# How do you clean and cook your turkey?



## Beaversson (Jun 5, 2009)

Being my first bird i did not know what i was doing so i skinned my bird cut off the legs/thighs and breasts. I was going to try the plucking method but that seemed like alot of work. I also saved the fan and some feathers cut out all the meat and salted it. So what do you guy's do? How long ill it take to pluck one? And does anyone know a good brine or a good way to keep the meat moist in the smoker.


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## Michihunter (Jan 8, 2003)

Skin and breast it out and then deep fry in pieces or slow cook whole.


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## syonker (May 7, 2004)

I don't bother skinning or plucking, I just cut out the breasts.

I place the breasts in a crockpot, fill the crockpot with BBQ sauce & slow cook for about 8 hours. I then drain off the BBQ sauce, shread the cook breasts, refill the crockpot with fresh/new BBQ sauce & stir.

This makes a great pulled turkey breast sandwich.


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## agross (Jan 18, 2009)

i breast it out, then cut them into strips and soak them in zesty italian dressing for two or three days and then grill them


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## pipe dream (Aug 3, 2006)

I cut the breast meat out and soak it in salt water over night then cube it. Next I marinate over night in italian dressing and then put together a bunch of turkey kabobs and cook it on the grill. The whole family loves it. In fact it is on the menu tomorrow night!


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## kcjablin (Sep 25, 2007)

I've done kabobs like others have posted and they're great. I also have taken the breast meat and cut it into strip and marinate it in honey mustard dressing for a couple days then roll them in French's fried onions and bake.

I've tried dry plucking them and it's not that hard but the skin on a wild turkey is thin and leathery and doesn't add anything in my opinion so I skin mine.

The absolute best part of wild turkey, though, is soup. It sounds like a lot of work, but trust me it's not that bad and the soup is otherworldly. After you skin and breast out the bird cut the carcass, thighs, and legs into manageable sized pieces and place on a baking sheet. Brush them with vegetable oil and salt and pepper them liberally. Put them in the oven on 400 degrees along with some carrots, onions, and celery (include the leafy tops), cut into large pieces and burn them. They need to be black on top, trust me it's okay. Put everything into a slow cooker and add enough water to just cover. Put on high for at least 8 hours and preferably 10 hours. Strain the stock through cheesecloth and refriderate overnight (you can also separate the meat from tendons and bones if you want and reserve). The next day scrape any candlewax fat off the top of the stock (there won't be much) and reheat the stock on the stove, add some fresh chopped cilantro, asparagus, mushrooms (preferably morel), the leftover meat (which you've rinsed by the way), and some soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Again, it SOUNDS like more work than it is. This soup is something my whole family looks forward to every year, it's AWESOME.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Cut off two outer joints of wing tip. Remove beard as they do not like hot water. Dip in scalding water just like scalding a chicken. The feathers come off real easy but do be careful as the skin as mentioned above is thin. 

Gut and clean out the cavity very good as you need to get the crap out along the spine.

The day before you want to serve the bird, put in a roasting bag and roast for alot less time than is listed on bag directions for an unstuffed turkey. After the bird has cooled carve and put the meat in a tupperware. Pour some of the juices from the bag over the meat. Reheat in a covered casserole when you want to serve it. That little bit of juice keeps the meat nice and moist and not dried out like a boughten bird.

Try it and you will like it. I have never had a complaint or a tough bird.


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## timberdoodle528 (Nov 25, 2003)

I tried mine on the grill tonight. It was awesome. Even my mom who doesn't eat much wild game raved about it.
Last night I whipped together a marinade, cleaned, trimmed and cut the breast into thick strips. Threw it in a plastic bag and let it sit in the fridge over night and all day. Threw it on my old charcoal grill (I hardly ever use my gas grill anymore) and it was very good. 
Oh as far as cleaning the birds, we just breast ours out.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

I dont pluck mine. I skin them and breast them out normally. Ive marinated the breast and BBQ on the grill, sliced in strips breaded and deep fried, made jerky, skinned and smoked the whole bird. As far as the legs you can boil them, strip the meat, grind them and mix with mayo and onions. Makes a good sandwich spread. Use you imagination, you cant go wrong. Thinkging of trying fajitas with the turkey meat.


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## KLR (Sep 2, 2006)

I breast mine out. 

Brush with olive oil, salt & pepper then rub in some rosemary & thyme - charcoal grill- my favorite way to do it.


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## PLUMBDOG (Jun 29, 2009)

I brest mine out and soak the breast in water over nite and then rinse and clean the breast in fresh water the next day. Then i cut the breast meat into 1 1/2" cubes .i then take and make a egg wash by mixking a couple of eggs with honey ,dip the turkey cubes into honey egg wash ,then dust them with a little flour , put into a hot skillet with butter , cook until GOLDEN BROWN mmmmmmmm there done enjoy.

plumbdog


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## wdf73 (Sep 14, 2009)

Good thing I just ate; all these ideas are making me hungry again!
I skinned my first couple of birds, then tried scalding and plucking and have never looked back. 
The skin may be thin and leathery, but it sure is great for keeping the bird from drying out. The birds have consistently turned out more moist and flavorful than a supermarket bird. I have always roasted in an oven bag in the past, but just got a Louisiana pellet grill, (thinking about selling them) and am planning to try grilling the whole bird this time.


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## kcjablin (Sep 25, 2007)

Man, all these recipes sound great! Next year we need to set up a wild turkey cookoff after season to go along with the hunting contest. You bring your own bird and prepare it your special way and everyone can vote on the best one.


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## boddah4 (Oct 22, 2008)

So, no need to field dress them? Just cut off the breasts?


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## neeso1aj (Aug 23, 2006)

If I want my wife to eat it, I grind mine add a little mayo and a liptons french onion soup mix and make them into bugers.

If Im going fishing I cook the breast on the grill with a bunch of spices. 

Either way its good to me.


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## kdogger (Jan 10, 2005)

When u breast em out, do you just pull it through like a grouse by standing on the wings and pulling on the legs?


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

I love dark meat, and we just did my dads bird with wild leeks in the stuffing, and it was great. 315 degrees for 100 mins, and it was done. Even the legs were moist and tender.


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## [email protected] (Mar 23, 2007)

I gave the legs and thighs to my buddy who loves to cook. He boiled them for 3 1/2 hours in chicken broth to get the meat off the bones. Then took the chicken broth and mixed it with the shredded turkey, rice, cream of celery soup, capers topped off with chedder cheese and morel mushrooms. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. He brought it into the shop for our lunch today and voila (it's gone).


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## Quakstakr (Nov 3, 2009)

Stuff with cheap pork sausage and bake in a roasting bag. Discard sausage.


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## BVG (Nov 18, 2004)

Plucked one.... Never do that again.

Just like many have said, cut out the breasts. Cook them like you would if you bought it at Kroger. 

I like slicing them, soak them in Italian dressing for a couple of hours, and put em on the grill. 

P.S. I cooked a whole bird once. Breasts were great, legs were like rock.


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## Fred Bear (Jan 20, 2000)

I just take out the breast. I too have tried plucking and skinning but its just not worth it. The breast is really the best and only meat on the bird.


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

Maybe skinning or plucking birds is easier for me because I've done it for so long, wild as well as domestic fowl. Just this past year, both for myself and slaughtering fo hobby-farm friends and including wild fowl, I've cleaned well over 200 fowl (ducks, chickens, wild turks, domestc turks, grouse, woodcock, dom/wild geese, woodcock, etc). I even eat the leags of woodcock. I sclad the ones I wanna pluck, not always, but it sure does facilitate the removal of feathers. Whether I pluck or skin a bird, I always like to get the tail & wing feathers out of the way first, Never remove the feet until last, after gutting & rinsing and everything, they are great handles. I keep the giblets sometimes, but I always keep the heart to eat, it's my favorite from any animal.
If the legs are tough & hard after roasting, they got overcooked. I've cooked domestic & wild turks side-by-side B4, because of squeemish in-laws that were wary of anything wild. Carved up, no differance. The wild bird always cooks faster than store-bought, self-basting birds.
To each his own, I've never admonished anyone who prefers to merely breast a bird out. Personally, I've always preferred dark over white meat. Older toms can have some toughish legs, but overcooking a lean wild bird will even dry out breast meat. If you need to remove the legs before the rest of the bird is finished (if the meat thermometer is inserted in the deepest part of the breast without touching the bone), then try that. I sure wouldn't even think of just breasting out say a chicken or pheasant, etc. I know alot of people who brest fowl out, and I guess it's just one thing I could never understand. 
I never imagingined the turkeys would ever recover to this great extent. What you are all seeing is thru the efforts of alot of individuals the past 3 decades. Best of luck to all, I got Hunt 234 again, as well as the kids!


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

I cut the breast out. and then just place it in the smoker and smoke cook it until inside temp of meat reaches 165 deg. i pull the breast out of smoker and shave off all the brown until i have all white pieces showing. I cut the meat up real fine and make a spread out of it using green onions halapeno peepers cream cheese and garlic. It doesnt last long.


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## GoneFishin (Jan 11, 2001)

The tough old birds I slice up the breasts cure with Hi Moutain Original jerky mix and wet smoke (put apple juice in the pan and use apple wood) for around 2 hrs at 180* - 200*.

The younger ones (Jakes) I make strips outta the breasts, use a poultry rub or breading mix, and fry 'em up or grill 'em.

The legs are saved for making soup.


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## anon12162011 (Jun 9, 2009)

One year I skinned my entire turkey and deep fried it, it turned out good, except some of it got a little overdone with no skin on it. We just skinned it, filled a garbage bag with drakes mix, rolled the turkey in it, and then deep fried it at about 2 mins per pound at 350 degree oil (normal turkeys call for 3 minutes per lb, but with no skin we lessened it) Don't forget to base it on post-field dressed weight...

Every other year after that I have just breasted them out and sometimes if its big enough, I will run my knife down and cut some of the thigh and leg meat off. I inject it with some cajun marinade and throw 'er in the deep fryer. Last year we injected one breast with cajun and one with rosemary and herb and they both turned out phenomenal!


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