Stuffing a turkey with anything - is this really a good idea?

rdstoll said:

Have read repeatedly that stuffing a bird with traditional bread stuffing is never a good idea as it takes the insides longer to get up to temperature and pose a health risk if you take the turkey out too early.

So in the past I've stuffed the insides with things like apples, onions, carrots, and herbs.

But I'm thinking of just keeping the cavity wide open so it's able to cook a bit more evenly and rapidly. Do the aeromatics in a turkey cavity really made that big of a difference if I've brined the bird in something like PatioDaddio's brine?

I'm just looking for ways to make life a bit easier and wasn't sure if there would be a negative flavor change by NOT using aeromatics in the cavity.

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Just to remind everyone what the OP was asking. If I am cooking a whole bird, I will throw in any aromatics I have handy, leaving plenty of room for air and smoke to circulate.
Cook your stuffing however you want, so long as you recognize the risks.

dadsr4 said:

Just to remind everyone what the OP was asking. If I am cooking a whole bird, I will throw in any aromatics I have handy, leaving plenty of room for air and smoke to circulate.
Cook your stuffing however you want, so long as you recognize the risks.

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This exactly what I am doing with my Thanksgiving turkey this year.:thumb:
Dave

Is the other 1/2 turned into sandwiches ?

The best turkey ever was stuffed with unhusked fresh tamales from a local stand and smoked over hickory. OMG! Tamales with turkey drippings absorbed and perfect turkey.

It can be done, but some folks are better off not pushing their envelope.

My biggest concern is the GLUTEN in the bread cubes in regular stuffing. I think I'll go gluten free this year. Need some guar bean gum...

Bump! Please report if anybody ends up in the hospital from a stuffed bird

Delivering babies does NOT count

SteveKing84 said:

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Campylobacter is very common on the surface, you are correct. What percentage of Americans buy their turkey fresh, never introduced to some sort of sack where it can steep in it's juices? And no, we really shouldn't throw in botulism or E. Coli because there is no serious threat there without some MAJOR issues with processing. By you "throwing them in[to]" the equation degredates the seriousness of the other pathogens.

....


Although your approximation of 1 in 3 chickens is accurate, you still are lacking campylobacter which you quickly and uninformatively dismissed early.


Ultimately, I really don't care how you people cook your turkey for yourself. But don't make uneducated lengthy statements or claim "I haven't gotten sick in 28 years". It's deceiving. Many people come to this forum for VALUABLE information, and if you say some simple statement like "yeah, cook a stuffed bird at 375* until golden and you'll be fine...I always have" you are providing a great disservice to others. Bottom line is, you can cook your turkey stuffed, and yeah you'll likely be fine. But why bother when we already know how prepare a turkey better, and safer? And don't even try to compare cooking beef to medium rare because you like to live dangerously...another uninformative, misleading, bs comment.

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Sorry I missed this post. I do not consider Campylobacter as a threat with turkeys unless you like to eat them on the very rare side. It doesn't survive even moderate temperatures.

from
http://www.foodsafetywatch.org/factsheets/campylobacter/

"Campylobacter is heat sensitive and the cells are destroyed at temperatures above 48°C. They do not therefore survive the normal pasteurization processes applied to milk. Moderate cooking processes targeted at other food poisoning bacteria (e.g. Salmonella) will easily inactivate Campylobacter."

Incidentally, 48°C = 118°F

A bit more detail, including D-values is given in the book "Microfacts" here:

http://books.google.es/books?id=jOm...page&q=campylobacter kill temperature&f=false

Incidentally, 55°C = 131°F


For the record, I'm not disregarding food-borne illness. I just don't see the point of cooking something to 170* when the bacteria dies at 145* or even 120*. These kill temperatures are not made up, but are based on scientific studies. The recommended cooking temps do not correspond with these temperatures, but are much higher. When I see a recommended cooking temperature, I honestly want to know what it is based on. I also assume this temperature is probably chosen for someone who doesn't know how to use a thermometer. I still am of the opinion that it doesn't matter how high a temperature you cook your bird or your stuffing if you're going to recontaminate it by using an unwashed cutting board or knife that you used on the raw meat. Cross-contamination is a more common matter.

USDA recently (2008?) lowered the required temp for turkey to 165 as the food borne illnesses were all dead within 30 seconds at that temperature.

From the USDA site in reference to stuffing:


If you choose to stuff your turkey, the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time; however, keep wet and dry ingredients separate. Chill all of the wet ingredients (butter/margarine, cooked celery and onions, broth, etc.). Mix wet and dry ingredients just before filling the turkey cavities. Fill the cavities loosely. Cook the turkey immediately. Use a food thermometer to make sure the center of the stuffing reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

People over-think most of this stuff (no pun intended). Sure, be smart, but a lot of the precaution is blown out of proportion.

I personally use a porcelain "beer can" with some herbs and chicken stock for my turkey as I have had many years of success doing so.