Saturday, December 22, 2018
Twenty pound turkey for two
Some people complain that it's hard to cook for just two. No it isn't. I just cooked a twenty pound turkey for the lovely wife and I.
Obviously we didn't eat the whole twenty pounds. So why cook so much turkey? Where else can you get meat for $0.69 a pound? Sure there's some waste, accounting for bones and other parts, but it's still a deal.
Now I have lots of leftovers for other meals. My oven roasted turkey compares very favorably with turkey cold cuts. Not only is it cheaper, it's a lot less processed. The flavor is much better too.
I think it's worth it for the soup alone. A twenty pound turkey makes a heck of a lot of amazing soup. Right now the bones are simmering along on the woodstove. Then there's the boat load of gravy. It might not be the healthiest thing, but a small amount adds amazing flavor to a hot turkey sandwich.
A lot of people are intimidated with the idea of cooking such a big bird. It's not that hard. If I can do it in a wood cook stove, anybody can cook one. The key is to have a good meat thermometer. Cooking in my woodstove can be uneven. If you keep turning the bird every hour or so it will cook more evenly. Then test the temperature in a number of places. Don't rely on the cheap pop up thermometers that come come with a lot of birds. There are plenty of helpful hints in cookbooks and on-line to guide you. Don't let them intimidate you. As long as all the meat reaches the proper temperature, you are good. Sure, basting, seasoning, and covering parts of the bird in foil can help, but it's hard to totally ruin a bird.
This is the time of year when deals on turkeys can be had. If you've got a freezer, now is the time to stock up.
-Sixbears
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You make a very good point, my friend. Plus...I like turkey!
ReplyDeleteIt is rather tasty, isn't it?
DeleteAround here, it's mostly me that eats the leftovers, so I'm glad the missus gets something more like a 12#. - lol
ReplyDeleteI freeze a good part of the leftovers for later.
DeleteMy daughter made the most amazing turkey soup with leftovers including the mashed turnips and carrots. The leftovers are almost better than the original meal. - Momlady
ReplyDeleteI think the leftovers are better -as long as you don't eat them four days in a row.
DeleteMy step daughter cooked an amazing turkey for thanks giving. We devoured it. her previous 5 were hockey puck quality. I love dark meat used in soup with giblet gravy drizzled in it.
ReplyDeleteGlad she finally mastered the art. That soup sounds amazing.
DeleteWow!! That sounds delicious. Wish I could join you at the feast.
ReplyDeleteCome on by and I'll cook up another one!
DeleteThe wife and I do the same thing. We get a twenty pounder on the cheap just for the two of us. I portion out a lot of the sliced leftovers and freeze them in vacuum bags. Thawed out the taste just like fresh made. I also put gravy in small containers and freeze that, too for hot turkey sandwiches. When whole hams go on sale for about $.99/lb it will get the same treatment.......
ReplyDeleteToo bad my lovely wife isn't too fond of pork or I'd do big hams too. Oh well.
DeleteThis year our Publix Supermarket had Turkey on sale after Thanksgiving for $0.49 a pound. We bought 4 of them. The wife makes a great turkey. The left over small bits and pieces of meat goes for soup or broth. Even doing that we freeze a good bit as it's too much for just the two of us.
ReplyDeleteYesterday, I bought 4, spiral-cut hams on sale for $0.95 a pound. Love my small 5 cu/ft freezer in the garage! :-)
We are kinda in a food desert out here. Not a lot of food shopping. I take what I can get. When down south, however, I go to Publix a fair bit.
DeleteTurkey Soup as well as Turkey Enchiladas are well worth the effort and a nice change from the ordinary.
ReplyDeleteTurkey Enchiladas sound interesting. Haven't had those.
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