With Thanksgiving around the corner, we know you will be looking at how to prepare the best classic turkey dinner for your friends and family to enjoy. This blog post will give you some basic information to help you prepare the best turkey. One of the first things to remember is having enough time to thaw out the turkey before the big day. According to foodsafety.gov, there are a few different ways to do this. You can thaw the turkey in a refrigerator by allowing approximately 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, or you can use cold water which takes about 30 minutes per pound. If you decide to thaw the turkey in cold water, the turkey should be cooked right after thawing.
If the turkey weighs 20-24 lbs., we recommend putting it in the fridge the Friday before Thanksgiving, a 16-19 lb. turkey on Saturday, a 12-15 lb. turkey on Sunday, and a 4-11 lb. turkey the Monday before Thanksgiving.
How will you be cooking the turkey? There are so many different ways to prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving, from brining, smoking, roasting, or frying, to bacon wrapped or stuffed. This means that the flavor options are almost endless. One of the things that I almost always do to my turkeys, no matter which method I choose, is to brine it. By brining, the turkey absorbs extra moisture which will help to keep it juicy. The turkey will also absorb the salt and flavors of the brine to give it a nice seasoned flavor and allow the salt to break down the turkey proteins making it more tender. We carry several different brine options from popular brands like Dizzy Pig, Sweet Water Spice Company, Spiceology, Sucklebusters, Meat Church, Louisiana Grills, Kosmos Q, Butcher BBQ, and Traeger to name a few.
If you are smoking a turkey, Hickory, Cherry, and Applewood Pellets are great. Traeger also created a blend of Oak, Hickory, Maple, and Natural Rosemary Flavor with a rub and brine kit to give you more of a complete combo. This blend is perfect for sweet and smoky notes from the pellets, and a orange brine to give you that juicy bird.
Depending on the style of turkey, one option is to use a turkey cannon from Camp Chef. This is a stainless steel cylinder that helps to infuse your poultry with moisture and flavor of from you favorite beverage or cooking liquid. This product also helps cut the cooking time down and works great with chickens as small as 4 lbs., and turkeys as large as 18 lbs. See the Camp Chef Turkey Cannon here!
When it comes to rubs and seasonings there are many flavor options and brands to choose from. A popular one I have used is the Denny Mike's Turkey Lurkey Savory Seasoning. This works well with a roasted or smoked poultry. For smoked and roasted turkey, I like to brush on olive oil or melted butter and then generously season the entire turkey. When I fry my turkeys, I make sure to pat the entire turkey down with paper towels and generously season the entire turkey. Before frying a turkey please make sure that it is still not frozen, and you have padded off any excess water to reduce any risk of harm or injury when dropping the turkey into the hot oil.
We at Robidoux Inc. would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday season. When it comes to smoking and grilling, we will have your foods covered. With over 900 different spices and sauces we will have what you are looking for.
Devlin Limbach
Robidoux Inc.