Outdoor Grills, Ovens And Stoves For Cooking Turkey

There are a lot of ways to cook turkey. One of the cooking processes is known as grilling. Grilling is becoming the most popular methods of cooking turkey and one of the healthiest as well. The grilling process allows fat to drip away from the turkey as it cooks, keeping the meat nutritious and full of flavor.

Aside from that, turkey has numerous ways and methods to be cooked, utilizing different cooking equipment such as the oven and the ever popular microwave. Here we offer you different methods that can be used for cooking turkey.

Here are some varieties of grills available in the market, as well as the basic instructions to properly use them..

Covered Charcoal Grill

First, you must have well prepared and clean equipment for this and good quality charcoal. Put up a pyramid of charcoal on one side. Set fire to the charcoal until it gets red hot. Place a thermometer on the food rack to check the temperature of the grill. This will give the cook an exact reading of the meat’s temperature when cooking.

In the center of the grill where the turkey will be placed, carefully arrange the charcoal around the edge evenly. Place the grill rack and set the prepared turkey on it. The turkey’s breast should be side-up. Simply maintain its temperature. Then cover the grill. If you want, you can add seasonings for the turkey to have flavor as it is cooking. Do not ever use softwood like cedar and pine because it gives the food a different taste and makes the turkey’s skin turn black.

When the inner thigh temperature reads 180 degree Fahrenheit, the turkey is ready. That is why it is very important to use a food thermometer.

Covered gas Grill

The gas grill can be provided by using either propane tanks or natural gas. If your gas grill has only one burner, a water pan should be placed under the grate to create indirect heat. If you have two or three burners, make sure the turkey is placed away from the flame. This is done by turning off one burner and placing the turkey in that area.

Aside from grilling, you can also roast turkey by using the oven.

Turkey can be successfully cooked in whole or in parts using the microwave oven. But sometimes it is not advisable to cook it whole because it makes the turkey cook unevenly. The turkey may not be cooked to the proper internal temperature. Full size microwave ovens with 650 to 700 watts can only accommodate a small turkey ranging 8 to 10 pounds.

Given that metal thermometers cannot be used here, merely check when the cooking is completed. Insert an instant read thermometer on different parts of the turkey.

Electric Roaster Oven

This appliance serves as an extra oven for cooking a large roast.

Heat the oven first to about 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Then place the turkey on a oven rack or any other meat rack for the turkey to be kept out the juices that collect in the bottom of the oven. Leave the cover throughout cooking, removing it as little as possible to avoid the slowing of the cooking process. Check the internal temperature of the inner thigh until it reaches to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Oven cooking bag method

This is one of the safest methods in roasting turkey. It is a delicious alternative to the traditional way of cooking turkey.

Pre-heat the oven using an oven-cooking bag to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. A tablespoon of dry flour should be shaken around to coat the empty bag to avoid bursting. The pan must be large enough for the turkey to sit easily in the center. Allocate space for the bag to enlarge during cooking so that it will not touch any part of the oven or it will melt.

A meat thermometer is inserted right through the thickest part of the plastic to know if the temperature of the turkey’s thigh reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Any of these methods of cooking your turkey will result in a delicious meal.

About the Author:
Niall Barco has been learning about turkey hunting for five years. http://Turkey-Hunting.info offers news, information, tips, views about turkey grills and ovens. Copyright http://Turkey-Hunting.info All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links back to http://Turkey-Hunting.info are included intact.
Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Puerto Rican Cuisine

Puerto Rico is an island nation that is officially a territory of the United States. Puerto Rican cuisine has evolved from several strong influences, including those of the original peoples, such as the Tainos, and the Spanish conquerors that drove most of the natives out and enslaved the remaining. African and Caribbean influence is also reflected in the cuisine of the island, which has also been shaped significantly by its climate and geology.

Cocina criolla, one of the main cuisine styles particular to the island has deep roots, extending far back to the native Tainos and Arawaks. Their culinary traditions were based tropical fruits, native vegetables, seafood, and corn. With the Spanish came a host of other ingredients that expanded the criolla style. These included olive oil, rice, wheat and meats, such as pork and beef. As enslaved African peoples were imported for work on the sugar cane plantations, their culinary traditions took root as well, and their contributions, which included taro and okra, became assimilated into the whole of criolla cuisine.

Many of the island’s main dishes are seasoned with adobo and sofrito, spice mixtures that impart those flavors that the island is so well known for. Adobo, which can vary from cook to cook, or if bought prepared, from manufacturer to manufacturer, generally consists of black peppercorns, oregano, salt, garlic, olive oil, and lime juice. When bought prepared in powdered form, most include salt, powdered garlic, citric acid, pepper, oregano, turmeric and MSG, which is a good reason to spend a little time making your own if experimenting with Puerto Rican cuisine at home. While generally used for seasoning meats, it is considered to be a sort of all-purpose seasoning mixture.

Sofrito is made from onions, garlic, cilantro, peppers, and often includes achiote, which is from the seeds of the annatoo plant, and helps to produce a bright yellow color in the finished product. This, too, is used in a variety of dishes, ranging from meat dishes to soups to standard forms of beans and rice.

One pot dishes, or stews, are common to Puerto Rican cuisine. These are often made of meats, and flavored with a variety of spices and ingredients in addition to adobo and sofrito. Among these are Spanish olives stuffed with pimiento, sweet chili peppers, capers, potatoes, onions, garlic, fresh cilantro, and occasionally raisins.

Chicken with rice is a dish that has become a Puerto Rican specialty, with many families having their own special style, handed down from generation to generation. Chicken is a main ingredient of many criolla dishes, and these dishes, while careful attention is given to spicing techniques, rarely are they what could be termed hotly spiced.

Naturally, seafood is an important part of the island cuisine. Fried fish is often served with a special sauce made of olives, olive oil, onions, pimientos, capers, tomato sauce, vinegar, garlic and bay leaves. Broiled, steamed or grilled fish is lightly seasoned, if at all, during the cooking process and served with a splash of lime juice with perhaps just a hint of garlic.

Puerto Rican cuisine has many facets, arising from the island’s long, complex history. The blend of native culinary traditions with those of the European settlers and the enslaved African populations that they brought with them has resulted in a unique and flavorful cuisine that is beloved by many.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a food and nutrition expert specializing the Mexican, Chinese, and Italian food. Visit http://www.food-and-nutrition.com/ for more information on cooking delicious and healthy meals.
Circulated by Article Emporium

3 Ways To Cook The Perfect Rice

Rice may be cooked by 3 methods, each of which requires a different proportion of water. These methods are boiling, which requires 12 times as much water as rice; the Japanese method, which requires 5 times as much; and steaming, which requires 2-1/2 times as much. Whichever of these methods is used, however, it should be remembered that the rice grains, when properly cooked, must be whole and distinct. To give them this form and prevent the rice from having a pasty appearance, this cereal should not be stirred too much in cooking nor should it be cooked too long.

BOILED RICE - Boiling is about the simplest way. Properly boiled rice not only forms a valuable dish itself, but is an excellent foundation for other dishes that may be served at any meal. The water in which rice is boiled should not be wasted, as it contains much nutritive material. This water may be utilized in the preparation of soups or sauces, or it may even be used to supply the liquid required in the making of yeast bread.

BOILED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 c. rice ; 3 tsp. Salt; 3 qt. boiling water

Wash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Boil rapidly until the water begins to appear milky because of the starch coming out of the rice into the water or until a grain can be easily crushed between the fingers. Drain the cooked rice through a colander, and then pour cold water over the rice in the colander, so as to wash out the loose starch and leave each grain distinct. Reheat the rice by shaking it over the fire, and serve hot with butter, gravy, or cream or milk and sugar.

JAPANESE METHOD - Rice prepared by the Japanese method may be used in the same ways as boiled rice. However, unless some use is to be made of the liquid from boiled rice, the Japanese method has the advantage of being a more economical way of cooking this cereal.

JAPANESE METHOD (Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 c. rice ; 1-1/2 tsp. Salt; 5 c. boiling water

Wash the rice, add it to the boiling salted water, and boil slowly for 15 minutes. Then cover the utensil in which the rice is cooking and place it in the oven for 15 minutes more, in order to evaporate the water more completely and make the grains soft without being mushy. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.

STEAMED RICE - To steam rice requires more time than either of the preceding cooking methods, but it causes no loss of food material. Then, too, unless the rice is stirred too much while it is steaming, it will have a better appearance than rice cooked by the other methods. As in the case of boiled rice, steamed rice may be used as the foundation for a variety of dishes and may be served in any meal.

STEAMED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. rice; 1-1/2 tsp. Salt 2-1/2 c. water

Wash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Cook it for 5 minutes and then place it in a double boiler and allow it to cook until it is soft. Keep the cooking utensil covered and do not stir the rice. About 1 hour will be required to cook rice in this way. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.

Good luck.
Nora Maskuri
For more tips and recipes, visit http://mycookery.com/blog

About the Author:
Noraini Maskuri enjoys cooking and has professional training in bakery. She is the owner of MyCookery.com and has a blog at mycookery.com/blog
Content Provider: http://www.my-articles.com

The Perfect Steak Dinner - 3 Dishes (and one drink) to Food Nirvana

Here are four items that I think make the perfect steak dinner. Do all four. You won't disagree with me. What are the four?

Spicy Smoked Steak
Cheese Fries
Seasoned Green Beans
Homemade Milkshake

I'm getting hungry, so let's get started.

Spicy Smoked Steak
2 pounds of steak (round steak works fine)
MSG (sold as Accent in the seasoning section)
1 tablespoon of butter
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 eight ounce can of tomato sauce
1 large can mushrooms
1 banana pepper
2 bell green peppers
2 mid-sized onions
Some salt and pepper
Liquid smoke

Directions:
Tenderize the meat with a mallet and lightly coat the meat with the MSG powder. Take all the other ingredients, except the tomato sauce and put them on the top of the meat. It's important to keep it all on top.

Regarding the liquid smoke vary the amount you use to the amount of smokiness you want (don't overdo it, it's strong stuff). Pour the tomato sauce over the top of everything else.

Cover the steak snugly with foil. Poke holes in the foil. Cook it for half an hour at 400 degrees F. It's a good idea to have a cookie sheet under the steak in the oven to catch drippings. Cover the cookie sheet with foil for easy clean up. Reduce heat to 200 degrees and continue cooking for an hour.

Cheesy Fries
3 potatoes (scrubbed and sliced in to French fry shapes)
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1/3 cup parmesan cheese (not fresh-grated)
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 chives

Directions:
Coat the fries in the butter. Mix the other ingredients together. Coat the fries in the mixture. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook them uncovered for forty minutes (less if you've thinly sliced them).

Seasoned Green Beans
10 fresh mushrooms
1 yellow onion
4 cups of frozen green beans
1 stick of butter
Mrs. Dash seasoning

Directions:
Chop the mushrooms and onions. Saute them until the onion is translucent. Heat the beans until they are tender. Drain the veggies and place them in a dish. Mix in the mushrooms, onion, butter, and Mrs. Dash.

Homemade Milkshake
4 cups of cold milk
4 cups of vanilla ice cream

Directions: Blend together in at high speed in a blender. Serves 4 to 5.

So there you have the perfect steak dinner. Personally, I think I'll fix this again tomorrow night. Good food is truly my weakness. Enjoy!

About the Author:
Nathan Pennington runs http://www.meatlodge.com. The Meat Lodge is devoted to all kinds of delicious meats and is full of recipes, short how-to's, and the like.
Click here now! ==> http://www.meatlodge.com
Submitted: 2006-09-10
Article Source: GO Articles