Even the most seasoned chefs can get intimidated by the lofty expectations that surround the presentation of the perfect Thanksgiving turkey. Here are the 6 steps to wow even the most discerning of guests.
Step 1: Choose the bird
There are lots of different types of turkeys you can find these days. Here is the breakdown of options you'll most likely see when you go shopping:
• Fresh - Fresh turkeys have been kept at 26° F or above, and they should be cooked within two days of purchase.
• Frozen - Frozen turkeys have been kept at 0° F or below and will be frozen solid. Frozen turkeys will keep up to four months but tend to be drier than fresh turkeys.
• Basted or Self-basted - Sold frozen or fresh, these turkeys are injected with a solution intended to make it more tender and juicy. Ingredients in the solution vary from company to company but can consist of oils, butter, or additives to improve juiciness or flavor of turkey.
• Natural - No flavoring or artificial moistening agents or oils have been added to these turkeys. Natural turkeys can include free range turkeys to commercially-grown turkeys. If brined, a natural turkey's flavor far exceeds the flavor of a basted turkey.
• Free-Range - These turkeys are allowed to roam outside the coop.
• Kosher - These can be frozen, fresh, natural, free-range, or even organic, but they have been rubbed with salt for a short period of time. Kosher turkeys can be seasoned or flavor-brined to enhance flavor.
Step 2: Defrosting
If you have selected a fresh turkey, you can scroll down to the next step, brining your turkey. If you buy a frozen bird, follow these recommended thawing times:
8 to 12 lbs. = 2 to 3 Days
13 to 16 lbs. = 3 to 4 Days
17 to 20 lbs. = 4 to 5 Days
21 to 24 lbs. = 5 to 6 Days
Step 3: Brining
During the cooking process, meat can lose up to 30% of its water. A properly brined and cooked turkey will reduce the water loss by as much as one half. To brine, rub the turkey inside and out with kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.
Step 4: Trussing
Trussing is the art of tying the legs and wings of a turkey with string in order to present a more beautiful turkey. Pull the legs together loosely, and tie them with kitchen string; a bow will be easy to untie later. Any kind of sturdy white string or twine will do, as long as it's made of cotton, not polyester (which may melt in the oven's heat).
Step 5: Stuffing
Insert the stuffing just before the turkey goes into the oven; never do it ahead of time. And don't pack it too tightly, as the stuffing won't cook evenly and bacteria may grow; also, don't forget to stuff the neck cavity.
Step 6: Roasting
Now that you've prepared your turkey, it's time to cook it.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.
• Brush the turkey with melted butter, oil or even spray oil. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan.
• Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).
• Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter.
• Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.
General cooking times for both stuffed and unstuffed turkeys based on recommendations from the National Turkey Federation:
Un-stuffed Turkey
8 to 12 pounds -- 2 3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds -- 3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds -- 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds -- 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds -- 4 1/2 to 5 hours
Stuffed Turkey
8 to 12 pounds -- 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds -- 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds -- 4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds -- 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds -- 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours
The National Turkey Federation also offers these safety recommendations:
1. Do not roast the turkey in a oven temperature lower than 325° F. Poultry should be roasted at 325° F. or higher to avoid potential food safety problems.
2. Do not roast the turkey in a brown paper grocery bag. Present day grocery bags may be made of recycled materials and are not considered safe for food preparation.
3. Do use a meat thermometer (available at most grocery stores and kitchen shops) to determine the correct degree of doneness. Turkey is done when meat in the thigh reaches 180°F or (meat in the breast in finished at 170°F).
What's your favorite turkey cooking method? Traditional roasting, grilling or frying?
About the author: Suzi Milovanovic is our Phoenix-based, mother of two mommy blogger for RealMomsGuide.com. She is fanatical about researching and getting the word out about issues important to parents. She has also written several articles for SheKnows, in addition to other notable websites and publications, including her own local Phoenix Metro parenting websites: EastValleyParent.com and WestValleyParent.com. She is on Twitter with her alter-ego and favorite nail polish color, aptly named Suzi Says !
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Sure thing, if you are searching for a book, it is better to use special search engines only on ebooks. But as it turns out, there also exist http://www.pdfqueen.com search engines on ebooks formats!
It looks cool! I will definitely try.Thanks for the info!.And if you like
supra shoes or cheap jordan shoes, please
check on my site.
