I got a fairly small Butterball (14 Pounds) and did it on the grill to
slow cook and smoke it. Not much leftovers, stayed juicy. I filled a
pan of water/white wine with celery and onions to catch the drippings.
Made sage Butter by mixing fresh sage leaves and cold butter in a food
processor and slathering it over the surface and placed whole sage
leaves UNDER the skin in a decorative pattern. Took about 3.5 hours at
325 degrees and came out fine. One of these days I am going to try
brining one just to see if it makes a difference.

Cheers!

Dave

On Sat, 24 Nov 2007 08:26:15 -0800, "K Barrett"
wrote:

"SuE" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 17:43:36 -0500, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

I have the A. eburneum that ate NY. Of course, right now I feel like *I*
ate
NY, LOL!

O/T: What's your favorite brand of turkey? We always liked Butterball, but
for the second year in a row, BB has not quite lived up to its usual
standards. Gotta try a new one next year.

Diana

The Denver Post tested Turkeys this year. 8 birds all professionally
cooked in the same manner, everything from the EL-Cheepo to the
Organically grown Fresh Bird.

I would give you 2 guesses -- as to the best tasting and best looking,
carving etc... But the first one would not count.

Yes, EL-Cheepo was the winner. The second was the second store's
Cheepie. The third I believe was Butterball (better watch out they
just re-branded the Turkey Factory in town).

But as many predicted #8 with the poorest taste, driest meat, and
least appealing look when cooked was the Fresh, Organically grown
bird.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/main.php

That had been our experience, too, SuE. We went totally yuppie for a few
decades, seeking the free range turkey, paying thru the nose, being
unimpressed. Then the 'brining' rage started and the cheap-o birds were
very good when brined. Then this year we hit our heads "D'oh!" realizing
*why* Butterball injected saline solution into their birds. Industrial
Strength Brine! So this year we cooked a Butterball and it was fine.
However I must say I prefered the Safeway's own brand that we brined
ourselves last year.

Some years ago a man collected all the turkey fat and disgusting parts that
Butterball threw away, rendered it into grease/oil, and made deisel fuel out
of it. It was the fisrt time I'd ever heard the term 'bio diesel' (Bio
Diestle?) That idea fell with a thud. Now 6-7 years later everyone is
looking at rendering oil out of cooking grease/oil/etc. Everyting old is
new again.

The San Francisco Auto show is this weekend and the Hybrids/Electric cars
are creating quite a splash. I've long been interested in fuel cells. I
know the technology probably won't fly where autos are concerned, however
I'd truly like to get something along those lines to take my GH off grid.
Somehow getting solar cells and inverters to charge batteries to power fans
over night. I doubt I'd ever get enough power to run the swamp cooler,
though.

As Sundance said to Butch, "Keep thinking, that's what you're good at."

K Barrett
(amazingly I got back on topic after all......)

Dave Fouchey

Florence, SC

N34° 11' 36.40"

W79° 47' 6.85"

WA4EMR

Interesting, Dave. We have a super grill w/very reliable temp control. Never
have tried turkey on it, but it sounds like we will!

Diana (also a big fan of fresh herbs and butter......)

"Dave Fouchey" wrote in message
...
I got a fairly small Butterball (14 Pounds) and did it on the grill to
slow cook and smoke it. Not much leftovers, stayed juicy. I filled a
pan of water/white wine with celery and onions to catch the drippings.
Made sage Butter by mixing fresh sage leaves and cold butter in a food
processor and slathering it over the surface and placed whole sage
leaves UNDER the skin in a decorative pattern. Took about 3.5 hours at
325 degrees and came out fine. One of these days I am going to try
brining one just to see if it makes a difference.

Cheers!

Dave

On Sat, 24 Nov 2007 08:26:15 -0800, "K Barrett"
wrote:

"SuE" wrote in message
. ..
On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 17:43:36 -0500, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

I have the A. eburneum that ate NY. Of course, right now I feel like *I*
ate
NY, LOL!

O/T: What's your favorite brand of turkey? We always liked Butterball,
but
for the second year in a row, BB has not quite lived up to its usual
standards. Gotta try a new one next year.

Diana

The Denver Post tested Turkeys this year. 8 birds all professionally
cooked in the same manner, everything from the EL-Cheepo to the
Organically grown Fresh Bird.

I would give you 2 guesses -- as to the best tasting and best looking,
carving etc... But the first one would not count.

Yes, EL-Cheepo was the winner. The second was the second store's
Cheepie. The third I believe was Butterball (better watch out they
just re-branded the Turkey Factory in town).

But as many predicted #8 with the poorest taste, driest meat, and
least appealing look when cooked was the Fresh, Organically grown
bird.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/main.php

That had been our experience, too, SuE. We went totally yuppie for a few
decades, seeking the free range turkey, paying thru the nose, being
unimpressed. Then the 'brining' rage started and the cheap-o birds were
very good when brined. Then this year we hit our heads "D'oh!" realizing
*why* Butterball injected saline solution into their birds. Industrial
Strength Brine! So this year we cooked a Butterball and it was fine.
However I must say I prefered the Safeway's own brand that we brined
ourselves last year.

Some years ago a man collected all the turkey fat and disgusting parts
that
Butterball threw away, rendered it into grease/oil, and made deisel fuel
out
of it. It was the fisrt time I'd ever heard the term 'bio diesel' (Bio
Diestle?) That idea fell with a thud. Now 6-7 years later everyone is
looking at rendering oil out of cooking grease/oil/etc. Everyting old is
new again.

The San Francisco Auto show is this weekend and the Hybrids/Electric cars
are creating quite a splash. I've long been interested in fuel cells. I
know the technology probably won't fly where autos are concerned, however
I'd truly like to get something along those lines to take my GH off grid.
Somehow getting solar cells and inverters to charge batteries to power
fans
over night. I doubt I'd ever get enough power to run the swamp cooler,
though.

As Sundance said to Butch, "Keep thinking, that's what you're good at."

K Barrett
(amazingly I got back on topic after all......)

Dave Fouchey

Florence, SC

N34° 11' 36.40"

W79° 47' 6.85"

WA4EMR

On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:52:18 -0500, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Interesting, Dave. We have a super grill w/very reliable temp control. Never
have tried turkey on it, but it sounds like we will!

Diana (also a big fan of fresh herbs and butter......)



Diana, It is really neat to put whole sage leaves under the skin, when
the skin is golden the leaves show through in relief. Tastes great
too.

Mine is a large charcoal grill that has good vent control so I have
learned how to manage the fire to keep the temp stable. Use a smoke
box with soaked wood chips over the fire, build a small fire on each
end and roast the bird over the middle. This cooks it evenly and
allows fine control of the smoke and the temperature. The secret is to
keep the fire even, and check it often. Makes a great excuse to work
in the herb garden while monitoring the grill! I also will take green
herb cuttings and place them on the coals to add subtle flavor to what
I am cooking.

Good luck!

Dave
Dave Fouchey

Florence, SC

N34° 11' 36.40"

W79° 47' 6.85"

WA4EMR

A man after my own heart, Dave. If I roast a chicken, it is with herbs (and
sometimes lemon) in the cavity. Your grilling methods sound suspiciously
like Frank's.

Diana

"Dave Fouchey" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:52:18 -0500, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Interesting, Dave. We have a super grill w/very reliable temp control.
Never
have tried turkey on it, but it sounds like we will!

Diana (also a big fan of fresh herbs and butter......)



Diana, It is really neat to put whole sage leaves under the skin, when
the skin is golden the leaves show through in relief. Tastes great
too.

Mine is a large charcoal grill that has good vent control so I have
learned how to manage the fire to keep the temp stable. Use a smoke
box with soaked wood chips over the fire, build a small fire on each
end and roast the bird over the middle. This cooks it evenly and
allows fine control of the smoke and the temperature. The secret is to
keep the fire even, and check it often. Makes a great excuse to work
in the herb garden while monitoring the grill! I also will take green
herb cuttings and place them on the coals to add subtle flavor to what
I am cooking.

Good luck!

Dave
Dave Fouchey

Florence, SC

N34° 11' 36.40"

W79° 47' 6.85"

WA4EMR

Dave just wants our mouths to water.... all over again. I love
thanksgiving, LOL!! Its all about the food.

K Barrett

"Dave Fouchey" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:52:18 -0500, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Interesting, Dave. We have a super grill w/very reliable temp control.
Never
have tried turkey on it, but it sounds like we will!

Diana (also a big fan of fresh herbs and butter......)



Diana, It is really neat to put whole sage leaves under the skin, when
the skin is golden the leaves show through in relief. Tastes great
too.

Mine is a large charcoal grill that has good vent control so I have
learned how to manage the fire to keep the temp stable. Use a smoke
box with soaked wood chips over the fire, build a small fire on each
end and roast the bird over the middle. This cooks it evenly and
allows fine control of the smoke and the temperature. The secret is to
keep the fire even, and check it often. Makes a great excuse to work
in the herb garden while monitoring the grill! I also will take green
herb cuttings and place them on the coals to add subtle flavor to what
I am cooking.

Good luck!

Dave
Dave Fouchey

Florence, SC

N34° 11' 36.40"

W79° 47' 6.85"

WA4EMR

Yeah, but there's love mixed in there! A pox on the stores that opened on
Thanksgiving day. Sorry to anyone who shopped.........

Diana

"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Dave just wants our mouths to water.... all over again. I love
thanksgiving, LOL!! Its all about the food.

K Barrett

"Dave Fouchey" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:52:18 -0500, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Interesting, Dave. We have a super grill w/very reliable temp control.
Never
have tried turkey on it, but it sounds like we will!

Diana (also a big fan of fresh herbs and butter......)



Diana, It is really neat to put whole sage leaves under the skin, when
the skin is golden the leaves show through in relief. Tastes great
too.

Mine is a large charcoal grill that has good vent control so I have
learned how to manage the fire to keep the temp stable. Use a smoke
box with soaked wood chips over the fire, build a small fire on each
end and roast the bird over the middle. This cooks it evenly and
allows fine control of the smoke and the temperature. The secret is to
keep the fire even, and check it often. Makes a great excuse to work
in the herb garden while monitoring the grill! I also will take green
herb cuttings and place them on the coals to add subtle flavor to what
I am cooking.

Good luck!

Dave
Dave Fouchey

Florence, SC

N34° 11' 36.40"

W79° 47' 6.85"

WA4EMR

On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:40:41 -0500, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Yeah, but there's love mixed in there! A pox on the stores that opened on
Thanksgiving day. Sorry to anyone who shopped.........

Diana

Amen to that, wife and I had shopped for everything we needed well in
advance. No need to make any last minute runs to the store. Time to
relax and spend with family and friends. Shopping could wait.

As you can tell I love to cook and so does my wife, and
I wondered why I needed bigger and bigger shirts....


"K Barrett" wrote in message
...
Dave just wants our mouths to water.... all over again. I love
thanksgiving, LOL!! Its all about the food.

K Barrett

Well yeah there is that.... It is PARTLY about the food, it is MOSTLY
about family and friends and sharing the love WITH food. Wife made
home made pies after baking two sugar pumpkins for the filling.
Everything we did was made from scratch, cornbread for the stuffing,
pecans for the stuffing came off the trees in our yard. The Herbs used
in cooking came from the garden. All to make it right for the Family.

Old fashioned I suppose but it was what my mom and grandma did and so
for me it is what Thanksgiving is all about.

Peace

Dave
Dave Fouchey

Florence, SC

N34° 11' 36.40"

W79° 47' 6.85"

WA4EMR

Hah! Frank & I both love to cook. The very first year we were together, he
had already retired (early). I was still working. I had this tradition of
making treats for Christmas and giving them away.

One day I came home and he had made (are you ready?) 11 dozen cookies!
Trying to steal my thunder, I tell you, so I out did him the next day. Good
thing we had lots of cookie monsters in our life.

Guess I really love these holidays. And to all, a good night for now.

Diana

"Dave Fouchey" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:40:41 -0500, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Yeah, but there's love mixed in there! A pox on the stores that opened on
Thanksgiving day. Sorry to anyone who shopped.........

Diana

Amen to that, wife and I had shopped for everything we needed well in
advance. No need to make any last minute runs to the store. Time to
relax and spend with family and friends. Shopping could wait.

As you can tell I love to cook and so does my wife, and
I wondered why I needed bigger and bigger shirts....


"K Barrett" wrote in message
m...
Dave just wants our mouths to water.... all over again. I love
thanksgiving, LOL!! Its all about the food.

K Barrett

Well yeah there is that.... It is PARTLY about the food, it is MOSTLY
about family and friends and sharing the love WITH food. Wife made
home made pies after baking two sugar pumpkins for the filling.
Everything we did was made from scratch, cornbread for the stuffing,
pecans for the stuffing came off the trees in our yard. The Herbs used
in cooking came from the garden. All to make it right for the Family.

Old fashioned I suppose but it was what my mom and grandma did and so
for me it is what Thanksgiving is all about.

Peace

Dave
Dave Fouchey

Florence, SC

N34° 11' 36.40"

W79° 47' 6.85"

WA4EMR