Today’s the day. I’ve got the day off and then I’m working all weekend. So today I have to do up my grocery list for Thanksgiving and check out where I can get “The Bird”.
But then again, we don’t buy a whole bird. Nope, there’s just going to be 3 of us so we’ll be doing a whole turkey breast instead. It’s lots easier, and everyone seems to prefer white meat anyway.
from You Tube
Except I can’t buy it today. All the cooking shows and recipes say that you should thaw your bird out in the refrigerator. Now, how many people—other than 22 year old guys living in an apartment with a full size fridge with the only thing in the fridge being 8 beers, a third of a left over pizza and a half eaten sub sandwich—have enough room in their fridge for a whole bird to sit there for 2 or 3 days thawing? I sure don’t.
Actually I came up with a solution to that a few years ago. Ice chest! Just put the bird in it, close the lid and let the bird thaw. If need be you can add a bag of ice to maintain the thawed temperature.
Then when I cook it on Thanksgiving, I’ll put it on the grill. I set up a “2-zone” fire with one burner turned off and the other burner set as low as it’ll go. This will let me cook that breast (in a foil pan with a small rack in the bottom) to perfection in about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. And that means the oven is available for other baked dishes. Here’s how I do it:
Recipe: Grill Roasted Turkey Breast
Summary: I roast my turkey on the grill (in a pan) over indirect heat. It’s quicker and it saves the oven for all the other great holiday dishes!
Ingredients
- 1 6-8 lb turkey breast
- 2 aluminum pans big enough for the breast (I get them at the dollar store!)
- ½ cup softened butter or margarine
- 3 tbsp mix of garlic, salt, chipotle, dried thyme and dried rosemary (or Italian seasoning blend)—or 3 tbsp basic spice blend and dried herbs (divided)
- 1 cup turkey or chicken broth
Instructions
- Put a small rack in the bottom of one of the pans. Rinse the breast thoroughly and pat it dry. Put the breast on the rack. (If you don’t have a small rack, cut some big chunks of carrot and celerly—about 3-4 inches long and put it on the bottom of the pan to hold the breast off the bottom).
- Mix up a couple of sticks of softened butter with 2 tbsp. garlic and chipotle and thyme and rosemary (or with basic spice blend and dried herbs). Then slowly peel the skin back on the breast and slide your fingertips under the skin loosing the skin as you go.
- You have to season the meat. The meat is under the skin. So you’ve got to either stick your hand in there with the butter/seasoning mix or scoot a table spoon under there and squish it off through the skin. And all I do to the outside skin is a thin skim of cooking oil and then sprinkle some of the seasoning on it.
- Once you’ve massaged the butter/spice blend under the skin, oiled the outside of the bird lightly and sprinkled the last 1 tbsp. on it, add 1 cup of broth (at minimum) to the bottom of the pan.
- Tent the bird in foil.
- Put the pan with the bird in it inside the 2nd pan. Put the 2 pans on a cookie sheet and carry to the grill. Remove the pan with the bird in it and put it on the cool side of your indirect fire.
- Baste about every 10 minutes with a turkey baster. Rotate the pan at 30 minutes and remove the tent. If the broth cooks down too much, add some more—you want the pan juices and crusty bits in some broth so you can make pan gravy.
- When the skin is nicely browned and juices come out clear, the breast is done (about 60-70 minutes).
- Remove from the grill. Let the breast rest for at least 20-30 minutes on your carving board covered in foil.
- Pour pan juices off and save for making gravy.
- When the breast is rested, use a really sharp knife to cut each side off the bone and then slice it crossways (the easiest) and put on a serving platter.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 15 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
So, here’s my idea of the perfectly cooked turkey breast. If I can get it off the grill looking like this I know that we’re going to have some great eating, some great leftovers and some great stock when I cook down the carcass the day after Thanksgiving.
This is flavorful with the seasoning in the meat and it stays juicy. The only other way to get it to be this tasty and juicy is to brine it which I typically don’t do (OK, I’m a bit lazy). And the carcass from the breast cooks down into a fantastic soup and turkey stock. Don’t throw it out! It’s far better than the canned or boxed broth you buy.
Check these posts to see more Cheap Bastid Thanksgiving Dinner recipes:
For Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing recipe: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/cornbread-and-sausage-stuffing/
For “Mushroom Soupless Green Bean Casserole”: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/holiday-green-bean-casserole/
ForHolidayBaked Sweet Potatoes: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/holiday-baked-sweet-potatoes/
Mama Stella’s Stuffing Bread: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/mama-stellas-stuffing-bread/
For the full Menu: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/a-cheap-bastid-thanksgiving/
The Cheap Bastid Test: An 8 lb breast last year cost me $1.59 per lb. or $12.72. I used about $.35 worth of margarine and about $.50 worth of spices and about $.50 of broth. Total for our holiday turkey was $14.07. Not bad for a special feast.
That’s the Cheap Bastid Way: Eat Good. Eat Cheap. Be Grateful! Especially at Thanksgiving!
Thank you Kathleen. And it’s always a labor of love.
895040 593671Fantastic article mate, keep the fantastic work, just shared this with ma friendz 542378