On Mon, 23 Nov 2015 15:26:41 -0800, sf > wrote:
>On Mon, 23 Nov 2015 09:53:57 -0800 (PST),
>wrote:
>
>> The pop-up timer article made the point that by the time the dark meat
>> is thoroughly cooked, the breast meat is dry.
>> One suggestion I read once, to get all the meat cooked to a safe
>> temperature at the same time, was to provide a freezing jacket to
>> cover the breast, as the rest of the bird comes up to room temperature.
>>
>> Anybody ever try something like this, or do they have their own
>> solutions? I am not going to dismantle the bird and roast the parts
>> separately.
If the turkey is roasted breast side down it'll cook evenly and won't
dry out... by gravity the dark meat will baste the white meat.
>Spatchcock it and light & dark will cook at the same time. I've used
>that method many times and last year was the latest. The best part of
>spatchocking is you also have the backbone to make turkey stock for
>your gravy.
No one want's a 20 pound spatchcocked turkey for a holiday meal, makes
a lousy presentation... may as well disjoint the bird into parts.
When I had a lot of guests to feed I'd roast two 12 pound Hens rather
than one 24 pound Tom... one at each end of the table made a very
attractive presentation and were a lot easier to prepare, to carve,
and serve. The Hens also provide a greater proportion of meat to bone
and I think are tastier... you also get four drumsticks, four wings,
and four breasts... I've always found something very disturbingly odd
about large breasts on a Tom.