flesh while cooking.  You can use butter or oil to rub the turkey down and then put whatever flavor you like on the turkey.  Preheat the oven and put the turkey in!

Smoked Turkey
Roasting might be fine, but you can take your turkey cooking skills to the next level by smoking it.  To smoke a turkey, you need a kettle style grill and some flavorful hardwoods.  I suggest cherry or apple wood because these two woods offer a fruit flavor to the meat.  You can play around with the choices, though.  You want to make sure your turkey is thawed out or use a fresh or organic turkey.  You also need a lot of patience.  Smoking a turkey is not for the person used to using a microwave to cook a TV dinner.  It takes a lot of time.  You are going to find that the turkey doesn't brown like it does when you roast it.  This doesn't mean that it isn't cooked.  It is just a different way of cooking.  You are going to need a good thermometer when cooking this way, too, so you know when the bird is evenly cooked.  You want the fire to be about 230 degrees when you start cooking.  I usually put a coating of oil on the turkey to keep it moist and then put some seasoning on it when I cook it in this way.  You want the turkey to sit breast-side up in this method.  At 230 degrees, you will want to cook the turkey at 30 minutes per pound - minimum - and you are going to need to check the temperature of the smoker once an hour to make sure it is staying at that temperature.  When you think the bird is done, use the thermometer to test the temperature of the turkey.  It should be about 165 degrees throughout the bird.  Don't test too close to the bone, either.  Bones and white meat heat up faster than the dark meat.  Check in several places before removing from the smoker.  You will have one heck of a good tasting bird!

Deep Fried Turkey
This method of making a turkey has been pretty popular in the past few years.  It is, by far, the most dangerous way of cooking a turkey, but the taste is fantastic!  I, personally have not cooked a turkey this way, but I've eaten one.  The turkey is surprisingly moist and not greasy at all.  You don't eat the skin, because that is where all of the oil ends up.  You have to have a 40 to 60 quart pot to put the oil in, a propane gas tank and burner, something like a basket or turkey hardware to hold your bird, and lots and lots of oil.  You want to use an oil with a high smoke point, too.  I would suggest canola or peanut oil.  Corn oil works well, too.  You are going to need about 3.5 - 5 gallons of oil to make this.  As for the turkey, smaller birds work best.  Try to keep your turkey under 15 pounds when deep frying.  Now for the safety issues.  NEVER fry a turkey indoors (or in your garage).  NEVER try to dunk a frozen turkey into boiling oil - they explode!  ALWAYS have a fire extinguisher handy in case something bad happens. KEEP children away from boiling oil.  It is best to do this on an level area of dirt or grass.  I am not trying to scare you when it comes to frying a turkey, but each year, fires do happen through carelessness or freak accident.  It's best to be safe than sorry and have a wonderful Thanksgiving that ends in front of the television having seconds, rather than in an emergency room.

Grilled And BBQ Turkey
Turkey is just another animal that can be put on your grill or spit.  Similar to smoking, a grilled turkey doesn't use hardwood, but rather charcoal.  One of my favorite marinades for a grilled turkey is BBQ sauce.  It is like holding on to the last vestiges of Summer for your Thanksgiving meal.  A gas grill is the easiest way to cook a turkey, especially in the colder climates, but I always prefer a charcoal grill for that smokey flavor.  You are going to need a lot of charcoal, some tinfoil, and a good thermometer.  If you are using a rotisserie on an open flame, then pray for no wind.  Wind will make the temperature uneven.  We've cooked turkeys in the summer months on a spit and they've turned out excellent, though.  One of the most important things to remember when grilling your turkey is that they can dry out quickly.  This is because they are on the grill for a long time and will dry from the hot air moving around them.  You can combat this by injecting and basting the bird with your favorite BBQ sauce often during the cooking process.  Smaller turkeys work best on the grill.  By this, I mean, under 15 pounds.  Make sure you have a drip pan or foil under your turkey when cooking in this manner because you don't want flare ups from the grill burning parts of your turkey.  Another thing you are going to want to do when cooking in this manner is to flip the bird (insert your jokes here) about every 30 minutes.  You are going to cook the turkey for 30 minutes per pound and once you get to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, it should be done.  Remove from the grill and let it sit for about 15 minutes before carving.

Microwaving The Turkey
I know.  You are probably just shaking your head at this suggestion.  Don't tell me you haven't considered it, though.  You nuke everything else, why not the Thanksgiving turkey?  It will save you HOURS of cooking time if made this way.  This means that you don't have to wake up at 5am on Thanksgiving morning to start the turkey you've been thawing out for the past week.  If you are considering this, here's what you need to know.  Don't cook a huge turkey in your microwave.  The typical size for a microwaved turkey is about 12-15 pounds.  Make sure there is about three inches from the top of the microwave and the bird.  Also, allow for two inches on all sides.  The time for cooking a turkey in the microwave is 9 to 10 minutes per pound on medium (50%) power. Rotate the bird during cooking to ensure even cooking.  Microwaves sometimes cook a whole turkey unevenly, so you can use one of those oven cooking bags to get an even heat distribution. DO NOT microwave a stuffed turkey.  If you are going to microwave pieces of turkey, put them in a glass dish and cover them with plastic wrap, leaving a side open to allow for venting.  Microwaving a turkey might dry it out, so make sure you marinade it with something before tossing it in the oven bag.  The turkey I tried this way wasn't terrible, but I would want to test it a couple of times before serving it to guests.  Give it a try!  It might make for a new Thanksgiving tradition!

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