# Who Else Doesn't Like Regular Oven Cooked Turkey? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 21, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010 "2005-11-21T01:31:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/1 "2005-11-21T01:31:27Z")
The title says it all. I think regular, oven-cooked, Thanksgiving turkey is about the most boring, bland meat imaginable. It tends to be dry and tasteless and looks disgusting as people tear at it like wild dogs. People always tell me that their XXXX cooks a great one. I don’t think that is possible based on what you start with. It wouldn’t bother me much if people just cooked it as a regular dish. Instead, turkey is THE centerpiece for a major holiday. I know there are people out there that agree with me. What do you say? ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/2 "2005-11-21T01:36:23Z")
Sorry, I love turkey. I especially look forward to eating turkey sandwiches after the holiday is past. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/3 "2005-11-21T01:37:04Z")
If chicken were made instead of turkey, I bet I’d be eating Thanksgiving dinner more often. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/4 "2005-11-21T01:39:44Z")
Too many people (including my mom in past years) just dry it out. Because it’s such a huge piece of meat, it takes forever to thaw properly, and it’s so hard to tell exactly when it’s done. It’s basically a tradition at this point, but I’ve greatly preferred years where my family got a spiral-cut honey ham, grilled steaks and sausages in the back yard, or even ordered a feast of Cuban food for Thanksgiving. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/5 "2005-11-21T01:44:13Z")
I used to agree with you but then I discovered a few ways to do turkey. Brine it and/or indirect grill it and it’s fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/6 "2005-11-21T01:46:01Z")
You can eliminate the dryness problem by brining the turkey before you roast it. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/7 "2005-11-21T01:48:23Z")
After eating fried turkey that’s been injected with marinate 36 hours before, I just don’t see the point in baked turkey anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/8 "2005-11-21T01:52:12Z")
I used to dislike it because it was too dry and flavorless but then realized my parents just don’t know how to cook turkey, nor, most likely, do the people preparing yours. Cooked right, it’s even better than chicken although still not as tasty as some of the other animals we eat. We need a mutton and/or lamb holiday. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/9 "2005-11-21T01:56:17Z")
Oven cooked, brined, fried, grilled, whatever, I’ve come to the conclusion that I really don’t like turkey very much. I don’t _dislike_ it, because that seems like too strong an emotion to attach to something as bland as turkey. I’m voting “eh” on turkey. We’re having pork roast for Thanksgiving dinner this year. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/10 "2005-11-21T02:08:29Z")
Sorry, I like it, twice a year. I must be lucky, I come from people who don’t know how to wreck a roast turkey. What I don’t like is whatever that is they call turkey that is served in restaurants. It’s an off-white, circular, rubbery, flavorless Mystery Meat. I don’t know what it’s made of, but it couldn’t have been a Butterball in any stage of its existence. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/11 "2005-11-21T02:16:13Z")
_raises hand_ Yeah, i don’t like turkey. Even when it’s not dried out, it’s dreadfully plain meat. I much prefer a nice spiral-cut ham. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/12 "2005-11-21T02:35:53Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > We need a mutton and/or lamb holiday. Hell yes. Lamb is one of my favorite animals to eat! Then again, I’d be happy with a pastrami holiday! (St. Patrick’s Day, which is also my birthday, works just fine as a corned beef holiday.) ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/13 "2005-11-21T02:49:01Z")
We’re not turkey fans at the brown household, either. I always buy a rack of lamb and roast it smeared with a mashed garlic/mustard/olive oil/rosemary rub. It’s our special ocasion roast. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/14 "2005-11-21T02:52:22Z")
Count me in the ‘meh’ group. Bland bland bland. The boring other white meat. Gimme a goose any day. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/15 "2005-11-21T03:41:30Z")
I love turkey. My local supermarket sells turkey breasts along with their roasted chickens and there’s no comparison. Properly-cooked and flavored turkey is one of the best sandwich materials ever invented. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/16 "2005-11-21T03:43:29Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > We need a mutton and/or lamb holiday. Seconded. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/17 "2005-11-21T04:14:21Z")
Well, all potentially conflicting imagery aside, why not Christmas? Yeah, a ham is more traditional, but you’ve still got Easter for ham. Or maybe get in on a seder. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/18 "2005-11-21T04:21:59Z")
If you mind is set like two week old concrete, I will not be able to change it. But if you think that just maybe there might be a way to good a turkey that is not dry and has flavor may I suggest You consult the other [perfect master](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_8389,00.html) The only change I make is instead of the oven I cook the bird on a [Weber charcoal grill](http://www.weber.com/bbq/pub/grill/2005/charcoal/cg_ot_s225.aspx) . Year before last I did 2 20 pounders on two webers for 35 people at my sisters house. Most of these people said they were not wild about turkey. None of them had ever heard of doing a turkey on a charcoal grill. All of them now think I am a cooking god. 😃 Trust me, do a turkey on a Weber and you will never put one in the oven again. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/19 "2005-11-21T04:26:37Z")
My parents cook their turkeys upside-down. It upsets the presentation a bit, but the white meat comes out juicy and flavorful. ---
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010/20 "2005-11-21T04:38:38Z")
Ha! I could have written that OP. I don’t _hate_ turkey; it’s tolerable but hardly the orgasmic taste sensation so many people make it out to be. My SO and I get ours pre-cooked from Whole Foods every year, so I’m reasonably certain it’s being done right, but it’s still about as tasty as your basic rice cake. Incidentally, I feel the same way about steak. Pass the ketchup, please. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-doesnt-like-regular-oven-cooked-turkey/332010.md?page=2)