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

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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.
 
Obviously, like you mentioned cooking stuffing in it is a bad idea. You do get great stuffing that way but you also get a dried up bird!

And you certainly don't need to add anything in the cavity if you don't want to. But I think it is an excellent way to introduce some flavor, so why not? ... you can easily add a cinnamon stick or some allspice berries or whatever you want. Just don't fill it up if you are worried about cooking it "more evenly and rapidly".
 
Food saftey regs for facilities say that you don't stuff a turkey but throwing in aromatics and not packing it in like a stuffing should pose no problem. I think most people probably thaw their turkeys wrong and I think that is more of a food safety issue than the stuffing.
 
I rarely put anything inside the cavity of a bird. I'm spatchcocking chickens lately and recently, a turkey. The flavor seem the same as when I put aromatics inside.
 
SteveKing84 said:
Obviously, like you mentioned cooking stuffing in it is a bad idea. You do get great stuffing that way but you also get a dried up bird!
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this is completely false...ive been eating stuffed to the brim turkeys(bread stuffing) for 28 years and have yet to eat one that has been "dried up"

they have always come out moist and delicious and there is no comparing the taste of real stuffing to the crap made in a pan
 
The only thing I like to put in a turkey is lemons and/or oranges that have been pierced.

As to stuffing - my grandmother had the best idea IMO - she'd make stuffing into patties and fry them in butter. Just amazing.
 
As to stuffing - my grandmother had the best idea IMO - she'd make stuffing into patties and fry them in butter. Just amazing.
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This sounds very good. I'm going to have the wifey try this next week. Thanks for sharing.
 
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I think introducing flavors through a brine work better than aromats in the cavity. Although smelling a turkey with thyme in the cavity cooking is a wonderful aroma and makes me very hungry.
 
jbounds286 said:
this is completely false...ive been eating stuffed to the brim turkeys(bread stuffing) for 28 years and have yet to eat one that has been "dried up"

they have always come out moist and delicious and there is no comparing the taste of real stuffing to the crap made in a pan
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That's cool. Please enlighten us as to how you cook your turkey so as to cook everything (including the stuffing in the middle) to a USDA safe eating temperature and still juicy.
 
jbounds286 said:
this is completely false...ive been eating stuffed to the brim turkeys(bread stuffing) for 28 years and have yet to eat one that has been "dried up"

they have always come out moist and delicious and there is no comparing the taste of real stuffing to the crap made in a pan
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Have you ever taken the temperature of the stuffing when removed? Safety is the concern here.
 
Get your flavors from the brine. For a traditional Norman Rockwell turkey, herbs, spice, fruit, etc work nice and add to the overall profile. Just throw them away when the bird is done. With an open cavity, the breast will normally get to 165 before the thick part of the thighs/legs. You may need to foil tent the breast to keep it from drying out. I prefer spatchcocking the turkey. Doesnt have the same table presentation as the Rockwell painting, but I've found the breasts and thighs/legs get done at the same time and don't dry out. Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Safety always seems to come up with turkey stuffing. I'm going to pull up KnucklHed's old post on this. If you cook your turkey so the (stuffing) center is 145* and hold it there for 12 minutes, it should be safe, at least according to the USDA. Considering these numbers and how high most of us bring our turkey to, I strongly suspect that most cases of food poisoning are due to cross-contamination rather than the stuffing not being brought to high enough temperature. Of course, YMMV.

KnucklHed BBQ said:
Alrighty folks... 'setcher lil hearts at ease - Most of the USDA's "blah, blah, blah" is designed so the that the average burger flipper can remember it -

Let me ask this question though, would you consider chicken kept at 137 for an hour to be:
A) Lethal - WTH are you trying to do to me man????
B) Just right! Bring it on, I'm hungry fo' that!

FDA says... Good to go! What???? AYFKM???!!!! (Are you freaking kidding me??)

Now, I'm not saying that the taste & texture will be what you want, but - technically, safe.


From USDA.gov - pages 5 - 16: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISNotices/RTE_Poultry_Tables.pdf

Times for given temperature, fat level, and species needed to obtain
7-log10 lethality of Salmonella*
------------------------------------ fat%=9 ------------------------------------
Temperature (
o
F) Time for Chicken Time for Turkey
136 74.8 min 67.6 min
137 59.7 min 55.3 min
138 47.7 min 45.4 min
139 38.3 min 37.3 min
140 30.8 min 30.8 min
141 24.9 min 25.5 min
142 20.1 min 21.1 min
143 16.3 min 17.4 min
144 13.2 min 14.4 min
145 10.7 min 11.9 min
146 8.6 min 9.8 min
147 6.9 min 8 min
148 5.5 min 6.5 min
149 4.3 min 5.2 min
150 3.3 min 4.1 min
151 2.5 min 3.2 min
152 1.8 min 2.4 min
153 1.4 min 1.9 min
154 1.1 min 1.5 min
155 51.4 sec 1.3 min
156 40.7 sec 1 min
157 32.2 sec 49.7 sec
158 25.4 sec 40.3 sec
159 20.1 sec 32.7 sec
160 15.9 sec 26.6 sec
161 12.6 sec 21.6 sec
162 10 sec 17.5 sec
163 <10.0 sec 14.2 sec
164 <10.0 sec 11.5 sec
165 <10.0 sec <10.0 sec
Click to expand...
 
dadsr4 said:
Have you ever taken the temperature of the stuffing when removed? Safety is the concern here.
Click to expand...

Considering that they have had stuffing for 28 years without any concerns - why would they take the temperature of the stuffing?

I also have eaten stuffing at every Xmas, Easter and Thanksgiving meal for the past 30 plus years without taking the temperature of the stuffing and have yet to have a dry turkey on any of those occasions and have yet to see a family member fall ill as a result of those meals.

SteveKing84 said:
That's cool. Please enlighten us as to how you cook your turkey so as to cook everything (including the stuffing in the middle) to a USDA safe eating temperature and still juicy.
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Without getting into the technical details - Put stuffing in Turkey, cook Turkey at 375-400 until golden brown on the outside. Stuffing is cooked thoroughly and Turkey is still moist and Juicy.
 
Gore said:
Safety always seems to come up with turkey stuffing. I'm going to pull up KnucklHed's old post on this. If you cook your turkey so the (stuffing) center is 145* and hold it there for 12 minutes, it should be safe, at least according to the USDA. Considering these numbers and how high most of us bring our turkey to, I strongly suspect that most cases of food poisoning are due to cross-contamination rather than the stuffing not being brought to high enough temperature. Of course, YMMV.
Click to expand...

That's all great and grand for dealing with salmonella poisoning, in theory. There are other food poisonings associated with undercooked poultry. What about clostridium perfringens, staphylococcal intoxication, and campylobacteriosis?


golfnugget said:
Considering that they have had stuffing for 28 years without any concerns - why would they take the temperature of the stuffing?

I also have eaten stuffing at every Xmas, Easter and Thanksgiving meal for the past 30 plus years without taking the temperature of the stuffing and have yet to have a dry turkey on any of those occasions and have yet to see a family member fall ill as a result of those meals.
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28 years was hyperbole. I'm glad you guys haven't gotten sick, but its certainly not smart to promote that [likely] undercooked stuffing is ok. There are reasons for food guidelines, and if you don't follow said guidelines you run the risk of getting yourself sick and everyone one you serve sick.
 
I don't stuff the bird after it is roasted all the pan drippings get used for a pan sauce, the 1/2 bird gets shredded and mixed into the corn bread/sausage dressing and the pan sauce is added and mixed in. This is covered and returned to a 350 oven for 30 min.
 
SteveKing84 said:
28 years was hyperbole. I'm glad you guys haven't gotten sick, but its certainly not smart to promote that [likely] undercooked stuffing is ok. There are reasons for food guidelines, and if you don't follow said guidelines you run the risk of getting yourself sick and everyone one you serve sick.
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I'm not sure if you understand what I am saying. I have eaten the stuffing from Turkey on a minimum of 150 occasions in my life. My parents, their parents, their parents parents have all eaten stuffed Turkey at the same rate. Not one single time has anyone gotten sick from eating the stuffing - do you not think that maybe you are being a little paranoid here?

You asked the other guy how it was possible to achieve a moist turkey and thoroughly cook stuffing as if it is a miracle. Well, unless my family, my friends and pretty much everyone that I know who has cooked a turkey are miracle workers, it really doesn't seem like that hard of a thing to accomplish. Weirdest thing is that I am pretty certain that not once in the 70 years my grandma cooked a turkey did she feel the need to (or even have any idea how to) make sure that her Turkey and stuffing met the guidelines you are referencing.
 
Gore said:
Safety always seems to come up with turkey stuffing. I'm going to pull up KnucklHed's old post on this. If you cook your turkey so the (stuffing) center is 145* and hold it there for 12 minutes, it should be safe, at least according to the USDA. Considering these numbers and how high most of us bring our turkey to, I strongly suspect that most cases of food poisoning are due to cross-contamination rather than the stuffing not being brought to high enough temperature. Of course, YMMV.
Click to expand...
I agree "If you cook your turkey so the (stuffing) center is 145* and hold it there for 12 minutes" that it will be safe. The problem is, how many cooks would check that? If one is willing to do this and cook the stuffing further if needed, fine.
Having been hospitalized for acute food poisoning, leading to near kidney failure, the source never found, taking a known risk just is not worth it.
 
golfnugget said:
I'm not sure if you understand what I am saying. I have eaten the stuffing from Turkey on a minimum of 150 occasions in my life. My parents, their parents, their parents parents have all eaten stuffed Turkey at the same rate. Not one single time has anyone gotten sick from eating the stuffing - do you not think that maybe you are being a little paranoid here?

You asked the other guy how it was possible to achieve a moist turkey and thoroughly cook stuffing as if it is a miracle. Well, unless my family, my friends and pretty much everyone that I know who has cooked a turkey are miracle workers, it really doesn't seem like that hard of a thing to accomplish. Weirdest thing is that I am pretty certain that not once in the 70 years my grandma cooked a turkey did she feel the need to (or even have any idea how to) make sure that her Turkey and stuffing met the guidelines you are referencing.
Click to expand...


I don't think you understand what I'm saying :evil:. Unless you prove to me that you've cooked the stuffing to a proper temperature I don't want it near me. Good for you and your family, you guys haven't gotten sick. If you ever get so sick that you end up in a hospital from food poisoning, I'm sure you'd change your tune. You are still promoting people to eat possible undercooked contaminated food by what you post.
 
golfnugget said:
I'm not sure if you understand what I am saying. I have eaten the stuffing from Turkey on a minimum of 150 occasions in my life. My parents, their parents, their parents parents have all eaten stuffed Turkey at the same rate. Not one single time has anyone gotten sick from eating the stuffing - do you not think that maybe you are being a little paranoid here?

You asked the other guy how it was possible to achieve a moist turkey and thoroughly cook stuffing as if it is a miracle. Well, unless my family, my friends and pretty much everyone that I know who has cooked a turkey are miracle workers, it really doesn't seem like that hard of a thing to accomplish. Weirdest thing is that I am pretty certain that not once in the 70 years my grandma cooked a turkey did she feel the need to (or even have any idea how to) make sure that her Turkey and stuffing met the guidelines you are referencing.
Click to expand...
If it's like a lot of my grandma's turkeys, she probability made a lot of gravy for dry turkey.
 
dadsr4 said:
If it's like a lot of my grandma's turkeys, she probability made a lot of gravy for dry turkey.
Click to expand...

Seriously. I'm not saying a stuffed turkey can't be achieved to where everything is cooked just right, but I really doubt this guy. I'm calling a 'no pics it didn't happen' on him and the other... don't care about forum policy on that one. What he is promoting is potentially unsafe.
 
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