Help me salvage a turkey blunder!!!
November 24, 2010 11:02 PM Subscribe
Help me salvage a turkey blunder!!! Long story short: Turkey leg crockpot recipe. While prepping it, I realized the legs don't quite fit. Fine! I'll put it in the oven instead... but...
I'm intimidated when it comes to cooking because I never really learned how, but I do quite well with a crock pot. I found the following recipe and thought it sounded great:
- 4 Turkey Legs
- 2 cans of whole berry cranberry sauce
- 2 envelopes of dry onion soup mix
- 3/4 cup of orange juice
- salt and pepper to taste
"Put turkey in the crockpot, mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over turkey. Cook on low for 8 hours. The sauce makes for a great gravy over potatoes."
I started to prep it, thinking I'd let it sit in the fridge overnight (in the ceramic crock pot dish) and then pop it in the crock pot first thing in the morning... and that's when I realized the turkey legs don't quite fit in my crock pot! STUPID MISTAKE, but it's too late to dwell on that. So...
What do I do now?
The turkey legs and cranberry/onion/OJ are in the ceramic dish (in the fridge) with the ends of the legs sticking out the top.
Can I cover the top with aluminum foil and put it in the oven tomorrow instead of putting it in the crock pot? If so, how long and at what temp? And how do I avoid having it burn? I have a meat thermometer. I need the turkey to be at least 180 degrees, right? I didn't grease the pan (ceramic dish, really). Is this a problem?
I'm intimidated when it comes to cooking because I never really learned how, but I do quite well with a crock pot. I found the following recipe and thought it sounded great:
- 4 Turkey Legs
- 2 cans of whole berry cranberry sauce
- 2 envelopes of dry onion soup mix
- 3/4 cup of orange juice
- salt and pepper to taste
"Put turkey in the crockpot, mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over turkey. Cook on low for 8 hours. The sauce makes for a great gravy over potatoes."
I started to prep it, thinking I'd let it sit in the fridge overnight (in the ceramic crock pot dish) and then pop it in the crock pot first thing in the morning... and that's when I realized the turkey legs don't quite fit in my crock pot! STUPID MISTAKE, but it's too late to dwell on that. So...
What do I do now?
The turkey legs and cranberry/onion/OJ are in the ceramic dish (in the fridge) with the ends of the legs sticking out the top.
Can I cover the top with aluminum foil and put it in the oven tomorrow instead of putting it in the crock pot? If so, how long and at what temp? And how do I avoid having it burn? I have a meat thermometer. I need the turkey to be at least 180 degrees, right? I didn't grease the pan (ceramic dish, really). Is this a problem?
Best answer: My instinct is to say that you should not put the crockpot dish in the oven. Crockpots only heat up to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and quick internet research confirms that they are probably not oven-safe: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/343987.
If you have another baking dish, I think you could totally slow-roast the turkey legs in the oven. I'd do 300 degrees and check on them every 30 minutes until they're done (about 165-180 degrees). And yeah, cover the dish in foil so it doesn't dry out.
If you have no such other dish, a radical solution may be to just pull the meat off the turkey legs and cook the meat and sauce in the Crockpot. I think it would still taste delicious.
(This recipe sounds awesome, btw--I am filing it away for next year!)
posted by guybrush_threepwood at 11:30 PM on November 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you have another baking dish, I think you could totally slow-roast the turkey legs in the oven. I'd do 300 degrees and check on them every 30 minutes until they're done (about 165-180 degrees). And yeah, cover the dish in foil so it doesn't dry out.
If you have no such other dish, a radical solution may be to just pull the meat off the turkey legs and cook the meat and sauce in the Crockpot. I think it would still taste delicious.
(This recipe sounds awesome, btw--I am filing it away for next year!)
posted by guybrush_threepwood at 11:30 PM on November 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'd cover the whole thing with foil, crimp it down around the edges of the ceramic insert, and still do it in the crockpot. You just need to keep the heat/moisture in, and foil will do that as well as - or better than - the glass or plastic lid. Definitely use the meat thermometer to make sure everything is up to a proper temperature, but I wouldn't bother with the oven unless half the meat of the legs is sticking out of the ceramic insert.
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 11:30 PM on November 24, 2010
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 11:30 PM on November 24, 2010
I've used foil as a crock pot cover before and it worked fine.
posted by Linnee at 11:42 PM on November 24, 2010
posted by Linnee at 11:42 PM on November 24, 2010
Response by poster: "If you have another baking dish, I think you could totally slow-roast the turkey legs in the oven. I'd do 300 degrees and check on them every 30 minutes until they're done (about 165-180 degrees)."
I have a baking dish I've used in the oven. I'll transfer them to that. Is it safe to bake the cranberry/onion/OJ mix in the dish with the turkey legs?
I'm nervous about using foil as a crock pot lid because the leg bones stick out quite a bit. Most of the meat is below the top, but the bones REALLY stick out of the crock pot dish.
posted by 2oh1 at 11:53 PM on November 24, 2010
I have a baking dish I've used in the oven. I'll transfer them to that. Is it safe to bake the cranberry/onion/OJ mix in the dish with the turkey legs?
I'm nervous about using foil as a crock pot lid because the leg bones stick out quite a bit. Most of the meat is below the top, but the bones REALLY stick out of the crock pot dish.
posted by 2oh1 at 11:53 PM on November 24, 2010
Best answer: Sure, the mixture can go in the oven. You'll basically be braising, but without the usual first step of browning the meat. I like guybrush_threepwood's basic suggestions for temp and timing. In any case, you should definitely check the meat's progress periodically in case it cooks faster than you expect. You might also have to add a bit of (hot) water now and then to compensate for lost moisture, so that the sugars from the cranberry sauce don't burn.
posted by jon1270 at 12:54 AM on November 25, 2010
posted by jon1270 at 12:54 AM on November 25, 2010
Acidic foods can dissolve aluminum foil, but as far as I know it's not considered toxic when this happens (just an FYI if the acid from your OJ causes discoloration/dissolves any foil you might use).
An alternative method might be to take a plastic oven bag and drape it over the top of your crock pot and tie a string around the lip of the crockpot for a decent seal, then cut a small slit in the top just being enough to release any pressure that might build up so your bag doesn't pop. I haven't tried this myself, so not sure how effective it would be.
Personally, I'd probably just chop the leg bones down to fit.
posted by Menthol at 12:55 AM on November 25, 2010
An alternative method might be to take a plastic oven bag and drape it over the top of your crock pot and tie a string around the lip of the crockpot for a decent seal, then cut a small slit in the top just being enough to release any pressure that might build up so your bag doesn't pop. I haven't tried this myself, so not sure how effective it would be.
Personally, I'd probably just chop the leg bones down to fit.
posted by Menthol at 12:55 AM on November 25, 2010
Chop the legs in two and just put the ends in the crockpot.
Like you said, they have very little meat on them, and chopping them will actually improve the flavor of the dish as a whole because of the exposure of the marrow.
If you don't have a cleaver use a hatchet or a saw.
Use wire cutters if you have to.
posted by jamjam at 1:07 AM on November 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Like you said, they have very little meat on them, and chopping them will actually improve the flavor of the dish as a whole because of the exposure of the marrow.
If you don't have a cleaver use a hatchet or a saw.
Use wire cutters if you have to.
posted by jamjam at 1:07 AM on November 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Uhm... I don't have any of those things (wire cutter / hatchet / saw). I briefly considered tearing the meat off the bones and cooking it all that way in the crock pot, but I quickly realized what a giant pain in the butt it is to attempt that un uncooked turkey legs!
posted by 2oh1 at 1:13 AM on November 25, 2010
posted by 2oh1 at 1:13 AM on November 25, 2010
Transfer it to another pan, cover it with foil, and bake it at 200 until the meat starts falling off the bone.
posted by ottereroticist at 2:08 AM on November 25, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by ottereroticist at 2:08 AM on November 25, 2010 [3 favorites]
Would trussing the turkey cause all of the parts to fit inside the crockpot?
If not, just remove the thighs or legs completely at the joint instead of using a cleaver or hacksaw. This can be done with a paring knife.
posted by hindmost at 2:09 AM on November 25, 2010
If not, just remove the thighs or legs completely at the joint instead of using a cleaver or hacksaw. This can be done with a paring knife.
posted by hindmost at 2:09 AM on November 25, 2010
Oh I'm sorry. You just have turkey legs. You can remove the meat from the bones by cutting out the bone, which is easier than tearing off the meat.
posted by hindmost at 2:14 AM on November 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by hindmost at 2:14 AM on November 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've put my ceramic crock pot in the oven many times. But the glass lid with the black plastic handle - that melts.
posted by CathyG at 10:54 AM on November 25, 2010
posted by CathyG at 10:54 AM on November 25, 2010
Response by poster: I just transferred the legs and sauce to a baking dish and put that in the oven at 350 degrees since that's the temp I keep seeing recommended online. I guess I'll start checking on them in an hour.
posted by 2oh1 at 11:23 AM on November 25, 2010
posted by 2oh1 at 11:23 AM on November 25, 2010
2oh1, just a note, cooking things in a slow-cooker will produce a lot more liquid than cooking things in an oven. Please double-check the liquid levels as the cooking progresses - you may find you need to add more to get the consistency you're hoping for.
posted by LN at 12:35 PM on November 25, 2010
posted by LN at 12:35 PM on November 25, 2010
Response by poster: An hour and a half into it and the meat is up to 145 degrees. All is going well!
posted by 2oh1 at 1:03 PM on November 25, 2010
posted by 2oh1 at 1:03 PM on November 25, 2010
Response by poster: 2 hours 10 minutes. Turkey temp: 185 degrees. Dinnertime! Nom nom nom!!!
Thanks for the help, and a Happy Thanksgiving to you.
posted by 2oh1 at 1:31 PM on November 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Thanks for the help, and a Happy Thanksgiving to you.
posted by 2oh1 at 1:31 PM on November 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
According to this page, the "low" setting corresponds to 200°F. You could try cooking it in the oven at that temperature. If you're unsure, get a meat thermometer and make sure it's reached 180°.
posted by Deathalicious at 11:25 PM on November 24, 2010