Thanksgiving 2020 (Sous-Vide)

- November 29, 2020

Thanksgiving 2020.....

A brief discussion on Turkeys or rather, let's talk Turkey.

Turkey!!! I've tried them all, and guess what? Organic, Non-Organic, it does not make a difference in flavor or texture.

What does Federal Law say about Turkeys and Poultry? I'll give you a short synopsis and highlight what I think most people want to know. I love it when people say they bought an Organic Bird because no hormones were used. Guess what, folks, Hormones are not allowed in raising poultry ("Federal regulations do not permit the use of hormones in poultry." ) So what are you paying for? I'll get to that in a sec. Here is an excellent read about Hormones and poultry. So why all the Confusion?

So you want to buy Organic? Knock yourself out. I could not tell the difference in taste or texture between the .99¢ and the $2.99 Turkeys. To be called Organic, they need to meet specific requirements. Organic does not mean Free-Range or Free-Roaming. Buyer beware!! Again you need to meet specific requirements to label the Turkeys this way. No added Antibiotics? Yea, truth in labeling. Again documents are needed to prove this, and requirements need to be met. Natural or All Natureal? Simply means nothing added to enhance flavor and color. Basted-Self-Basted? Something to look for and avoid if you plan on Brining or injecting yourself. This is crap if you ask me!! They will inject with Sodium-Brines, Fat, butter, stock, spices, and I've seen Sodium Phosphates too (increases moisture retention). If you want more info, click on the links above.

Now you need to break down your Turkey!! I love Chef-Steps vid: TURKEY BUTCHERY: HOW TO SEPARATE BREAST & THIGHS.

Seasoning Time!!! I do not measure at all. I sprinkle on some Kosher Salt and top with some poultry seasoning.

Caveat- If I was not doing 3-Turkeys, I would have injected with butter. See my other post HERE. I

Vac-Seal and place in the refrigerator for 24-36 hours before proceeding. Note: I sometimes add an herb sachet. See link above. And yes, it makes a difference.

Take the carcass and make some stock!!

I strained stock through cheesecloth and proceeded to chill down. I placed Stock (10- quarts) in a huge container with a huge Ice amount. I also used an aquarium pump to circulate water. It will improve cooling by 30%. Also added Vac-Sealed Blue to cool faster. I was able to get it down to 41f in 90-Minutes. See more pics at the bottom.

Now that it has been seasoned (Dry-Brined) Vac-Sealed and place in the refrigerator for 36-hours (Minimum is 24-Hours).

Dark-Meat was processed at 149f at 8-Hours, and the White-Meat was done at 145f at 6-Hours. Yes, you can do them all together with good results. I've done it all at 149f at 8-Hours. After processing, it was shocked and refrigerated until I was ready for the next step. I normally process a week or two before Thanksgiving.

It was raining outside, so I used my propane smoker. I used apple chips for the smoke. Set at 200f and processed until internal temp was 130f.

Finished with a Shallow fry at 380f until nice and golden. Maybe 45-secs.

One gallon of Turkey Stock. It's sitting in a 14 x 16 bag, which is perfect for one-gallon liquid. To vacuum seal liquids in a Chamber-Vac, the liquid needs to be very, very cold. I placed the container in the freezer for 90-minutes.

This is because as the vacuum chamber's pressure approaches zero millibars, the boiling point becomes lower. The liquid in the bag will begin to boil as this happens. This means the water content inside the food will also boil, hence why I chill down everything before I vac seal.