It’s the time of year when we start thinking about how we’ll cook this year’s holiday feast, and we all know who the main character is on every dinner table for Thanksgiving…. the turkey. There are so many ways you can cook a turkey, from roasting, to convection steam to frying. Each method can present its own set of challenges, but one thing that can help make the process seamless is having the proper equipment.
Here at PIRCH, we offer a vast selection of the latest and greatest cooking appliances. Our extremely versatile options allow you to cook anything you can dream of and achieve chef worthy results with ease. So, in case you’re stumped on how you’ll cook your bird this year, we’re sharing a few different methods of cooking a turkey with appliances that make the process as smooth as can be.
A Steam Oven
What is a steam oven? A steam oven uses hot steam to cook food. One of our favorite steam ovens at PIRCH is the Miele steam oven. It’s a combi-steam oven, meaning it combines conventional oven features with steam to help ensure roasts are juicy and baked goods are light and fluffy.
Cooking with steam has so many benefits. It can be a healthier cooking alternative because it locks in the nutrients within the food, and less oil is required to cook it. It can also lock in flavor, and speed up the cooking process, resulting in faster cooking times. By using a steam convection of 365 degrees, with 30% steam levels, you can reduce the cooking time of your turkey by 30%. This also allows you to keep your turkey tender and moist without adding extra fat.
According to PIRCH’s Head Customer Experience Chef, Chef Kimberly, “With the Miele steam oven, you can truly control the cooking process by being able to control the amount of steam you use.”
The Miele steam oven has several helpful features to simplify the cooking process. The DualSteam technology helps you achieve perfect results by spreading the steam quickly and evenly, with a combination of dry and moist heat.
Chef Kimberly adds, “This oven also comes with a probe that you can plug in and set the correct internal temperature for.” She explains, “The number one thing that can take your turkey from perfect to dry is overcooking it, and the probe will give you one less thing to worry about.”
A Convection Oven
Baking a turkey in a convection oven is by far the most common method. At PIRCH, we offer a wide range of convection ovens by top rated brands, like La Cornue.
La Cornue ranges exude beauty and exquisite craftsmanship, and are truly a showstopper in our showrooms. Each one is crafted by hand and assembled by a small team of specialists who pour hours into ensuring that each piece is functionally and aesthetically perfect. Not only are they beautiful, but they are extremely versatile, and performance driven. There are numerous customization options available as well, allowing you to design a family-heirloom that fits your specific needs and personal style.
There are several different settings on the La Cornue that can help you achieve restaurant quality results with any dish. These settings include thaw & serve, convection, convection broiling, convection assist, conventional oven, browning, and warming. Our chefs baked a twenty-pound turkey in the La Cornue on convection mode at 340 degrees for about two and a half to three hours. The results? A perfectly browned turkey that’s tender, juicy, and mouth-wateringly delicious.
Chef Kimberly explains, “There are so many features that come with the La Cornue oven.” She continues, “Features like bottom heat, the convection fan, and the full surface grill allow you to get the chef worthy results you are looking for.” Bottom Heat mode is ideal to perfectly finish baked items such as quick breads, pies, and dense cakes. Chef Kimberly states, “Having these elements at a proximity gives you better browning results.”
Take a tour of our new La Cornue display in Solana Beach, one of several in the showroom at 320 S. Cedros Ave that we share with our customer and friend Carly Blalock in her Elevated Living showroom.
A Ceramic Charcoal Smoker
Did you know that you can smoke a whole turkey? If you’re unfamiliar with the process of smoking food, you can essentially cook, brown, flavor, and preserve meats and other raw foods through exposure to smoke from burning or smoldering material, like wood or charcoal. According to Chef Kimberly, “Smoking your turkey allows you to add distinctive flavor you can’t get any other way.” She continues, “Besides adding flavor to your food, it also makes your meat more tender.”
Our chefs tested this method by smoking a turkey in the Kamado Joe at 300 degrees for about two hours, but cooking time can vary depending on the size of your turkey. The Kamado Joe is a versatile and innovative grill and smoker jam-packed with features.
Getting started with the Kamado Joe is a breeze because you can light the fire with the Automatic Fire Starter button, a built-in element to quickly ignite a flame, which eliminates the need to manually light your charcoal. Chef Kim states, “Lighting the fire is so much easier with the Automatic Fire Starter.” She continues, “All you need to do is add your charcoal, set the temperature, and let the Kontrol Tower™ Top Vent do the work.” The Kontrol Tower Top Vent allows for precise temperature control during dome opening and closing.
With the state-of-the-art, Kamado Joe temperature graph, you can monitor your temperature over time to ensure perfect results. Chef Kimberly explains, “The digitally connected thermometer allows you to monitor your food and avoid over cooking.”
Aside from delicious results, there are several other benefits to smoking your turkey. “Smoking allows you to cook low and slow,” says Chef Kimberly. “This will help you retain more of the meat’s natural juices and retain more of its nutrients while allowing excess fat to drip away.” Using a smoker to cook your turkey can also free up your oven so you can cook other dishes.
Watch Our chefs cook a turkey three ways
As you can see, there are plenty of different ways to cook your bird this year. These are only a few of our favorites, but we hope they helped provide you with some inspiration. If you can cook your turkey to perfection, you’ll have a home full of happy people — and if you want perfection, you’ve got to make sure you have quality appliances. Visit a PIRCH showroom near you to see these appliances in person, or to speak with one of our knowledgeable sales consultants about what’s possible for your kitchen.
