At every stop, whoever I read regarding turkey or chicken preparation I
am always admonished NOT to stuff. I have been stuffing turkeys all my
life; prefer the stuffing from a stuffed turkey to the rather dry
disconnected stuffing cooked separate in the oven. Some would
recommend not even eating turkey or other chicken because of the risk
of food poisoning.

Similarly, you can't view, read or listen to any "professional"
without being lectured extensively about how to take care during the
preparation of poultry. Aside from preparation while wearing a wet
suit and bathing between each operation some would, again, suggest not
even eating poultry because of the risk of food poisoning.

Sometimes I get the feeling that this overproduction of safety
procedures is similar to the continued admonition to char pork before
eating.

Are there any non-nannies out there that are willing to provide true
risk information regarding the preparation of poultry and the stuffing
of a turkey?

In advance, I am grateful for your contribution to reality.
RichardSC

wrote:

I love it when a post starts out in a defensive, snotty and challenging
manner.

> At every stop, whoever I read regarding turkey or chicken preparation
> I am always admonished NOT to stuff.

For good reason.

>I have been stuffing turkeys
> all my life; prefer the stuffing from a stuffed turkey to the rather
> dry disconnected stuffing cooked separate in the oven.

The fact that *you* are unable to prepare an inedible dressing (outside of
the bird = dressing, not stuffing) is something that can be corrected.
Dressings can be every bit as flavorful and moist as a stuffing.

>Some would
> recommend not even eating turkey or other chicken because of the risk
> of food poisoning.

Outside of the PETA wackos, please point us to your source of that bit of
hyperbole. Now let's go on and read another example of bloated, hperbolic
blather:

> Similarly, you can't view, read or listen to any "professional"
> without being lectured extensively about how to take care during the
> preparation of poultry. Aside from preparation while wearing a wet
> suit and bathing between each operation some would, again, suggest not
> even eating poultry because of the risk of food poisoning.

So, washing hands and proper sanitation to prevent cross-contamination is
nonsense? You are a simply fabulous.

> Sometimes I get the feeling that this overproduction of safety
> procedures is similar to the continued admonition to char pork before
> eating.

Apples and oranges, bubba.

> Are there any non-nannies out there that are willing to provide true
> risk information regarding the preparation of poultry and the stuffing
> of a turkey?

Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria are your friends, apparently. From
the tone of your post and preconcieved notions regarding food safety, it
seems likely that anything proffered as help here would simply lead to a
bickering and argumentative thread. I suggest that you use Google and do a
search for "turkey preparation". I'm simply not too interested in spending
time offering advice that will be thrown back in my face.
--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

Dave Bugg wrote:

> The fact that *you* are unable to prepare an inedible...snip

OOPS, that should have read "edible"; sorry. :-)
--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

On 20 Nov 2006 10:12:26 -0800, wrote:

>At every stop, whoever I read regarding turkey or chicken preparation I
>am always admonished NOT to stuff. I have been stuffing turkeys all my
>life;

We stuffed a turkey once. It simply didn't hold enough stuffing to be
worth the effort. All the stuffing was gone before everyone was even
served. Since you need to make additional stuffing/dressing, why even
bother stuffing the bird? Plus, there is the issue of food temperature
being cooked inside the bird. Is it high enough to kill all the
nasties?

--
Zilbandy - Tucson, Arizona USA >
Dead Suburban's Home Page: http://zilbandy.com/suburb/
PGP Public Key: http://zilbandy.com/pgpkey.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~

One time on Usenet, "Dave Bugg" > said:
> Dave Bugg wrote:
>
> > The fact that *you* are unable to prepare an inedible...snip
>
> OOPS, that should have read "edible"; sorry. :-)

That's okay, Dave, *I* knew what you meant... ;-)

--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

Zilbandy said...

> On 20 Nov 2006 10:12:26 -0800, wrote:
>
>>At every stop, whoever I read regarding turkey or chicken preparation I
>>am always admonished NOT to stuff. I have been stuffing turkeys all my
>>life;
>
> We stuffed a turkey once. It simply didn't hold enough stuffing to be
> worth the effort. All the stuffing was gone before everyone was even
> served. Since you need to make additional stuffing/dressing, why even
> bother stuffing the bird? Plus, there is the issue of food temperature
> being cooked inside the bird. Is it high enough to kill all the
> nasties?


I think the practice of stuffing in the bird was a matter of convenience.
It certainly saves oven space cooking stuffing that way.

I wonder if you couldn't finish the stuffing by giving it a spin in the
microwave for a few minutes to kill the bacteria. Don't know if that
would work or how it would effect the consistency.

Andy

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:00:50 -0600, Andy <q> wrote:

>I think the practice of stuffing in the bird was a matter of convenience.
>It certainly saves oven space cooking stuffing that way.
>
>I wonder if you couldn't finish the stuffing by giving it a spin in the
>microwave for a few minutes to kill the bacteria. Don't know if that
>would work or how it would effect the consistency.

To me, the dressing and mashed potatoes and other goodies are more
important than the bird. In our family, a couple of stuffable turkey
cavaties just doesn't make enough. Now, if they made a fifty pound
turkey....

--
Zilbandy - Tucson, Arizona USA >
Dead Suburban's Home Page: http://zilbandy.com/suburb/
PGP Public Key: http://zilbandy.com/pgpkey.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~

In article .com>,
wrote:

> At every stop, whoever I read regarding turkey or chicken preparation I
> am always admonished NOT to stuff. I have been stuffing turkeys all my
> life; prefer the stuffing from a stuffed turkey to the rather dry
> disconnected stuffing cooked separate in the oven. Some would
> recommend not even eating turkey or other chicken because of the risk
> of food poisoning.
>
> Similarly, you can't view, read or listen to any "professional"
> without being lectured extensively about how to take care during the
> preparation of poultry. Aside from preparation while wearing a wet
> suit and bathing between each operation some would, again, suggest not
> even eating poultry because of the risk of food poisoning.
>
> Sometimes I get the feeling that this overproduction of safety
> procedures is similar to the continued admonition to char pork before
> eating.
>
> Are there any non-nannies out there that are willing to provide true
> risk information regarding the preparation of poultry and the stuffing
> of a turkey?
>
> In advance, I am grateful for your contribution to reality.
> RichardSC

I've found that, since we quit stuffing turkeys, the breast meat is far
more edible... Stuffing lengthens the cooking time too much. I'm not
overly concerned about the safety issue so much as I am concerned about
edible meat!

My "stuffing" is perfectly turkey-ish as it's made using giblet and neck
stock that I make ahead of time rather than using commercial broth.

Tastes just as good to me!
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

Zilbandy said...

> Now, if they made a fifty pound
> turkey....


I'm sure they're out there!

Andy

In article >, Andy <q> wrote:

> Zilbandy said...
>
> > On 20 Nov 2006 10:12:26 -0800, wrote:
> >
> >>At every stop, whoever I read regarding turkey or chicken preparation I
> >>am always admonished NOT to stuff. I have been stuffing turkeys all my
> >>life;
> >
> > We stuffed a turkey once. It simply didn't hold enough stuffing to be
> > worth the effort. All the stuffing was gone before everyone was even
> > served. Since you need to make additional stuffing/dressing, why even
> > bother stuffing the bird? Plus, there is the issue of food temperature
> > being cooked inside the bird. Is it high enough to kill all the
> > nasties?
>
>
> I think the practice of stuffing in the bird was a matter of convenience.
> It certainly saves oven space cooking stuffing that way.
>
> I wonder if you couldn't finish the stuffing by giving it a spin in the
> microwave for a few minutes to kill the bacteria. Don't know if that
> would work or how it would effect the consistency.
>
> Andy

I cook mine in the pressure cooker/stovetop autoclave.

That takes care of it. ;-)
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

In article >, Andy <q> wrote:

> Zilbandy said...
>
> > Now, if they made a fifty pound
> > turkey....
>
>
> I'm sure they're out there!
>
> Andy

Yes, but turkey is spelled "E M U".

<G>
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:52:08 -0700, Zilbandy
> wrote:

>We stuffed a turkey once. It simply didn't hold enough stuffing to be
>worth the effort. All the stuffing was gone before everyone was even
>served. Since you need to make additional stuffing/dressing, why even
>bother stuffing the bird? Plus, there is the issue of food temperature
>being cooked inside the bird. Is it high enough to kill all the
>nasties?

My issue with stuffed turkeys is that you wind up with pieces of
stuffing in the soup you make from the carcass.

--
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:22:55 -0600, Andy <q> wrote:

>Zilbandy said...
>
>> Now, if they made a fifty pound
>> turkey....
>
>I'm sure they're out there!

Ours is 33.5 pounds. There will be four of us eating it at this
point. Roommate wanted one that would impress. Thing looks like a
skin-covered Volkswagon beetle. He refuses to consider not stuffing
this beast.

--
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:15:15 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:

>My issue with stuffed turkeys is that you wind up with pieces of
>stuffing in the soup you make from the carcass.

I used to have that problem, but I started lining the cavity with
cheesecloth and then spooning the stuffing into the bird. I tie it up
like a little bag when it is all stuffed. Then, when it comes time
to eat, I remove the cheesecloth "bag" with the stuffing in it...it
all comes out. None left in the cavity.

I got the idea from seeing those stuffing bags advertised in
kitchenware stores. Figured since they were made of
cheesecloth/muslin, that the cheesecloth idea would work well. And it
does.

Christine

Damsel in dis Dress said...

> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:22:55 -0600, Andy <q> wrote:
>
>>Zilbandy said...
>>
>>> Now, if they made a fifty pound
>>> turkey....
>>
>>I'm sure they're out there!
>
> Ours is 33.5 pounds. There will be four of us eating it at this
> point. Roommate wanted one that would impress. Thing looks like a
> skin-covered Volkswagon beetle. He refuses to consider not stuffing
> this beast.


Damsel,

Good grief. That's going to take forever to cook. Are you deep frying it?

Andy

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:29:11 -0700, Christine Dabney
> wrote:

>On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:15:15 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:
>
>>My issue with stuffed turkeys is that you wind up with pieces of
>>stuffing in the soup you make from the carcass.
>
>I used to have that problem, but I started lining the cavity with
>cheesecloth and then spooning the stuffing into the bird. I tie it up
>like a little bag when it is all stuffed. Then, when it comes time
>to eat, I remove the cheesecloth "bag" with the stuffing in it...it
>all comes out. None left in the cavity.
>
>I got the idea from seeing those stuffing bags advertised in
>kitchenware stores. Figured since they were made of
>cheesecloth/muslin, that the cheesecloth idea would work well. And it
>does.

Maybe I can talk the roomie into doing that.. It's hard to make
suggestions, though, because he already knows everything.

Next year, *I* make Thanksgiving dinner.

--
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/

One time on Usenet, Christine Dabney > said:
> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:15:15 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> > wrote:
>
> >My issue with stuffed turkeys is that you wind up with pieces of
> >stuffing in the soup you make from the carcass.
>
> I used to have that problem, but I started lining the cavity with
> cheesecloth and then spooning the stuffing into the bird. I tie it up
> like a little bag when it is all stuffed. Then, when it comes time
> to eat, I remove the cheesecloth "bag" with the stuffing in it...it
> all comes out. None left in the cavity.
>
> I got the idea from seeing those stuffing bags advertised in
> kitchenware stores. Figured since they were made of
> cheesecloth/muslin, that the cheesecloth idea would work well. And it
> does.

I watched a "Good Eats" episode recently in which Alton Brown says
if you must stuff the bird, use a cheesecloth bag as you suggest. So
I guess you're in good company, Christine... ;-)

Here's a link to his recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.
com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_29138,00.html

OR

http://preview.tinyurl.com/3zj6j


--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:31:46 -0600, Andy <q> wrote:

>Damsel in dis Dress said...
>
>> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:22:55 -0600, Andy <q> wrote:
>>
>>>Zilbandy said...
>>>
>>>> Now, if they made a fifty pound
>>>> turkey....
>>>
>>>I'm sure they're out there!
>>
>> Ours is 33.5 pounds. There will be four of us eating it at this
>> point. Roommate wanted one that would impress. Thing looks like a
>> skin-covered Volkswagon beetle. He refuses to consider not stuffing
>> this beast.
>
>Damsel,
>
>Good grief. That's going to take forever to cook. Are you deep frying it?
>
>Andy

I'm not sure they make deep fryers that big, but no, he plans on
roasting it. With stuffing. Best I can find out, it should take
around 7 hours to cook. Yet, he claims he won't have to get up early
to start it. Are we eating at midnight, or what? (Can you tell I'm a
little, teensy bit frustrated?)

Dinner's on the second of December if anyone wants to stop by. I
think there'll be enough food to go around, if we slice the turkey
very thinly. <rolling eyes> Yeah, I'll take pictures. Might need a
wide-angle lense for the bird, though.

--
kilikini's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 20:38:00 GMT, unge (Little
Malice) wrote:

>I watched a "Good Eats" episode recently in which Alton Brown says
>if you must stuff the bird, use a cheesecloth bag as you suggest. So
>I guess you're in good company, Christine... ;-)

I rebelled against paying the going amount for those bags, hence my
just using regular old cheesecloth to line the cavity. I forget what
the price was, but I could get several rolls of quality cheesecloth
for what those things cost!!!
I suppose those were recycleable though...like you wash them out
between birds..

Speaking of stuffing outside the bird... I need someone to spell out
how to do it. I try every single year to do the leftover stuffing
mixture in a casserole...and I never can get it to turn out so that it
is even remotely like the stuffing in the bird. It is either too
soggy from me putting some broth on it..or too dry..or too crusty..or
something else.

You folks that do this routinely, can you spell it out for me? I
thought I was following all the directions of all you folks that do it
outside the bird, but evidently I am not...hence my usual inedible
mess. I would love something good this year...

My usual stuffing is the Pepperidge farm mix, with sauteed onions and
celery mixed in..then sage and poultry seasoning added. Nothing
else..it gets plenty moist in the bird when I cook it that way.

Christine

"Andy" <q> wrote in message ...
> Damsel in dis Dress said...
>
>> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:22:55 -0600, Andy <q> wrote:
>>
>>>Zilbandy said...
>>>
>>>> Now, if they made a fifty pound
>>>> turkey....
>>>
>>>I'm sure they're out there!
>>
>> Ours is 33.5 pounds. There will be four of us eating it at this
>> point. Roommate wanted one that would impress. Thing looks like a
>> skin-covered Volkswagon beetle. He refuses to consider not stuffing
>> this beast.
>
>
> Damsel,
>
> Good grief. That's going to take forever to cook. Are you deep frying it?
>
> Andy

For stuffing in this Bird you need to factor in the internal temp of the
stuffing in that organic oven. A bird this big need special attention.

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:46:06 -0700, Christine Dabney
> wrote:

>Speaking of stuffing outside the bird... I need someone to spell out
>how to do it. I try every single year to do the leftover stuffing
>mixture in a casserole...and I never can get it to turn out so that it
>is even remotely like the stuffing in the bird. It is either too
>soggy from me putting some broth on it..or too dry..or too crusty..or
>something else.
>
>You folks that do this routinely, can you spell it out for me? I
>thought I was following all the directions of all you folks that do it
>outside the bird, but evidently I am not...hence my usual inedible
>mess. I would love something good this year...
>
>My usual stuffing is the Pepperidge farm mix, with sauteed onions and
>celery mixed in..then sage and poultry seasoning added. Nothing
>else..it gets plenty moist in the bird when I cook it that way.

The James Beard recipe (I posted it in the "stuffing" thread) uses
butter for moisture. Works well for me, and I never stuff the bird.
The trick to not having the top too crusty is to cover the dressing
with foil for most of the cooking time. To keep it from getting
crusty on the bottom and sides, all you can really do is cook it
slowly at a lower temperature.

--
kilikini's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 12:46:34 -0800, "Gunner" <gunner@ spam.com> wrote:

>"Andy" <q> wrote in message ...
>> Damsel in dis Dress said...
>>
>>> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:22:55 -0600, Andy <q> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Zilbandy said...
>>>>
>>>>> Now, if they made a fifty pound
>>>>> turkey....
>>>>
>>>>I'm sure they're out there!
>>>
>>> Ours is 33.5 pounds. There will be four of us eating it at this
>>> point. Roommate wanted one that would impress. Thing looks like a
>>> skin-covered Volkswagon beetle. He refuses to consider not stuffing
>>> this beast.
>>
>> Damsel,
>>
>> Good grief. That's going to take forever to cook. Are you deep frying it?
>>
>> Andy
>
>For stuffing in this Bird you need to factor in the internal temp of the
>stuffing in that organic oven. A bird this big need special attention.

Try telling that to my roommate. I'm coming to dread this meal. I'm
just not sure yet what'll happen. Food poisoning or completely dried
out meat.

--
kilikini's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/

Omelet wrote:
> In article >, Andy <q> wrote:
>
> > Zilbandy said...
> >
> > > Now, if they made a fifty pound
> > > turkey....
> >
> >
> > I'm sure they're out there!
> >
> > Andy
>
> Yes, but turkey is spelled "E M U".
>
> <G>
> --

LOL - and I mean it. Now my co-workers think I'm going crazy.

Dean G.

Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 12:46:34 -0800, "Gunner" <gunner@ spam.com> wrote:
>
> >"Andy" <q> wrote in message ...
> >> Damsel in dis Dress said...
> >>
> >>> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:22:55 -0600, Andy <q> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>Zilbandy said...
> >>>>
> >>>>> Now, if they made a fifty pound
> >>>>> turkey....
> >>>>
> >>>>I'm sure they're out there!
> >>>
> >>> Ours is 33.5 pounds. There will be four of us eating it at this
> >>> point. Roommate wanted one that would impress. Thing looks like a
> >>> skin-covered Volkswagon beetle. He refuses to consider not stuffing
> >>> this beast.
> >>
> >> Damsel,
> >>
> >> Good grief. That's going to take forever to cook. Are you deep frying it?
> >>
> >> Andy
> >
> >For stuffing in this Bird you need to factor in the internal temp of the
> >stuffing in that organic oven. A bird this big need special attention.


I'd probably go with a longer cooking time at a lower temp. You can
always crank it up at the end to brown the skin, but 10 hours at 275
sounds like a good start.

>
> Try telling that to my roommate. I'm coming to dread this meal. I'm
> just not sure yet what'll happen. Food poisoning or completely dried
> out meat.

Look at the bright side, if it's over cooked, you can always play
baseball with a drumstick. At 33 pounds, plus stuffing, plus a pan
large and strong enough to hold it, I'm guessing the whole thing would
weigh in over 50 lbs.

In this corner, a new feather-weight challenger.... He doesn't quite
float like a butterfly, but he might be able to disembowel you with a
single kick.

Dean G.

In article . com>,
"Dean G." > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> > In article >, Andy <q> wrote:
> >
> > > Zilbandy said...
> > >
> > > > Now, if they made a fifty pound
> > > > turkey....
> > >
> > >
> > > I'm sure they're out there!
> > >
> > > Andy
> >
> > Yes, but turkey is spelled "E M U".
> >
> > <G>
> > --
>
> LOL - and I mean it. Now my co-workers think I'm going crazy.
>
> Dean G.

I actually did a small one for Thanksgiving one year......
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

On 20 Nov 2006 13:39:50 -0800, "Dean G." > wrote:

>Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
>
>> >> Damsel in dis Dress said...
>> >>
>> >>> Ours is 33.5 pounds. There will be four of us eating it at this
>> >>> point. Roommate wanted one that would impress. Thing looks like a
>> >>> skin-covered Volkswagon beetle. He refuses to consider not stuffing
>> >>> this beast.
>
>I'd probably go with a longer cooking time at a lower temp. You can
>always crank it up at the end to brown the skin, but 10 hours at 275
>sounds like a good start.

I will attempt to make this suggestion. I have no idea what his plans
are, but this man has serious food safety issues, and I'm scared he'll
undercook it. After thawing it on the countertop. {{shudder}}

>> Try telling that to my roommate. I'm coming to dread this meal. I'm
>> just not sure yet what'll happen. Food poisoning or completely dried
>> out meat.
>
>Look at the bright side, if it's over cooked, you can always play
>baseball with a drumstick. At 33 pounds, plus stuffing, plus a pan
>large and strong enough to hold it, I'm guessing the whole thing would
>weigh in over 50 lbs.
>
>In this corner, a new feather-weight challenger.... He doesn't quite
>float like a butterfly, but he might be able to disembowel you with a
>single kick.

ROFLMAO! Thanks for the cheering up. I needed it!

--
kilikini's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/

Damsel in dis Dress wrote on 20 Nov 2006 in rec.food.cooking

> The James Beard recipe (I posted it in the "stuffing" thread) uses
> butter for moisture. Works well for me, and I never stuff the bird.
> The trick to not having the top too crusty is to cover the dressing
> with foil for most of the cooking time. To keep it from getting
> crusty on the bottom and sides, all you can really do is cook it
> slowly at a lower temperature.
>
> --
> kilikini's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning:
> www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/
>
>

What she said except I add cooked sausage meat and cooked wild rice to the
J. Beard recipe...Taragon herb style stuffing pour moi..

Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:52:08 -0700, Zilbandy
> > wrote:
>
> >We stuffed a turkey once. It simply didn't hold enough stuffing to be
> >worth the effort. All the stuffing was gone before everyone was even
> >served. Since you need to make additional stuffing/dressing, why even
> >bother stuffing the bird? Plus, there is the issue of food temperature
> >being cooked inside the bird. Is it high enough to kill all the
> >nasties?
>
> My issue with stuffed turkeys is that you wind up with pieces of
> stuffing in the soup you make from the carcass.

Don't you strain the broth? Seems like you'd wind up with pieces of
bone in the soup.

Cindy Hamilton

One time on Usenet, Christine Dabney > said:

> Speaking of stuffing outside the bird... I need someone to spell out
> how to do it. I try every single year to do the leftover stuffing
> mixture in a casserole...and I never can get it to turn out so that it
> is even remotely like the stuffing in the bird. It is either too
> soggy from me putting some broth on it..or too dry..or too crusty..or
> something else.
>
> You folks that do this routinely, can you spell it out for me? I
> thought I was following all the directions of all you folks that do it
> outside the bird, but evidently I am not...hence my usual inedible
> mess. I would love something good this year...
>
> My usual stuffing is the Pepperidge farm mix, with sauteed onions and
> celery mixed in..then sage and poultry seasoning added. Nothing
> else..it gets plenty moist in the bird when I cook it that way.

I use a modified version of the recipe on the Mrs. Cubbison's box;
you could use this with Pepperidge Farm's dressing instead:

Basic Dressing

1 6 oz. bag Mrs. Cubbison's dressing mix
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 cups chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cups turkey broth (from simmered heart & neck)

Combine dressing with butter and vegetables. Stir liquid in
gradually. Spoon into greased casserole dish. Bake covered
30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove cover and bake 5 to 10
minutes longer for a crisper top. Makes 6 (1/2 cup) servings.

*I* don't think it's too wet or too dry, but YMMV...

--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:45:36 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:

>I'm not sure they make deep fryers that big, but no, he plans on
>roasting it. With stuffing. Best I can find out, it should take
>around 7 hours to cook. Yet, he claims he won't have to get up early
>to start it. Are we eating at midnight, or what? (Can you tell I'm a
>little, teensy bit frustrated?)

Maybe you should consider making a 10-12 pounder the day before, just
in case the big one doesn't go as expected. Worse that happens is you
have a few more pounds of leftovers.


--
Zilbandy - Tucson, Arizona USA >
Dead Suburban's Home Page: http://zilbandy.com/suburb/
PGP Public Key: http://zilbandy.com/pgpkey.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:20:23 -0700, Zilbandy
> wrote:

>On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:45:36 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:
>
>>I'm not sure they make deep fryers that big, but no, he plans on
>>roasting it. With stuffing. Best I can find out, it should take
>>around 7 hours to cook. Yet, he claims he won't have to get up early
>>to start it. Are we eating at midnight, or what? (Can you tell I'm a
>>little, teensy bit frustrated?)
>
>Maybe you should consider making a 10-12 pounder the day before, just
>in case the big one doesn't go as expected. Worse that happens is you
>have a few more pounds of leftovers.

Wish we could afford to do that. Roomie is being very reasonable this
afternoon. I talked to him about Dean's suggestion to roast the bird
at 275F for 10 hours, and he's thinking that might be workable for
him. We just got a call from the guest who was supposed to come this
weekend. She has this weekend off, but can't get the following one
off, so birdzilla is suddenly in the refrigerator instead of the
freezer. No WAY it's gonna thaw by Friday. This should be
interesting.

Stay tuned.

--
kilikini's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 04:15:22 GMT, Cindy Fuller
> wrote:

>In article >,
> Damsel in dis Dress > wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 12:46:34 -0800, "Gunner" <gunner@ spam.com> wrote:
>>
>> >"Andy" <q> wrote in message ...
>> >> Damsel in dis Dress said...
>> >>
>> >>> Ours is 33.5 pounds. There will be four of us eating it at this
>> >>> point. Roommate wanted one that would impress. Thing looks like a
>> >>> skin-covered Volkswagon beetle. He refuses to consider not stuffing
>> >>> this beast.
>> >>
>> >> Good grief. That's going to take forever to cook. Are you deep frying it?
>> >
>> >For stuffing in this Bird you need to factor in the internal temp of the
>> >stuffing in that organic oven. A bird this big need special attention.
>>
>> Try telling that to my roommate. I'm coming to dread this meal. I'm
>> just not sure yet what'll happen. Food poisoning or completely dried
>> out meat.
>
>Dams, my friend, this is a recipe for disaster (especially after I read
>that the behemoth was thawing on the kitchen counter). I don't think
>there's any way the interior of the stuffing will get to 160? before the
>turkey is done.

Oh, it's gotten better. It's gonna be cooked on Friday now. It was
taken out of the freezer today, and placed into the refrigerator.
Roomie wants to put it into a large cooler full of hot water to thaw
it.

>St. Julia (Child) had an idea in "The Way to Cook" that might be useful
>for the purpose of a critter this size. It involves taking out the
>backbone and flattening it, also known as spatchcocking. (This may
>require a chainsaw in your case, and you'd need to make sure that the
>roasting pan would accommodate the flattened carcass.) I'd roast it a
>couple of hours to brown the skin and start cooking, and then finish
>roasting the bird on top of a bed of stuffing. You'd still get the
>juices into the stuffing, BUT the flatter bed of stuffing would get up
>to temp faster than if it were in a ball inside the turkey cavity. If
>the stuffing isn't up to temp by the time the turkey is done, you can
>remove the turkey and leave the stuffing in the oven until it does get
>to 160?. The backbone can go in the pot with the neck and giblets to
>make broth for the gravy.

He absolutely will not spatchcock it. This is all for the "wow"
effect.

>Good luck, and keep the Poison Control Hotline number handy.
>
>Cindy, resident food safety cop

Thanks, we'll need both the luck and the number. I'll keep you
posted. Right now, I'm just hoping I can convince him to start
thawing the bird in cold water, starting tomorrow.

--
UPDATE!
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/

Damsel wrote:

>> St. Julia (Child) had an idea in "The Way to Cook" that might be useful
>> for the purpose of a critter this size. It involves taking out the
>> backbone and flattening it, also known as spatchcocking. (This may
>> require a chainsaw in your case, and you'd need to make sure that the
>> roasting pan would accommodate the flattened carcass.) I'd roast it a
>> couple of hours to brown the skin and start cooking, and then finish
>> roasting the bird on top of a bed of stuffing. You'd still get the
>> juices into the stuffing, BUT the flatter bed of stuffing would get up to
>> temp faster than if it were in a ball inside the turkey cavity. If the
>> stuffing isn't up to temp by the time the turkey is done, you can remove
>> the turkey and leave the stuffing in the oven until it does get to 160?.
>> The backbone can go in the pot with the neck and giblets to make broth
>> for the gravy.
>
> He absolutely will not spatchcock it. This is all for the "wow"
> effect.

There's a "turkey gadget" that is essentially a bent pipe meant to go all
the way through the cavity of a stuffed turkey, conducting heat to the
interior of the stuffing so it cooks from both the inside and the outside.
After trying it out, America's Test Kitchen gave it a (very surprised)
thumbs-up.

At any rate, reading the other posts in this thread, I would cast a wary eye
indeed on the turkey and stuffing cooked by your roommate. I fear for your
health. MAYBE it'll turn out fine, but better safe than VERY sorry.

Bob

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 23:07:08 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:

>He absolutely will not spatchcock it. This is all for the "wow"
>effect.

Is that the "wow" effect, as in, "Wow, look how far I just hurled!"


--
Zilbandy - Tucson, Arizona USA >
Dead Suburban's Home Page: http://zilbandy.com/suburb/
PGP Public Key: http://zilbandy.com/pgpkey.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~

On 21 Nov 2006 00:00:01 -0600, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

>There's a "turkey gadget" that is essentially a bent pipe meant to go all
>the way through the cavity of a stuffed turkey, conducting heat to the
>interior of the stuffing so it cooks from both the inside and the outside.
>After trying it out, America's Test Kitchen gave it a (very surprised)
>thumbs-up.

I think we'd have to use a car exhaust pipe at this point, alas.

>At any rate, reading the other posts in this thread, I would cast a wary eye
>indeed on the turkey and stuffing cooked by your roommate. I fear for your
>health. MAYBE it'll turn out fine, but better safe than VERY sorry.

YOU'RE scared?? He did go out and buy a meat thermometer. I'll be
sure that the dressing is heated to the proper temperature, per Cindy
(160F?). I'll scroll back and find out. If the dressing isn't heated
properly when it's removed from the turkey, I'll stand my ground and
insist that it be baked until it's safe. He's bigger than I am, but I
think I can take him.

Carol, flexing her arm muscles and wincing in pain

--
kilikini's surgery is today
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 23:51:50 -0700, Zilbandy
> wrote:

>On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 23:07:08 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:
>
>>He absolutely will not spatchcock it. This is all for the "wow"
>>effect.
>
>Is that the "wow" effect, as in, "Wow, look how far I just hurled!"

LOL! I don't *think* that's the intention. I'm glad this turkey is
dead. I would never want to run into it in a dark alley.

--
kilikini's surgery is today
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini/

In article >,
Damsel in dis Dress > wrote:

> Thanks, we'll need both the luck and the number. I'll keep you
> posted. Right now, I'm just hoping I can convince him to start
> thawing the bird in cold water, starting tomorrow.

I have. in desperation, thawed a medium sized turkey at room temp (stuck
in the microwave to protect it from curious kitties) for 24 hours... It
always still has ice crystals in the interior.

I've not made anyone sick doing that yet, but I do keep my house rather
cold. Part of why my power bills are so damned high. ;-)
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

One time on Usenet, Damsel in dis Dress
> said:
> On 21 Nov 2006 00:00:01 -0600, "Bob Terwilliger"
> > wrote:

<snip>

> >At any rate, reading the other posts in this thread, I would cast a wary eye
> >indeed on the turkey and stuffing cooked by your roommate. I fear for your
> >health. MAYBE it'll turn out fine, but better safe than VERY sorry.
>
> YOU'RE scared?? He did go out and buy a meat thermometer. I'll be
> sure that the dressing is heated to the proper temperature, per Cindy
> (160F?). I'll scroll back and find out.

The USDA recommends 165º F. for the turkey, and I would think the
stuffing as well, although they don't suggest one stuff at all (that's
a whole 'nother topic):

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets...rkey/index.asp

Butterball suggests 180º F for the turkey thigh and 165º F for
the stuffing:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/vxsxd

OR

http://butterball.com/en/main_canvas...ludePage=faq_6.
jsp&t=Turkey%20FAQs&s0=faqs&s1=

> If the dressing isn't heated
> properly when it's removed from the turkey, I'll stand my ground and
> insist that it be baked until it's safe. He's bigger than I am, but I
> think I can take him.
>
> Carol, flexing her arm muscles and wincing in pain

Good for you! It's one thing for him to insist on cooking this
behemoth, it's another to insist on not cooking it properly...

--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

Damsel in dis Dress wrote:


> Oh, it's gotten better. It's gonna be cooked on Friday now. It was
> taken out of the freezer today, and placed into the refrigerator.
> Roomie wants to put it into a large cooler full of hot water to thaw
> it.

It may not be too late to make dinner reservations somewhere....



Dawn

One time on Usenet, Dawn > said:
> Damsel in dis Dress wrote:

> > Oh, it's gotten better. It's gonna be cooked on Friday now. It was
> > taken out of the freezer today, and placed into the refrigerator.
> > Roomie wants to put it into a large cooler full of hot water to thaw
> > it.

> It may not be too late to make dinner reservations somewhere....

Yeah, we'd like to have you around post-Friday, Dams...

--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~