Christmas Turkey

[NorCal Smoker]

Not seeing a whole lot of posts in the gallery lately, so I thought I would post some to hopefully get some new posting going!!!

Here is my Turkey from Christmas day:

Seasoned with Desert Gold and sitting on a bed of Carrots, Celery, and Onion (made great stuff for gravy):

On the MAK 2 Star:

All done and resting:

All carved:

Plated up with all of the fixins:

Thanks for looking!

 

[So Cal Smoker]

Great cook NorCal, the skin on that bird looks perfect.

 

[KristenBPS]

Looks great! Love Desert Gold

 

[scooter]

It simply doesn't get any better looking than that!! Another great cook NorCal!

 

[wolverines]

That turkey looks great. How did you cook it, if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks

 

[TentHunter]

Nice looking meal! If you made the gravy from the turkey drippings you caught while it was in the MAK, I bet it was incredible.

 

[NorCal Smoker]

Wolverines,
I just followed this thread:

http://www.pelletsmoking.com/hall-fame-recipes-22/big-poppas-thanksgiving-turkey-tips-3044/

I rubbed with EVOO and BPS Desert Gold. Put in foil pan that was layered with carrots, celery, and onion. Cooked at 275 until breast was 160-165 F. Rested about 1/2 hour before carving.

 

[wolverines]

Thanks for the help. Your bird looked really good!

 

[scooter]

NorCal, did you rotate the bird during cooking along both axis? I ask because it looks like you got even cooking from top to bottom and what I've found when cooking a bird in a pan of veggies like that is the pan of veggies acts like a heat shield on the lower half of the bird. I've found with large meats like turkey it's important to rotate them during cooking but more importantly if cooking them in a pan If not flipped during cooking (breast up then breast down), the top of the bird will be done while the bottom will be quite undercooked. Looks like you got both top and bottom done evenly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk while driving one handed!

 

[NorCal Smoker]

Scooter,
I may have just got lucky! The bird was small, just shy of 13 lbs. Never turned or flipped, and it came out real well. Just followed BP's thread which never mentioned turning or flipping, so I just let it ride.

 

[scooter]

Sounds good. My brother cooked the 2013 Thanksgiving turkey in a pan of veggies. He rotated it around in the oven but never flipped it in the pan. The breast were done perfect and juicy but the bottom half of the bird, the half that stayed in the pan the whole cook, the juices were running very pink.
I've had similar experiences cooking turkeys in a pan which is why I never do it anymore. I have the pan on the bottom rack and cook the bird on the upper rack above the pan.