On 11/22/2012 8:10 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:

>> Looks good! Can you cook it with that plastic ring thing on the legs
>> >though?

> That's the purpose of that plastic thing, to hold the legs together,
> those Dem gals should be fitted with one for birth control. LOL
> I think it's actually nylon or delrin, same material inside your water
> faucets, they used to be made of metal, like a coat hanger, and while
> wrestling them they could easily puncture ones hand. These plastic
> ones are a big improvement.
>
>> >Awesome that you got that for 53 cents a pound? Wow.

> It was 49¢/lb, it was a little heavier than 15 1/2 lb, I rounded it
> off. Here it is right from the oven:
> http://i48.tinypic.com/2jed5qh.jpg


It does look good, but one of the things that happen when you use that
plastic leg retainer is that you get a lot of juices that pool up inside
the bird... and they aren't always cooked through, even when the flesh is.

We were talking about this the other day and decided that the next time
we roast a turkey, I am going to leave the plastic retainer on but cut
out the spine. The retainer and the V-shaped turkey rack will keep the
bird together, but the juices will be able to run out into the pan and
cook to be used for gravy.

And gravy is a good thing!

George L