Sous Vide for Turkey...

tod osier

Well-known member
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I'm still on my Sous Vide kick and I wanted to make a plug for Sous Vide for turkey. I want to really push it as the absolute best way to serve a really wonderful juicy tender delicate turkey breast. We really love turkey and don't want the delicate flavor covered up with smoke or sauces to mask the natural goodness. I've grilled plenty of turkey breast over the years, and it always good or great, Sous Vide is always better! You have to try it (open invite :). Not much initial outlay for a Sous Vide cooker or you can do it in a cooler like we did at first...

This is how we did it yesterday for dinner. Trimmed the turkey for looks. I've rolled it in the past, but just trimmed it this time.

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Lot of salt, some garlic, some pepper, some sage, 2 pats butter. This will cook for 3 hours at 138F in a water bath. No photos out of the water bath, but the turkey comes out pale and gross and a little underdone, but would taste awesome and melt in your mouth. Final temp from the grill will bring it up a little higher.

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Get the boy on the grill. Do not need to temp it, just have it on long enough to color it up.

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He obviously ruined it!

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As sides we went all out from the back yard. We picked ramps and roasted with olive oil.

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We picked nettle, yes plain ole stinging nettle. It is a really good green and the sting goes away with the heat. Just wilted down.

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The weather even held to eat outside. Perfect, moist and tender and this was a old tough bird.

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Looks terrific Tod. I've only done s.v with venison - good but needed color of course.

I found a recipe for poached turkey breast on Hank Shaw's web site after taking a hen last fall - best turkey I've ever had. As you've found, low, moist heat makes a huge difference. Good eats.
 
Pete McMiller said:
Looks terrific Tod. I've only done s.v with venison - good but needed color of course.

I found a recipe for poached turkey breast on Hank Shaw's web site after taking a hen last fall - best turkey I've ever had. As you've found, low, moist heat makes a huge difference. Good eats.

Hank Shaw seems to have a lot to offer. Poaching is a classic, but underused. Excellent fish poached is a special thing, I wouldn't have thought to try turkey.
 
"poached", now there is a word that definitely needs the full context in which it is used, when talking about wild game. [whistle]
 
I've never been disappointed with any of Hanks recipes. I also made a Turkey Leg stew/soup of his that is my new favorite.
 
It's been a while since I've checked in and sure enough Tod doesn't disappoint, sous vide and nettles.

You got me doing redneck sous vide (in a cooler). Everyone needs to have pork done that way.
I have used it on pheasant beasts, very good and stays moist. It doesn't surprise me it is perfect for turkey.
Those nettles remind me that I need to have my annual meal of them.

Hope everything is going well for you and you are getting your garden in.

Tim
 
Missed you around here the past year. I hope all is well and that you have some good stuff going on. Any painting these days? Probably poetry is your thing now...

Garden is really late this year due to the rain. It has rained every couple days for 2 months, and not a little, multiple inches about half the time it seems. Peas rotted in the ground, so Jen has started a bunch indoors to fill in all the missing spaces (like 200 individual plants). No tiller action unless we got mud tires! All will be good I?m sure once the sum comes out.


TimJ said:
It's been a while since I've checked in and sure enough Tod doesn't disappoint, sous vide and nettles.

You got me doing redneck sous vide (in a cooler). Everyone needs to have pork done that way.
I have used it on pheasant beasts, very good and stays moist. It doesn't surprise me it is perfect for turkey.
Those nettles remind me that I need to have my annual meal of them.

Hope everything is going well for you and you are getting your garden in.

Tim
 
No poetry for me these days...that was back in my bohemian days. Had there been YouTube in the late 80s early 90s I could have been an internet star...
I should have a couple painting projects to show soon.

I am getting a few pots of pansies and petunias planted. I would hate for people to think I'm getting masculine as I age.


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I feel ya on the rain. I'm not seeing many areas experiencing a drought across the country. We have had some epic flooding.
Been lucky to get a couple warm sunny days after every gully washer. These are the years it is nice that my garden sits on top of a ten foot strip of gravel. Still, I'm late getting a lot of stuff in.

I caught up a lot last week. After a few possible showers later today the forecast looks warm and dry. This week everything that's left will be going in.

Deuce says hi. He made me post this.



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Tim
 
Like those pheasants, but better than that... Deuce sure matured into a handsome fellow.

Our other posy grower has been totally absent, so it is good you are jumping in to pick up the slack.
 
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