F*ck The Whole Bird, I Cook My Turkey Like This Now

[@daynashallenberger6256]

Who knew a recipe could turn into a wonderful memory? i have a grown son with autism. his absolute favorite dinner is buffalo wings. when i presented him with those giant perfectly crisp turkey wings his eyes lit up! it made everyone so happy!

[@Heathcake]

Love the show. Roast your excess turkey at 450* for 25-35 minutes before making the stock. Adds another layer of flavor.

[@pizzasaurolophus]

not the bones though, raw bones makes for more flavourful stock

[@elbruces]

@@pizzasaurolophus Nope, definitely do the bones. Roasted bones makes for more flavourful stock.

[@DuncanMcDowell]

You also do not need 12 hours for poultry. 4-5 hours is sufficient. 45 minutes for veg. 10 minutes for aromatics. Putting the aromatics in early results in the vast majority of the volatile compounds ending up in the air instead of in your stock. Add tomato paste for added depth of colour and a bit of umami. You can remouillage the next day to make even more stock. I am stock man.

[@garymuth666]

Thank you so much! I never cooked a turkey before so I followed your video step by step. My turkey was a huge success at our family Thanksgiving dinner. My 14 year grandson is a foodie and said it was the best turkey he ever tasted and gave me a plus 11 out of 1-10 rating. That made my day, thanks.

[@steven.h0629]

👍😎✊

[@LowScoville]

This is so sweet, hope you had a great Thanksgiving this year also.

[@tristamyers1910]

This looks seriously delicious! I told my mom we should try this. She agreed it looks great, but her reason why we absolutely can not do this is because she needs to have a picture of her whole turkey right out of the oven lol 🙄 she's stuck in her ways.

[@ichhabe330]

Just throw in the picture from last year or any of her favourites.Who will notice?

[@nondrowzee]

Always about the pictures on Thanksgiving 🤦🏻‍♂️🤣

[@tristamyers1910]

@@ichhabe330 lol perfect

[@tristamyers1910]

@@nondrowzee always. She gets really into it too. Stands on a chair to get a full aerial view of the entire table lol

[@fmilton20]

Hold the turkey hostage! lol Regardless hope your TG is great.

[@julieaskingforafriend]

A friend received a larger than usual turkey as a holiday gift from work. She didn't have a pan to cook it in so I suggested she portion it, because logic. She acted like I had suggested she slaughter and stuff her eldest child and serve that instead. Portioning a turkey is a whole paradigm shift, and I am so here for it! Update: another friend was given two turkeys, and gave me one of them. I have a convection toaster oven that will not accommodate an entire turkey. So I grabbed my good kitchen shears and had my way with that bird. I was able to do a quarter at a time in the toaster oven, and I got the whole thing cooked and either sliced or shredded, then frozen in portions. I have several months worth of Thanksgiving in my freezer!

[@cdrom1070]

learn2temepraturecontrol. IMO this is nonsense for people that can't figure out how to prepare the meat and set the temperature

[@qwenqwen1476]

Imagine if someone had given her an entire cow😂. The neighborhood would have a feast!

[@isobel64]

@@cdrom1070 why are you even here if you believe its nonsense?

[@cdrom1070]

@@isobel64 tired of people making thanksgiving suck, such a letdown to go to a dinner where there is no turkey on the table. downgrade to a 3 foot tall chirstmas bush too

[@nomadicmagician2968]

lmao

[@marleiseturner4689]

I did exactly how you showed, and this is was the absolute best Turkey we have ever had! Honestly, it was so easy to do, the stock was dark and rich, all the sides went into the oven on the three levels of rack placement. My family was in awe. I bought a lovely two second thermometer from a specialty cooking store as well as a 17” Lodge Cast Iron pan to fit the Turkey pieces in. I saved a few pieces of fat and an oops piece of thigh meat that I accidentally cut off on my first attempt at cutting the leg off. I used it to fry up separately with avocado oil for my gravy. I did save the drippings from the large pan as well to make more gravy as I sent some home with my family. I will never roast a Turkey any other way from here on out. Wished this 67 year old woman would have viewed your video earlier. So my Sis was not impressed initially when I was frying the pieces skin side down before placing in the oven. However, during our feast she wanted me to give you an 100 star review. Huh, how about that!! She was like, “Sis, you are so brave to watch a KZbin guy and make a Turkey for us without testing it out first😅.” Yes, you are brilliant. All pieces were juicy with the skins roasted perfectly. Please accept my sincerest Thank You for such a memorable experience that will now be passed on to my family for generations to come. The breasts and wings were done first. Just placed them on my wood chop board to rest whilst the legs and thighs continued to roast. When all was done and rested, I served it on a platter with some of the gravy on the bottom, sprinkled some fresh cut sage and savory. Beautiful presentation. You know, family members are still sending me messages about it! I ordered a young fresh bird from a specialty market in Bend, Oregon. It is a Shelton Turkey. Fresh and just the best. No antibiotics, etc. I got there at 7:00 AM on the 20th, of November, as they go fast even if you ordered one. I guess because they are fresh from the farm and some people don’t show up to pick theirs up. Not me…..I will be there to get mine😳 My Son In Law said to me, “ I am so jealous of your big cast iron pan right now❤.” I love him so much. He is 25 and will be getting one for Christmas. He actually helped me sear the pieces in one of my aprons. He is a keeper for life! Anyway, thanks again for your brilliant video. You are truly a delight and I wish you all the best as I am awaiting more videos from you❤

[@victoriastevens6507]

Where has this been all my Thanksgiving's?! I've been hosting Thanksgiving for over 30 years and this makes the most sense EVER for the turkey! 2022 there's a new bird in town. Thanks for this. I'm extra excited for Thanksgiving now

[@davemauriello8088]

I've been doing this for over 20 years. Originally, I did it to fit it in my smoker but then quickly realized all the things you listed and never went back. If you prep the day before, you can put the stock in the fridge and the fat will congeal on top making it easy to remove, plus you can dry brine overnight.

[@TheOGMattBurns]

I always make my stock ahead of time and chill it, for the same reason. The fat gets used for the gravy, so there is no need for butter unless you decide to add some later to polish it up.

[@OWK000]

yeah, the smoker. So far I just BBQ the drumsticks with some smoking oak and make kale & white bean soup. If I had more peeps around I would do the whole bird this way. I was gifted a whole smoked turkey from some place in (Tyler?)Texas that ships them. It was good. I made rice rolls with advocado and green onions with some of it (like sushi california rolls) The marvelous thing about this whole smoked turkey was that the mostly eaten carcass can be cooked in water for broth AFTER Thankgiving and makes an amazing broth. Threw in a can of baked beans and some other things (kale carrots) and it was amazing. Since the turkey is already cooked it doesn't take as much time to free the nice thickening protein rich gelatine from the bones and tendons. So whole smoked turkeys are nice too, but both drumsticks and wings are excellent for smoking and making soup if you can't fit the carcass in your smoker.

[@swingarmer]

This looks great and I say, keep the fat in the gravy!!

[@auntymarushkafah]

I'm going to do mine like this this year, with one exception; it's got to be keto, so the gravy will be different. But it looks so yummy. Watching this made my yummy dinner taco taste even yummier

[@jirikurto3859]

@@TheOGMattBurns I add shoe polish to polish mine up and and I do it in Krakow just to be sure.

[@cacobarruvias5247]

I've been frying my turkeys for about a decade. Until last year when I tried this method. Hands down this is so much better. Just had to watch again cuz I'm about to throw down another perfect turkey this year. Thanks!

[@EiLLo81]

Am I ever going to cook Thanksgiving dinner? No. Am I ever going to butcher a turkey? No. Did I watch this video knowing all this? Yes, yes I did.

[@peytonalexander5300]

Why not cook a Thanksgiving dinner? Unless you aren’t American, of course.

[@KP-sc1nh]

@@peytonalexander5300 so “American of you” 🙄

[@peytonalexander5300]

@@KP-sc1nh How so?

[@EiLLo81]

@@peytonalexander5300 I'm the youngest in the family, I don't think my house is ever going to be in the Thanksgiving rotation.

[@peytonalexander5300]

@@EiLLo81 Ah gotcha, that’s fair. There’s always friendsgiving though! I just always like encouraging people to cook for the holidays because I find it very fulfilling lol

[@DavidHall-ge6nn]

My brother got a pterodactyl of a Mennonite turkey 15 years ago that was too big for the oven, and I cooked it in pieces, using the carcass for stock, like you did. Best Thanksgiving ever! I haven't cooked one whole since. Your video, technique, and explanation were all on point, as usual. I have sauce-separator envy so bad right now!

[@roberttschaefer]

Did you hear the one about the Amish girl who was kicked out of the church? Well, the reason for the excommunication: too Mennonite. 😉

[@DavidHall-ge6nn]

That's hysterical!

[@m.theresa1385]

@@roberttschaefer 😂

[@SuperLio333]

@@DavidHall-ge6nn can you pay for my college

[@lloydshackleton9554]

@@SuperLio333 you can pay for your own and a dozen others if you can learn to lick your own eyelids like a lizard doez

[@goodgawdgertrude4240]

I made this for my birthday and everyone that tried it said it was seasoned perfectly and wasn't dry at all. One of my friends even asked for the recipe! I sent him a link to your video. Thank you for taking the time to make this video!

[@tdbarton7712]

I've been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 46 years. I'm always open to something new. I did a practice turkey today (yep, you read that correctly) and it was delish. The front-end prep and cooking made for seamless serving.

[@EL-em3mn]

You are not alone. My wife is doing this turkey today but we did a prime rib for the first time for some other family on Tuesday. Two weeks ago, i did a practice run on another prime rib to get everything perfect. Honestly it resulted in a 3/10. After making some major adjustments this Tuesday, everybody thought the prime rib was too die for and it was truly a 9.5/10. Practice doesn't normally make perfect but it will at least make me competent!

[@tdbarton7712]

@@EL-em3mn Love it! I made a practice prime rib before the first time I was planning to serve it too. No one seems to mind being the practice guests either. :P

[@toni5810]

I followed your instructions for cutting the turkey, dry brine, searing, roasting, etc. This will be the way I will cook future turkeys. It came out moist and delicious! My family enjoyed it (from the kids to the seniors!) I opted to save the turkey stock versus reducing it. I had enough stock for the dressing, gravy and will have some for soup later.

[@CitrusXVA]

I just made a lot of turkey tonight based on this recipe. Gotta say that it's the juiciest, tastiest dish of turkey my family and I have ever had. The recipe is a keeper in my book. I don't think I'll ever want turkey the "old fashioned way" ever again, which hopefully doesn't become a problem in other households. Thank you so much for this, and I'll be sure to make it again down the road.

[@geoff6112]

Great technique. I gave the dark meat a 20 min head start and everything came out perfectly cooked and juicy. And the overnight stock was a brilliant idea. What an aroma!

[@mrpankau]

Steven, this is what a cooking video should be. You made your point by crystallizing 7 clearly articulated reasons - excellent! People often wonder WHY, but too many teachers ramble on and on without actually telling them. Good job, brother. - A teacher

[@edzmuda6870]

I live by myself and I always buy the biggest turkeys I can find around the holidays. I often butcher two at a time and freeze the parts that I don’t eat right away. I make several different dishes from each part. I found that you can do anything with the legs/thighs that you can do with pork shoulder. Last time I used them in place of pork to make cuban sandwiches. As for the carcass, I don’t bother with aromatics when making stock. I just make a rich gelatinous broth with only water and the turkey parts and get it in the freezer. I add the aromatics when I decide what to make with it. It might be Pho, Avgolemeno, consommé, etc. Sometimes I separate the tenders from breast to make schnitzel. Sometimes I use the skin and rendered fat to make highly addictive cracklings.

[@mainstreetsaint36]

Sounds like really efficient use of poultry.

[@cwb124]

Love this idea because turkey is so cheap the week of and week after Thanksgiving. Makes sense to pick up a couple and cut them up and freeze them.

[@ph1shstyx]

I usually go on black friday and the weekend to see what the cost of a turkey is after the holiday. You can usually save $1/lb and make a ton of food by doing exactly this

[@vkay6915]

HOW COULD THIS HAVE BEEN ANY BETTER!!!! My family went crazy over this bird. I actually had to cut the brine time down to 5 hrs and it was absolutely perfect with the salt seasoning and sooo moist. Can't wait to try it overnight. Thank you sir and I'll be getting your cookbook for myself and sisters!! Bravo my friend.

[@MugenRyder]

This was absolutely amazing. Every bit of this was spot on, and a surefire way to make an unforgettable Thanksgiving dinner. I would only add one more step. Roast the carcass at high heat just to get a little browning on it before you add it to the stock pot. Good way to add just a little more body and flavor to the stock. Otherwise, this was a phenomenal video showing probably the best way to cook a turkey. Cudos!

[@Babyvalkyie]

Good call!

[@gunnersdad6612]

Yep, I was thinking the same thing.

[@jmsuther01]

Roasting makes a big difference!

[@sharongeorge5449]

My thought, exactly!

[@marilyntisdale4063]

@@Babyvalkyie qq

[@TahtahmesDiary]

Well you just created a family feud lmao who knew my husband was so attached to the big bird experience? Going on about “not fixing what isn’t broken”, yet even angrier when I point out the best turkey we ever had was the extra one we cooked in the instant pot that one year. Fascinating what some people hold on to, you had me sold 🤷🏾‍♀️😂

[@teresabeard9112]

I tried this method for the first time this year. I loved how the turkey came out… Every piece done perfectly and golden brown. And it was delicious. I absolutely love love love this video. Thank you so much… You are a genius!

[@uhN0id]

I've never had an issue with a whole turkey being too dry after doing a dry brine and using a two probe thermometer one in the breast and one in the dark meat (unless I royally screw up) but the idea of utilizing the carcass for the roux/gravy is brilliant. I love that you list all the benefits over a traditional turkey because every point is hard to argue. Someone might say presenting the turkey is part of the magic of thanksgiving and I'd agree but ultimately people want good food. Also the way you're able to present the turkey on the platter without panicking to carve, cut and arrange before it's cold is really really enticing! Since I am hosting this year I will definitely give this a shot! Edit: best turkey I've ever had and my family agreed. One of which is a chef owner of a restaurant. Now I'm back to refresh myself so I can do it again for my Christmas turkey to pair with my 18lb brisket 🥲

[@jamie.sherryotis-farley6078]

Interesting.. been preparing for 45 yrs

[@emazing33j]

And pouring gravy all over it is gonna make look moist

[@tibsno]

I'm giving it a go too! Hope all goes well for you.

[@perryhubert296]

Tried this out a few weeks ago for practice on a small turkey. Worked perfectly and just butchered a 25 lb one for tomorrow. Can't wait! Such an excellent idea! 😎

[@Drak976]

Ha it's that carving part that used to stress my Step Dad out and now stresses me out. You basically need a guide like this or years of experience to do it right. My first time my Dad's gf was all mad that I hacked the bird up. Yes my family is weird like that Jerry Jerrry Jerrrry.

[@paulwagner688]

This is Stephen's best season. The HPOA is the most genius book ever. It NEEDS to be in a hardcover version sold through major sellers with lots of bonuses, of course.

[@jonscott1042]

I had never cooked a whole turkey before and wanted to try this method. It was absolutely amazing! And the breast came out so moist. Will definitely do this again next go around. The best part of it all was the bird was cooked in a camping oven we picked up off Amazon due to our oven being busted.

[@kimbibbs5700]

I’ve been cooking an entire TG meal by myself for decades!! This year my Daughter is doing the cooking, and I am giving this to her!!! This is perfect, makes compete sense, and if I were cooking the meal, this is how I would do it this year!! TY

[@moosemcgillicuddy7585]

Chef, I'm sure this is insanely good, I have no doubt. My mother always did hers low and slow, over night. She would wake every 2-3 hours to baste the turkey. She would also drape the entire turkey with bacon and the bacon and the skin would basically become one. Combined with her stuffing it was the greatest meal I've ever had and I was blessed to have it every year for 44 years. Now that she's gone home to be with dad, I just may have to give yours a try. I just hope she doesn't get angry with me.

[@MC414]

Thankyou for sharing ☺️

[@cookshackcuisinista]

I saw this years ago done on the Julia Child show. I roasted my turkey a few times just like that and it enables you to pull off each piece as it's done with mouth watering perfection. Julia did not brown hers first, but what a great idea! Best to making stock though I like to roast the carcass to go golden brown and then throw it into a stock pot. The flavor is deeper!

[@deng890]

How long do you roast the carcass for before putting it in the stock pot?

[@cookshackcuisinista]

@@deng890 once the meat is off the bird, you put some spices on the carcass if you wish and throw it into a 350° oven or at least 30 minutes. Sometimes I then broil it for a minute or two under the broiler just to make it extra brown. It is then ready for the stock pot!

[@RickySlade111]

This guys channel is like a cheat code to cooking. Made the turkey this way today, and it was the first thanksgiving people actually liked the turkey. Thank you 🙏

[@ChimiChimiChurryPie]

Jacques Pepin showed this method on one of his cooking shows with Julia Childs. He put the turkey parts on TOP of a bed of stuffing while baking. Makes all the difference in the world.

[@crunchyflakepusssuk]

Thanks! was worried abt the stuffing the whole time!

[@Deadbuck73]

My mom always did something similar with chicken thighs and rice…

[@PatriotPaulUSA]

@@Deadbuck73 I had a aunt who did the cut up chicken in a cornbread in a big oven corningware dish its fantastic too

[@03-K64-Firefly]

Yesss. Less people are gonna want it. Ew

[@kathyb2562]

Hard to butter all those little square pieces of Breads...LOL! 🍞🥖🍗 (...just kidding!!) 🦃

[@martinkillips180]

I'm a traditionalist, so it goes against my every instinct to portion the turkey prior to roasting - but this Christmas I will give this method a go. I'll let you know after how it went!

[@ceasarcruz8312]

"traditionalist" is a weird way of saying "crusty ass"

[@JeremyAntonL]

PERFECT because GREAT camera angles to actually see your skills. For me, THIS is the best guide/lesson I found.

[@margaretf6147]

All I can say is wow! You are on point, drying out the skin and dry brining is all about that crispy skin! Thank you for this. I’m doing it this year.

[@derekmartin75dm]

Dude. I do the same thing quite often. However I have a tip for you. The carcass and all that....bake it and brown it before you boil it. It's sooo good man! That was the best turkey I've had how you do it.

[@glynnrodgers8778]

I really like this video! Slow simmering the stock overnight while the turkey brined was my best takeaway. Thanks for the excellent, step by step presentation.

[@williamreinhard]

I have always liked to make a turkey and have a big thanksgiving dinner with my friends. A few years ago I discovered your channel when I found the upside-down turkey recipe, and it was probably the best turkey I've made so far. Since then I've made lots of your recipes and I don't think I've ever been disappointed. Excited to try this one this year, thanks for all the inspiration.

[@robinmerick9829]

I have no one. You are blessed

[@yvonnelake3296]

@@robinmerick9829 When I invited someone from church that I really didn't know well, to dinner at my house, she was delighted--and so was I! Maybe someone at church, or a casual acquaintance from the grocery store or pharmacy or someone in the neighborhood is also alone. Invite them, and reap the blessings!

[@yvonnelake3296]

BTW, I physically can't prepare a big meal, but the Crockpot fed us well!

[@rileyjackfansmithandjones8238]

Love the Turkey Prep....sometimes I stuff the leg,and throw the leg bone in the stock. However, that stock preparation is absolute perfection. Of all things I do in the kitchen......Stock is the thing I must have, and have done right. Really nice, sensible presentation, and mad respect for your Stock, Chef!

[@RyanFerreri]

I followed this method today and honestly it's the best turkey I've ever made. The only drawback to this method is that the oven is too hot for a lot of the sides while the turkey is roasting. However, the turkey is done SO QUICKLY, you can take it out, drop the oven temp and do your sides while the turkey sits under foil and stays warm. Thanks for this video... I'll definitely do it this way again.

[@jacquekenne]

I never thought about doing a turkey this way but I love it!

[@colleenpritchett6914]

You pull the wings out first, then the breasts and the legs/thighs. Use a meat thermometer. Keep pulled pieces tented with foil. In oven at 400 degrees, zero need to brown at all. Ta da

[@nicoleposiak4476]

We bought our frozen turkeys on sales during the thanksgiving season to be used later .I saw your technic and decided to cook one of the bird this way. I used butter and oil with fresh herbs to seared the meat ,all I could say is :What a game changer !!! It was so good ,tasty and juicy we will definitely going cook this way again.Thank you!

[@lisaspikes4291]

I also like the idea of making the stock from the carcass. Everyone likes a lot of gravy, so I usually have to use store bought turkey stock for the gravy. But this way, I can do it myself!

[@sabrina9249]

Just wanted to say I made my thanksgiving turkey following this video step-by-step and it was a HUGE HIT!! (Even without all the fancy equipment) That gravy was the most thanksgiving tasting gravy I’ve ever made and the consistency was PERFECT! Thank you 🙏🏾

[@lydiafoster5780]

Same here! It was phenomenal!

[@cryptomando]

I'm gonna try it tomorrow for xmas day... I'm not the best cook but fingers crossed :)

[@anitas5817]

Holy moly. What just happened? This is the best thing I’ve seen for all the reasons mentioned!!! Yes!! Fresh stock, easier seasoning, cooking and serving.

[@joeydunkle]

The precarve is the way to go! I've been doing this for a few years and it makes cooking and presentation much easier. For the stock I roast the carcass in the oven first to get an extra demension of flavor

[@jaleesabarretto]

I followed this video step by step, hands down the best Thanksgiving dinner I ever made. Turkey was super moist, gravy was amazing, and I had enough stock to replace the water in my stuffing mix AND froze some for later use. I'm going to prep this way every year going forward, THANK YOU SO MUCH 🙏 ❤

[@aaronsines1961]

Dude….I can’t thank you enough. I followed every step of your video. The results were undeniable. I will never go back to cooking a whole bird again. The entire bird was used. The stock was used to make stuffing and gravy. Absolute liquid gold. Thank you!!!!

[@rustyfan89]

I do the Norman Rockwell thing every year using an Alton Brown recipe from like 10 years ago, I think this year I’m gonna have proceed to the next generation and use your method as the way you explained it makes total sense and your reasoning behind it solves my issue perfectly. I usually have 25-30 family and friends for thanksgiving doing it like you I could probably make 2 medium size turkeys and it would be money!

[@ruthscott5166]

My husband made our turkey this way and it was amazing! So tender and well-seasoned. I added fresh herbs and lemon juice and slices to the pan for the baking process. We're already making plans for our next turkey! Thanks for giving us this video and the cooking process. Oh, we have lots of lovely stock left over in the freezer, also :D

[@lavernaturner4757]

I cooked my turkey exactly like this last year and everyone loved it! It was moist and tasted seasoned. I am going to cook it this way again. It was delicious! Why mess with a good thing? Saved so much time cooking it this way. Thank you very much for this video! ❤

[@hwynhnk]

I did this, this year and it came out perfect! My stepdaughters boyfriend said to me “thank you for making the best turkey I’ve ever had” 😊 -then he shows up the next day with a thawed turkey in his hands and asked me to show him how I did it. Lol ❤️😁🤙🏽

[@lindalewis3138]

Wow, this was the best turkey I ever cooked. You were so right. I saved the stock in jars for later. Great video.

[@farva37]

My guy, I made this last year and it was fire. I guess it was too good because I got volunteered to make it again this year. Lol I came back just to refresh my memory. Thanks for everything I’ve learned from you, it’s enhanced my love of cooking good food. 🍻

[@lazybelphegore6748]

Thanks! I love turkey; and I make my own bone broth. Making the stock in advance helps, you can use the bone broth for the liquid in dressing and the gravy, and can even use some to baste the turky. Also, can use it to make turkey vegetable soup (I actually make tortilla soup with my leftover turkey).

[@katiealicia]

I started watching your videos around this time of the year when I was in my last semester of grad school and super stressed. Now your holiday videos are so comforting to me and another reason why I love this time of year.

[@linaD08]

I made the turkey this way and it was the best ever!!! I did add a sprinkling of onion, garlic and oregano powder for the 24 hour rest period and this infused the whole meat with an incredible tenuous flavor. And, making stock from the backbones ahead of time was genius. Thank you!!!

[@moore2522]

I've done it all-traditional, deep fried, upside-down and lately I've settled on spatchcocked. This just might be the best way to go. I like the idea of being able to control the white meat/dark meat cooking temps so I am going to give this a try!

[@ajaxracing]

Same spatchcock on the smoker 🔥

[@fabsoflyy718]

For the stock, really suggest changing water once before adding the vegetables. Makes a big difference in the quality of the end product when starting stock with raw meat

[@alel7333]

can you explain what you mean by changing water

[@princessbrittney3958]

@@alel7333 When you're initially making the stock (before you add the vegetables and it's just the bird in the water), pour THAT water out after it comes to a boil and you can see the scum rise to the top (pour it through a strainer). Then add fresh water to the pot, put the turkey carcass back in and the vegetables. Then continue to cook.

[@Rob3959]

I just did this today (Nov. 26, 2022) and I must say, the turkey was amazing. It was the best I've ever made. The dry brine was the key. The seasoning was spot on which is hard to do since you can't pre-taste a turkey. Thanks!

[@rofrofrofrofrof]

This has gotta be the best turkey method I've ever seen. Usually, every year my dad handles the cooking of the turkey but I think I'm going to have to take the reigns from him this year to give this a shot

[@katelynkress7979]

Let us know how it went if you try it!!!

[@jasondavis3244]

I saw this video a few days ago and watched it three times. This morning I cut up the Turkey, seasoned it and put it in the fridge and started the stock. It’s been going for about 10 hours. I’m really looking forward to this method tomorrow on Thanksgiving! Thanks!

[@erickhayala6379]

This is the first time I have ever hosted thanksgiving. I don’t know why we did it this way, but it was so good. Tender, moist and full of flavor. The gravy was also a hit! Thank you!

[@akasgsvirgil9503]

Pro tips: - Remove the turkey from the fridge and let come up to room temp before putting it in the hot pan. Cold proteins stick to hot pans, especially SS pans. - For a clear stock, do not boil the liquid. Let it simmer just like he did in the video. But, when reducing the liquid, it has to boil. This will make it cloudy again. In that case, add some more mirepoix to the bottom of an empty pot with 1 egg white for every quart of liquid. Combine the egg white and mirpoix thoroughly. Return the stock to the pan and gently heat. Do not heat quickly. As the liquid slowly heats, the egg white will slowly cook and as it does, it will rise to the surface and trap all the particles in the liquid. Skim to egg white from the surface and what should be left is a perfectly clear demi glace. Pour the glace in ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap. That way, you will have uniform portions of glace. - When dry brining the turkey, sprinkle the skin with just a wisp of baking soda (not baking powder). Between the salt and baking soda, the skin will become much crispier when baking in the oven. Be careful! Too much baking soda will ruin the flavor. A very, very small amount goes a very, very long way. - Trim the tips off the wings and save them for stock. The tips of the wings contain the most collagen and will help your stock achieve that gelatin consistency. - For a faster cook on the dark meat, separate the thighs from the legs. - Put the thighs and legs in the oven about 30 minutes before the rest of the bird. That way, it will all be done at the same time. - If you use wine to cook, follow one simple rule: if you won't drink it, don't cook with it. - Hot roux + cold stock = no lumps. There are only two ways to mess up a roux: 1) burn it; and 2) not enough flour or fat. You can have too much flower, but you can never have too much fat when making a gravy. - If you've never burned a roux, you've never made a roux. - Gently heat your serving platters and bowls in the oven before service. Adding gravy to the serving platter won't necessarily keep the bird more moist. But, it will ensure that you ruin a good table cloth. Not to mention the fact that when gravy cools, which it will do very quickly on the platter, it will thicken into a paste. If you want to keep the bird warm on the platter without ruining a table cloth or making brown play dough, just boil a few potatoes to about half way done, cut them into slices and arrange them in single layer on the serving platter. Potatoes retain heat for quite a long time and will keep the turkey warmer longer. - If you make a whole bird, don't stuff it with anything other than a few fist fulls of herbs. Stuffing the bird will cause it to cook unevenly and all the raw juices from the bird will filter through the stuffing and not cook thoroughly. If you want dressing, make it separately.

[@fussyrenovator7551]

Well said. 👏👏👏👏

[@Reloading20]

No I hate people that cut off wing tips. They are delicious and one of the best parts to gnaw on when roasted. Throwing them into a stock is idiotic.

[@paradigmshift7541]

Oh boy, a lot of folks are going to ruin their Turkeys with the Baking Soda tip...i know what's it's for, but I'm just saying....it's really easy to mess up

[@polish2x91]

@@Ronny-Swanton what does the blue hat mean?

[@SuweiSuwei]

@@polish2x91 it's represents a cap, and cap is a U.S. slang for bullshit.

[@mariagw123]

Made this for a Friendsgiving feast over the weekend with a 21-lb bird. Everyone said it was the best turkey they've ever had! Only downside: everyone ate so much that we all passed out by 10 PM. That tryptophan is no joke lol

[@beckiingawanup8130]

Last yr spatchcocked our turkey & liquid brined it. The best & only way I'll ever cook our turkey. So flavorable & juicy.

[@physicalzeppelin2326]

When the holidays come up every year I always find myself gravitating back to you and binge all your holiday episodes as a sense of nostalgia and cozy kitchen atmosphere

[@dukeclytn]

I haven’t cooked a whole Turkey in 5 years. I usually just grab about 4 thighs. This is going to make me try a whole bird again. That stock and gravy is probably my favorite part of this video

[@Jessicajanelove]

The darker meat of the thigh is very nutritious particularly in zinc. I love it!

[@dianamcanally5515]

I've been just doing a smallish frozen breast, but I do like the thigh idea. Dark meat is so much tastier and never dry.

[@yvonnelake3296]

@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 There's always someone in your area who has no family, too, and would love for you to share a turkey meal! Ask at any church, you might just make a new friend!

[@pattismith1643]

I followed the steps on this video with a 25 pound fresh turkey and it was truly the best turkey ever.it was so easy in every way. I agree 100% with the 7 reasons. It took 1-1/2 to cook vs 5 hours. Very good video.

[@pollykent2100]

I'm just cooking for me and the old man this year, but he insisted on a whole bird. Since it's just the two of us, I am going to experiment with this method. Your finished turkey looks fabulous! Edited to add: I did it! Butchered that bird just like you taught me! So far so good. He is seasoned and sitting on a sheet tray in my refrigerator. Edited MONTHS later in response to comments. I confess I looked at more than one video about this and as a result did not crisp the skin in the pan before roasting. Bottom line is that husband felt the skin was not as good as cookinlg the bird whole. My bad. I will try again next November. Honestly, though, speaking as the cook, I thought it was fine.

[@girlnextdoorgrooming]

Get the butcher to spatchcock it.

[@gregkrazanski]

update please

[@YuhNinja]

UPDATE! How did it go, I also have my bird portioned and stock simmering.

[@TheKlink]

We have our Turkey for Christmas in the UK, been trying to get my mum to do this for years, but she insists on doing the whole bird and being disappointed by the results then there's us having to listen to "its awful, isn't it". I cook a lot for her during the year and I'm all like "see? you could do this! see? you could do this!" and she's all like "that's not cooking ¬_¬" Some people, eh?

[@puddlestheninja]

Polly did us dirty or the turkey killed him and his poor father. RIP the Kents

[@kathleen2754]

I absolutely love this idea. I often wondered why turkey wasn't cooked this way. No one hardly ever has the carving the turkey family scene anymore. And love that you use normal terms for cutting up the turkey like butcher. Thank you for kick starting me

[@ThreeofSkeins]

Thank you so much! I followed your instructions and this was the best turkey I've ever made. My family ate it down to the last morsel. I loved having stock ready before the rest of the cooking got going. The best!!!!

[@kenteaff1629]

The whole stock thing is much simpler with a pressure cooker (e.g., Instant Pot). Put it all together with whatever veggies you'd like, cook on HIGH for 4 hours, your stock is ready. At this point, it's actually bone broth.

[@Mrsquick]

Thank you I was thinking the same thing.

[@6spdkeg]

Yeah but you still need to reduce it and you will be reducing it longer bc pressure cooking holds more liquid in. To each their own.

[@Mrsquick]

@@6spdkeg If you reduce the amount of liquid, when making the stock, less condensation. Just a 🤔 thought.

[@kenteaff1340]

@@6spdkeg I don't reduce at all. It's a rich, gelatinous broth at the end of the four hours. I let it cool off then remove the small layer of fat that accumulates on the top. It's thicker than store-bought stock or bone broth.

[@kakefisk]

​@@kenteaff1340stock and bone broth are the exact same thing. Also, stocks needs to be reduced if you are going to use them for sauces. Otherwise they are too mild and your sauce/soup will be tasteless.

[@Whistlewalk]

Looks like a perfect way to cook a big turkey. I get privately & locally grown turkeys and they can be too big for my oven. This will work. Thank you. Don't know why I didn't think of it myself. The way to do it going forward though.

[@Saucemcboss]

Cooked this yesterday for a Friendsgiving and it was awesome! Took a bit longer to cook than expected. A combination of cast iron and stainless steel pans worked like a charm. 👌

[@kelsowins]

I also don't have the kind of deep pans he used to cook his bird, and I wondered what might sub out for them. Thanks for your suggestion, I will give my cast iron & stainless pans a try. Glad to know they worked!

[@ewetyube]

Did the SS take longer then the cast iron? How long did each take?

[@chefbromar6760]

The title is perfect

[@brandonspurlin1686]

I try every year to make my Turkey better and better... This by far, the best directions and most spot on as you can get recipe. My Pops in-law even gave me a compliment that "this was your best yet". Fantastic cooking advice. Thank you!

[@crankiemanx8423]

You are a perfectionist,the amount of time &thought you put into the whole cooking process shows your skill & dedication to producing the most amazing & delicious food.we are so fortunate to have you share the amazing recipes .thank you .✨🍛🍗🍲🥗🥙🥘

[@avarysse5782]

I don't eat any turkey or ham on Thanks or Cmas - the good stuff is everything else !

[@EatDrinkRepeat]

Nothing short of genius, always delivering such genuine and awesome content. Almost 1 million brother, well done!

[@janicesmyth2183]

My grandkids love you. You actually got them listening to you and following steps to cook things. Miracle of miracles!

[@beyondaveragecooking5383]

This is how I made my turkey the last 2 years and it is by far the best way to do it. Only difference is I didn’t sear the skin side and roast it in a pan but rather on a sheet tray with a grate. I will definitely try it this way this year!

[@MrTapanes]

Wow, this is quite a sea change from our normal Thanksgiving bird prep. I am intrigued, but also more than a little daunted by it. I'm going to need some time to process this. Great vid BTW.

[@lilyalexi3905]

Well, I did this again in 2023 and my Turkey came out juicy and cooked throughout. I will never cook my turkey like before. I totally love this method. Thank you for teaching us your method. 😋 You are correct, I always get a 24 plus turkey and it has spots that aren't completely cooked well. Your method gets it done!!!

[@etdaiz2269]

Thank you! Over the years I’ve had too many turkey disasters to count. It didn’t matter what methods I tried or adjustments I made, parts and sometimes all of the bird were inedible. My family still insisted that I cook the bird because no one else wanted the burden or blame. After watching your video I was convinced I could do it. I showed everyone your video to declare my intentions. I heard, “can’t be any worse than what you normally do.” They drew the line at cooking the bird and said I couldn’t do the gravy. They also wouldn’t trust me with all the spices envisioning picking “sticks” out of the turkey. I followed your video and had the best turkey ever in my family’s history of Thanksgiving. I now have “kitchen cred” and will be allowed to cook gravy next year. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with others.

[@wendull811]

A meat thermometer goes a long way. Don't trust that tiny pop up thing.

[@watchchimp3102]

One thing he doesn't mention is some people don't have a large enough oven to cook a whole bird. Christmas and Thanksgiving are pretty much the only time we used a full sized oven. So when ours broke we just started cooking everything in a largeish countertop convection/toaster oven. By breaking the turkey down you can fit it in a smaller oven or cook it in two batches or use the carcass for stock as he does here.

[@kalliamazing]

Looking forward to trying this method tomorrow! Another trick I picked up a few years ago is to make a demiglace from my turkey stock and then inject it into my turkey parts ahead of cooking. More turkey flavor per turkey and never dry.

[@cameronmccoy5051]

Outstanding! I've done the Good Eats recipes (brined and roasted), I've done deep fried turkeys, I've done smoked Turkeys (my favorite so far) and they've all been great. This looks like another winner to add to my repertoire. I think my favorite aspect of this is by breaking it down, you get the carcass first and can get your stock that isn't affected by how you eventually decided to season and cook the bird.

[@yvonneybarra1445]

That looks awesome! Totally inspired to try it! You kept calling it a chicken cracked me up, you’re an amazing cook. Thank you!

[@staceyroske9317]

Cooked our bird using this method and it was delicious! I was also able to use the oven to cook my sides at the same time - what a game-changer. I watched the video several times before attempting to carve the bird. Use a very sharp knife and go slow. I will be using this method to cook a turkey from now on! Five stars!

[@ChiSoul]

Makes sense. I spatchcock mine and that works well too.

[@catw5294]

Dude you just popped into my feed and this is awesome. My grandmother always used to buy a turkey on clearance after the holidays and have it in the spring when you appreciate the flavors again. This system makes that idea even more appealing as cooking whole is a pain. Just sub'd

[@26debsterdots]

We did our turkey dinner like this last year. We won’t cook the whole turkey ever again. It was so good. Before the holiday I sent the video to my sister in law and she liked the idea and tried it and loved it. So for us traditions are changed. It is just the 2 of us now and we still do most of the holiday dinner. I looked this video up today so we can cook up a turkey just to make sure I remember how to do it. The very best way of cooking turkey ever. We will have turkey dinners all week as we buy a 16-26 pound turkey. Some we will freeze or can up. Thank you for sharing ! Very muchly appreciated ! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@exit0240]

You know what would make his videos even better? What if we had a tv that, after he finished the video, he grabs the food he just cooked, steps out of the tv into our homes and we all sit down to dinner together? Stephen, you are a gift!

[@Yellow-Rose]

This is the first time I'm seeing something like this. I think this is a great idea bc so many people are total turkey snobs! They think if you don't bake a whole bird you're less of a human being. I say think outside the box. Do the holidays your way. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

[@Hush-puppy]

I just came to thank you for this recipe. I tried it this past Christmas and I WILL NEVER go back to cooking a whole turkey EVER EVER AGAIN! Two breasts were plenty for the family and the rest of the pieces froze with no issue. No food wasted and seasoning, moisture level, and taste was PERFECT. Thank you so much❤

[@lindataylor6321]

I'm trying this right now. I'm finishing Friday. Yes, a day late but that's how it worked out for me this year. My carving job looked great but for some reason I struggled with the wings. That was the hardest for me. I also don't have those types of pans that you used. I mostly cook with cast iron pans, but they go in the oven just fine so it should workout as well, I'm Hoping. Edited to add: my favorite part to this method was having the bone broth done before hand. I was able to use some of it to flavor the bread stuffing before baking. Also, eating a huge meal followed up with the clean up is not the ideal time to think about the carcass to start your broth or bone broth, which is more in line with the traditional method. It made the ending so much nicer.

[@matthewrenshaw]

I've never thought of doing this. This looks phenomenal and is exactly what I'll be doing. Thank you Stephen!

[@Bradley-sl2uv]

Steve....STEVE!!!! I made this turkey for Thanksgiving yesterday and it was the best turkey I've ever tasted. The gravy was bomb too and I used a Willamette Valley Riesling from Oregon to deglaze. I got mad props from our guests. Thanks my friend...I'll never make turkey another way again

[@julicallahan304]

We did this last week for friendsgiving... literally the BEST in all our years of cooking Thanksgiving turkeys! My hubs told me dont forget to tell him how good it was lol. EVERYONE was going crazy saying the best moistest most flavorful turkey theyd ever had!

[@MrDochorrible]

The Holiday Plan of Attack has been worth every penny. We used it last year and I guess you call it the beta version of it the year before and it's absolutely indispensable. Thanks for making it!

[@itsfuntime4081]

Made this turkey last year and it was such a success I've been put in charge with cooking the Turkey from here on out. The people who dont eat Thanksgiving Turkey cause its dry and flavorless couldnt help but change their view. The gravy was amazing! All my family members were taking home all my left over gravy leaving me with almost nothing. Thank you for the video!

[@robinbarrett1158]

😂 You perfectly described the Thanksgiving run up to the pre meal chaos of the bird that has actually NEVER been presented and carved at the table in all of my 67 years of life. I’ve been cooking whole chickens this way now for the past couple of years and decided to do Thanksgiving this way this year but it was a hard decision to break tradition. Once I decided - BAM - your video popped in my KZbin feed. Now I am super excited because you gave me a plan of attack. You’re the man! Happy Thanksgiving!

[@robinbarrett1158]

Did it and it was the bomb. Guests want the recipe. Don’t worry. I gave you the credit. It was only right.

[@robertbehan9186]

I had better get started. Doing this for Christmas tomorrow. Do I need kosher salt or can I use sea salt? I really wanted to stuff the turkey, but I like to reduced cooking time. Did you use wine to make the gravy?

[@noronahahaha]

This was my first Thanksgiving and decided this was the way to do it. My review: flavor and tenderness was excellent at least as far as turkey goes. Dad asked me twice if this was my first turkey. Mom asked me to make the turkey that was in her freezer for Xmas. Some cons: really stressful when it’s go-time, aka heating up in the pan and needs to go in the oven. I burned my hands several times pulled the pan out of the oven. Also got the smoke alarm going but I suspect that’s because I used olive oil-big mistake people! Use something with a higher smoke point. Then you have to quickly do the gravy and hopefully everything stays warm by the time you’re done or people arrive. Also we were not fans of putting the turkey in the fridge uncovered. We put aluminum foil, not sure if that’s a problem.

[@riverhyuga7581]

You sir are a wonderful cook. I genuinely hope one day I can cook for a family of my own in the way you cook.