Perhaps you are not wedded to tradition for your Thanksgiving meal? Maybe you have served something other than a turkey in years past? You can call me a stick-in-the-mud, but I have a hard time imagining a Thanksgiving meal that does not include a beautiful, bronzed bird in the center of the table.
My daughter and I recently tossed around ideas involving Cornish game hens, ducks, geese, capons, plain old chickens, and the like. I tried to be flexible in my outlook, but these other choices all felt wrong. To both of us.
But turkey has its issues. And they are major issues, in my estimation. I'm not sure I have ever cooked a FABULOUS turkey, despite yearly trials. I roast a small chicken at least once a week and it is always perfect. Crispy skin, juicy meat, great flavor. But my turkey breasts tend to be horribly dry, usually overcooked by the time the legs are done. And according to my sources at America's Test Kitchen, the pop-up thermometers that come with the turkeys are almost NEVER correct. So you can't trust those to tell you the proper moment to remove your turkey from the oven. Who can you trust?
Well, this year I am putting my faith in the experts at America's Test Kitchen, those brilliant chefs who bring you Cook's Illustrated magazine and Cook's Country on P.B.S. If you own the immense cookbook titled The Best Recipe, which you definitely should, this is by the same people.
And the method I plan to try for the first time is called barding. This is a technique from way back, popular in early America, for basting meat and keeping it moist and tender.
Begin with a 12-14 pound turkey, fully defrosted or fresh. Take one pound of salt pork (bacon will also work perfectly, but will impart a smoked flavor) and slice into 1/4" pieces. Prick the turkey breast and tops of legs with a fork. Cover the breast and the tops of the legs with the sliced salt pork. Tuck the wing tips under the neck of the bird. Take a 2 yard piece of cheesecloth and fold it into an 18" square. Place it in a large bowl and cover with 1 quart of cold water. Place turkey into a V-rack inside a large roasting pan. Drape the wet cheesecloth over the breast and tops of legs, leaving the ends of the drumsticks exposed. Pour the water into the roasting pan. Cover the cheesecloth with a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Roast turkey at 325F for 2 and a half to 3 hours or until the breast meat reads 140F on an instant-read meat thermometer. Remove foil, cheesecloth, and salt pork. Return turkey to oven at 425F for 40-60 minutes or until the breast meat is at 165F. Allow turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes, tented with foil, before carving.
I am choosing this method over brining as it sounds much easier, less time (and space!) consuming, and just as delicious. As I have mentioned, this recipe is new to me, so I can only say that on the DVD from Cook's Country, the turkey appeared to be moist and everyone who tasted it said, "Mmmm." I am going to have to break down and FINALLY purchase that instant-read thermometer and V-rack. I have been winging it for way too many years! Armed with the proper tools, and a kick-butt recipe, I hope to make the best turkey of my life this year.
My daughter and I recently tossed around ideas involving Cornish game hens, ducks, geese, capons, plain old chickens, and the like. I tried to be flexible in my outlook, but these other choices all felt wrong. To both of us.
But turkey has its issues. And they are major issues, in my estimation. I'm not sure I have ever cooked a FABULOUS turkey, despite yearly trials. I roast a small chicken at least once a week and it is always perfect. Crispy skin, juicy meat, great flavor. But my turkey breasts tend to be horribly dry, usually overcooked by the time the legs are done. And according to my sources at America's Test Kitchen, the pop-up thermometers that come with the turkeys are almost NEVER correct. So you can't trust those to tell you the proper moment to remove your turkey from the oven. Who can you trust?
Well, this year I am putting my faith in the experts at America's Test Kitchen, those brilliant chefs who bring you Cook's Illustrated magazine and Cook's Country on P.B.S. If you own the immense cookbook titled The Best Recipe, which you definitely should, this is by the same people.
And the method I plan to try for the first time is called barding. This is a technique from way back, popular in early America, for basting meat and keeping it moist and tender.
Begin with a 12-14 pound turkey, fully defrosted or fresh. Take one pound of salt pork (bacon will also work perfectly, but will impart a smoked flavor) and slice into 1/4" pieces. Prick the turkey breast and tops of legs with a fork. Cover the breast and the tops of the legs with the sliced salt pork. Tuck the wing tips under the neck of the bird. Take a 2 yard piece of cheesecloth and fold it into an 18" square. Place it in a large bowl and cover with 1 quart of cold water. Place turkey into a V-rack inside a large roasting pan. Drape the wet cheesecloth over the breast and tops of legs, leaving the ends of the drumsticks exposed. Pour the water into the roasting pan. Cover the cheesecloth with a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Roast turkey at 325F for 2 and a half to 3 hours or until the breast meat reads 140F on an instant-read meat thermometer. Remove foil, cheesecloth, and salt pork. Return turkey to oven at 425F for 40-60 minutes or until the breast meat is at 165F. Allow turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes, tented with foil, before carving.
I am choosing this method over brining as it sounds much easier, less time (and space!) consuming, and just as delicious. As I have mentioned, this recipe is new to me, so I can only say that on the DVD from Cook's Country, the turkey appeared to be moist and everyone who tasted it said, "Mmmm." I am going to have to break down and FINALLY purchase that instant-read thermometer and V-rack. I have been winging it for way too many years! Armed with the proper tools, and a kick-butt recipe, I hope to make the best turkey of my life this year.
How did it turn out?
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah! This is a very old blog but I do remember making this turkey. I believe it tasted great, but more like a smoked turkey flavor as I used bacon. I found the technique to be a bit of a pain, but I'm pretty lazy when it comes to extra steps.
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