Slow Roasted Turkey

I subscribe to a different view of what works when you cook a turkey. I don’t bother with marinades or rubs or injecting. All this is a bit superfluous, for me and my dinner. Granted a nice rub could add some extra flavor with the method I use, but that’s an extra step I just don’t want to deal with. I aim for the simple when I roast a turkey.

Instead of worrying about hours per pound or anything that requires higher end math (yep lazy) I turn the oven low. When I roast a turkey I do it over a period of about 7 to 12 hours at 250 degrees. I can hear you, and I know what you’re thinking. “The turkey is gonna dry out. It won’t cook right. blah blah blah”.

One of the best parts about the big Thanksgiving dinner is most of the oven stuff can be made ahead of time. So you do all that the day before or the day of, because you can cook your turkey overnight while you sleep (if you’re brave enough). That tends to be the way of it for us.

Ya know what happens when you cook a turkey low and slow like that? It cooks like a brisket or pulled pork. You end up with meat that falls off the bone and its succulent and good (yep I said succulent). Seriously, I am afraid to pull it out of the roasting pan because it is going to fall apart when I try to move it.

When you do this it is a good idea to baste it every now and then. The white meat doesn’t have the fat content of the dark meat. But that is a minor inconvenience really. You still end up with crispy skin and more than enough juice for sauce. Heck I have enough rendered fat now that I am thinking I might make some chicken wing confit. But that will be something for another time.

Time for a pint…

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