Got my turkey today

I plan to bone it out and make several dishes. Here you go.

[quote=bill oxner]This is a14 pound turkey that I bought Friday and put in a cooler.



I like to save all the skin I can so I'm careful about cutting the skin high on the back and thighs before removing the wings and legs.



It's pretty simple to pull the thigh all the way over the back util it pulls out.




Next I cut under the scapula or shoulder blades and pull them up, leaving the neck and backbone mostly unattached. I then simply grab the neck and pull.




This gives me a whole bone in turkey breast.




I don't stop there. I take breastbone out giving me a boneless turkey breast. This is the most difficult part because the skin adheres to the middle bone.




There you have it. I'll boil the bones to make my stock, bone out the legs for gumbo, and freeze the wings for soup or chicken salad. This was a six dollar turkey. I'll male at least 20 meals from it.

This turkey breast will be done in under an hour and a half. They come out better than a whole turkey because you don't have to wait on all the dark meat to get done and you can slice it across the grain.

Why do you save the skin?

It keeps it moist and looks a lot better. The turkey comes out a lot better because you slice it across the gran. It's never dry unless you over cook it.

I made my stock with the bones this morning, and picked enough meat from the bones to make soup. The bones are now in the pond. I will have minimal cleanup after the big dinner.

I'm going to have to try this technique.

This was from last year. I'm doing about the same thing this year.

Last year I smoked a Black Spanish or 'Norfolk Black' heritage breed turkey for our group. It was pricey but well worth it as it was much more flavorful than the standard broad breasted white turkeys I have been used to eating.

Bumping this up for those who did not see it last year. Sometimes I brine it sometimes I don't.

You did good Bill. All of that for probably less than 5 bucks.

So I’m planning on smoking a turkey this Thanksgiving. I want to use the bones for stock afterwards. I’ve smoked chicken before and the stock had this delicious smoke flavor. Hopefully I can get the same result from the turkey. How do you go about saving your stock? I’ve just poured my stock into mason jars and closed it up for the freezer. Do I need to get out all of the air when I save the stock?

Be careful freezing liquid in glass containers. Leave plenty of room for expansion or you will wind up with broken glass all over your freezer.

What container would you recommend?

I use the same container that I use for chili. They are one quart plastic containers that come with a lid. Also I never use any salt while making my stock. I use chicken bullion.

Off to a good start, share pics when it is done

Ah I see! I just toss the carcass into boiling water to make stock. I don’t add any additional salt.

Plastic.

The one quart plastic containers can be found in the canning section of most stores where you find the fruit jars.

The turkey prices came out today. I disregard the free ones. More ham than I can use.

Here is what Kroger is offering.



Randall's is like Tom Thumb in Dallas.




I plan to get mine at HEB.




HEB also has sweet potatoes @ 6 pounds for $1.00. I always make this sweet potato dish.



Side note. Noticed that pork butts are $1.00 a pound.

Those spiral cut hams are crazy high in price at HEB.

we usually buy a half ham and get the free turkey ... and buy a smoked turkey breast. Do both of the turkeys for Thanksgiving and freeze the ham for Christmas. The wife purchased all that yesterday.

Remember if your turkey is frozen, to allow several days in the fridge for it to thaw.

Getting there. Thought I would have a little trouble making up my $25 additional purchase so I treated myself to a half pound of Cajun rare roast beef and a loaf of seedless rye that cost almost as much as the turkey.

Somewhere on the news this week you will read that the average cost of a thanksgiving dinner is around $5. More or less. I'll look it up. My cost would feed a family of 10 for around $3 each. Take a peek.



Edit: And this year, the average cost of a turkey dinner with the trimmings comes in under $50.

I’m going to debone a whole small turkey, brine it and stuff it with green onions, asparagus, crab meat, shrimp, cream cheese, jalapeños, horse radish and bacon. Roll it, tie it and smoke it. Plus cranberry orange walnut relish, oyster dressing and giblet gravy. That oughta do it for the two of us.

Don’t forget this -

That will cost more than 4 turkeys.

It will be able to do many turkeys and chickens plus many pork roasts. And I already have some.

Got our Turkey today too. Kroger was crazy, you would have thought it was next Wednesday.

Read earlier that the Tuesday before thanksgiving is actually the busiest day at the store, even busier than Wednesday! Wouldn’t have guessed that. I’ll probably stop at Kroger Sunday afternoon on the way back from the lease. Maybe it won’t be so bad since the Cowgirls are playing an afternoon game!

They are cheaper now than they are at Christmas. I plan to get another one Tuesday for Christmas. They had some great looking new sides on Fox this morning but I only caught the tail end of the show.

That is a accurate statement. I had 30 plus years in the grocery business with over 25 years in the meat market. I never enjoyed holidays till I changes careers when I was 47 and went into manufacturing. Best thing I ever did.

We're going back tomorrow to get last minute stuff. Another Turkey and a big ham plus whatever the better half says we need. Both of my sons have to work on Thursday so we're having our get together on Saturday. I'll take my wife out for lunch on Thursday.

Its a now a done deal. My stock is in the frig, the bones have been boiled and are now in the pond. I have 6 quarts of stock and a couple pounds of picked meat, as well as two boneless thighs. My kitchen has been cleared. No mess tomorrow.