HowToDoThings.com Thanksgiving

How To Smoke a Turkey

Charles404 — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 16:48:00 -0500

In my opinion, slowly smoking a turkey over the course of many hours is the best of all possible preparations for this noble bird. Benjamin Franklin campaigned to make the wild turkey the national bird rather than the eagle. Imagine what it would be like if he had succeeded. Would the turkey have become a protected bird? Would we not be able to sit down to a wonderful turkey dinner with all the fixings? I shudder to think.

We share holidays with my wife's folks. One household takes Christmas, and the other hosts Thanksgiving. Whatever holiday we have, I always smoke a turkey. I have used two types of smokers, so I will outline the differences as we go.

How To BBQ a Turkey

Tonya249 — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 21:16:00 -0500

If you're tired of eating dried-out oven-roasted turkey every year, or you simply need to free up more space in your oven, you might want to try using your grill to barbecue a bird this Thanksgiving. It's easier than you may think - and if the weather is warm, you may just convince the guys in your family to take care of the entree while you prepare the meal inside!

How To Cook a Turkey

Sharon449 — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:46:00 -0500

Cooking a turkey for the first time can be intimidating, but it does not need to be difficult. These instructions will put you on the path to a delicious, moist turkey you can be proud of.

Safety - Thoroughly clean any surfaces the raw turkey or its juices touch with hot soapy water to avoid contamination with bacteria.
Thaw - If your turkey is fresh (not frozen), proceed to the preparation. Frozen turkeys must be thawed before cooking. Do not thaw a turkey on the counter at room temperature because this will cause bacteria to grow. Place the frozen turkey (still in the wrapper) in a dish in the refrigerator for about 1 day for every 5 pounds of turkey. For example, a 20 pound turkey will take about 3 to 4 days to thaw.

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