Cook Turkey Meat
Native to North America, the turkey was raised as early as the second century by Native Americans. Traditionally served on Thanksgiving in the United States, turkey can be cooked whole, in pieces or ground like ground beef. During the holiday season, supermarkets and grocery stores often run special prices on the poultry, but the bird can be cooked year-round, in a variety of ways. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Roast a whole turkey, in the traditional Thanksgiving style. Rinsed, patted dry, seasoned, and rubbed with butter or olive oil, the whole turkey can be roasted in the oven at 325 degrees F. Cooking the turkey upside down (breast down) will produce a moister, tastier, but less attractive bird. Cooking time varies, depending on weight, and if the bird is stuffed or unstuffed. Recommended cooking time is typically displayed on the product packaging (approximately 15 minutes per pound). Whole turkey should be placed on a meat rack, in a roasting roasting pan. Keep loosely covered with foil until the last hour or so of roasting.
2. Deep fry the turkey for a moist center and crispy skin. Add the turkey (whole or breast) to the fryer basket, and insert in an empty deep fryer. Add water, to the fill line according to the operating instructions on your fryer. Remove the basket and turkey, and then remove and measure the water. This is to help you determine how much oil to add to the fryer, to cook the amount of turkey you will be frying. Dry the fryer, and set up according to the instructions, add peanut oil (same amount as the water you removed), and allow to heat for about an hour. Dry the turkey completely (very important) and place in the frying basket. Slowly add the turkey to the hot oil, according to instructions that come with the deep fryer. Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes per pound.
3. Use ground turkey as you would use ground beef. Ground turkey meat can be formed into patties to make hamburgers, fried to make taco meat, mixed with breadcrumbs and vegetables to make meatloaf or used to make turkey chili. Mixed with seasoning, it can be made into turkey sausage.
4. Smoke the turkey. Fire up the outdoor smoker with charcoal or wood chips and fill the water tray with water or another liquid to add flavor. Add the cleaned, prepared and seasoned turkey (whole or parts) to the grill and close the lid. Smoke for about 1 hour per pound, for an average sized turkey. Smaller pieces may cook faster.
5. Barbecue the turkey on the grill over indirect heat. Similar to smoking, barbecuing will cook faster than smoking, as the heat tends to be higher. Keep the lid closed to the barbecue while cooking.
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