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We usually eat turkey only at Thanksgiving, but a few years back, I picked up a trick, to keep the breast meat more tender and juicy. I cook the bird, breastside-down, (after I rub it down with butter, inside and especially, on the outside). I cover it, tightly, with tin foil. When it's close to being done, I flip it over to brown the breast. Now, I will have to say, I haven't figured out an easy way to "flip the bird", (sorry, I couldn't resist! ), so, it doesn't always look pretty, but, boy, it sure tastes good! 'Course, I'm not much into fancy entertaining, and I don't have alot of room anyway, so the bird stays in the pan, and my husband just carves a bunch of meat off of it, and puts it on a platter, which I transfer to the table. So, I guess it doesn't matter, if the bird looks pretty or not!
Yes!
Flipping definitely makes for crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. (Btw--nice pun!)
With turkeys, it can be tricky because of the size of the bird.
With chicken, it's much easier. We have a rotisserie on our gas grill that really does the trick (but alas, it, along with so many of my other cooking implements, is still in storage.)
One of the ways of keeping the breast from overcooking is to use ice packs just on the breast while you are prepping the bird to go in the oven. I've even frozen a butter & stock mixture into small cubes and stuffed them under the breast skin before popping in the oven. chills then bastes! It helps keep the cooking times closer to get the thigh meat done while lowering the chance of overcooking the breast meat.
I have tried it all the above ways. I have to admit I love the deep fried turkey, but in our house it is just simply, the old fashion way. I use my roaster pan; make my stuffing or dressing, whatever you want to call it, the night before. Stuff the old guy that morning (we always get the biggest guy we can find) butter or use oil on the skin to brown it, a little seasoning and in the roaster he goes: 325 for about 18 min per lb. yes, I baste it every hour or so. I boil the giblets with onions, seasoning and carrots. They are what makes the great gravy.
My mom roasts the bird breast side up. I have eaten it breast side down but the meat was very greasy (made by my Ex-Aunt) I did not like it. My mom has always had moist breast meat and she only buys shady brook farms turkeys. She seasons the bird with butter, salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder. Make a tent with foil. She also bastes the bird every hour. Not sure on the temperature, I am guessing 325 or 350.She stuffs the Turkey the morning of Thanksgiving. No giblets in the gravy thankfully.
Location: Los Angeles>Little Rock>Houston>Little Rock
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The last 4-5 years we have brined and then roasted breast up. It always turns out moist and flavorful. I am just doing a breast this year with only two of us eating.
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), so, it doesn't always look pretty, but, boy, it sure tastes good! 'Course, I'm not much into fancy entertaining, and I don't have alot of room anyway, so the bird stays in the pan, and my husband just carves a bunch of meat off of it, and puts it on a platter, which I transfer to the table. So, I guess it doesn't matter, if the bird looks pretty or not!
