The only suggestion I have is getting a meat thermometer. You want to be sure it is done in the middle. I am guessing it would take about a full day to get it done throughout. I'm surprised it fits in your oven! Enjoy!
1 - 20 of 36 Posts
We raised our own 3 years ago, a 40 pounder. We had to buy a scale so we could figure out how long to cook him. My DW decided it would take too long to cook whole, so she had me cut the legs and back off. The breast on the bone alone still weighed 20 pounds, but a more manageable a size, so we cooked one leg with the breast. I’m not sure how long it took, but we just used the thermometer. Best bird we ever ate. 
Has anyone ever tried 'drunken chicken', where you insert a can of liquid into an intact (drawn, of course) chickens cavity, sitting upright? You close the lid of the bar-b-que, and wait about 45 - to an hour for the bird to cook. The liquid inside the can (marinade, beer, etc.) keeps the bird moist, as it boils out of the can. It is very similar to rotisseuire (sp?) chicken, meat just falls apart. Drunken comes from the fact that when bird is done, it seems to want to lean one direction, as the tenderness is cooked through the meat. Delicious.
Well, would a turkey be too big for this cooking method? Using a Folger's can of liquid, in a smoker, as a bar-b-que would likely be too small to enclose an upright bird the size of a turkey.
Has anyone tried this before? Dakotaman's post got me to thinking of this - um boy, smoked turkey is good.
Well, would a turkey be too big for this cooking method? Using a Folger's can of liquid, in a smoker, as a bar-b-que would likely be too small to enclose an upright bird the size of a turkey.
Has anyone tried this before? Dakotaman's post got me to thinking of this - um boy, smoked turkey is good.
Thanks for the replies! The turkey is currently defrosting in the bathtub We did a 40 pounder a few years ago, and it registered on the meat themometer at 170 degrees, but the breast just wasn't done. We were thinking of putting it in the night before at a high temp. for 1/2 hour and lowering it down to 250 or so for the night. My grandfather was a turkey farmer and he cooked his turkeys at 450 for a 1/2 hour then lowered the temp to 325 and covered the bird with brown paper and basted it with liquid periodically. But.. I don't think he ever cooked a bird this big. He is probably rolling in his grave that we let these guys get this big. Well actually they were so friendly and entertaining that we just couldn't part with them until they looked like they couldn't move around anymore. Next year we are going to raise a heritage breed that doesn't get so big. These were broad breasted bronze turkeys and were free range with hardly any grain at all, they even started to lay eggs. I guess next year I will have to not get so attached to them. :waa: Thanks again for the replies
We did a 40 pounder a few years ago, and it registered on the meat themometer at 170 degrees, but the breast just wasn't done. We were thinking of putting it in the night before at a high temp. for 1/2 hour and lowering it down to 250 or so for the night. My grandfather was a turkey farmer and he cooked his turkeys at 450 for a 1/2 hour then lowered the temp to 325 and covered the bird with brown paper and basted it with liquid periodically. But.. I don't think he ever cooked a bird this big. He is probably rolling in his grave that we let these guys get this big. Well actually they were so friendly and entertaining that we just couldn't part with them until they looked like they couldn't move around anymore. Next year we are going to raise a heritage breed that doesn't get so big. These were broad breasted bronze turkeys and were free range with hardly any grain at all, they even started to lay eggs. I guess next year I will have to not get so attached to them. :waa: Thanks again for the replies1 - 20 of 36 Posts
