Keeping it together
Tomorrow is a day of joy and thanks,
but it is also a day rife with the threat
of peril. Here are tips for keeping
your feast from falling apart.
IT'S STILL FROZEN!
By this we mean the bird. If your turkey hasn't been defrosting since at least Monday, it's probably still pretty solid. What you don't want to do is leave it out overnight -- the bacteria will getcha. Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. It will take about 30 minutes per pound -- for a 16-pound turkey that starts out frozen solid, allow eight hours.
OK, it's thawed, now what?
For basic, simple roasting, the Butterball folks suggest this approach: Place turkey breast-up on a flat rack in a shallow pan. Rub with oil. Place in a preheated 325-degree oven. When the turkey is two-thirds done, loosely cover the breast and top of drumsticks with foil to prevent overcooking the breast.
Roasting times / In hours
Weight Unstuffed Stuffed 10 to 18 3 to 3-1/2 3-3/4 to 4-1/2 18 to 22 3-1/2 to 4 4-1/2 to 5 22 to 24 4 to 4-1/2 5 to 5-1/2 24 to 30 4-1/2 to 5 5-1/2 to 6-1/4 As for the stuffing ...
It's generally considered more bacteria-proof to cook the stuffing outside the bird and most recipes allow for that. But if you feel you must stuff, do it just before roasting, and stuff loosely. Don't pre-stuff tonight as a way of saving time tomorrow.
is it done yet?
Your turkey is done when its temperature is 180 degrees in the thigh. Also, when the thigh is pierced, juices should be clear, not pink. (If you're dealing with stuffing, it should be 160 degrees in the center. Let turkey stand 15 minutes before removing stuffing or carving.
A few words about temperature ...
The plastic pop-up thermometer that comes inserted in some birds will pop too late, which means dry turkey meat, and there's no fixing dry meat. A thermometer is a much better bet.Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer in the thigh of the raw turkey, above the lower part of the thighbone, pointing toward the body. Be sure it's not touching the bone.
An instant-read thermometer should be inserted in the thigh and/or stuffing when you believe the turkey is nearly done. Do not leave it in the bird while it is roasting.
Now, how do I take this thing apart?
No. 1, sharpen your carving knife. That's something you can do tonight.Now, to begin ...
Cut off the legs: Pull until the thigh bone pops out of its socket, then cut through the skin where the leg is attached to the breast. Slice off this whole portion, including the back meat around the corner, over to the spine. Then, on a carving board, use a knife to separate the drumstick and the thigh, then the thigh and the back meat. Serve these whole, or carve the meat off the bones, working parallel to each bone.
Cut off the wings: Cut through the skin where the wing is attached to the breast. Again, pull until the wing comes out of its socket, then slice off the wing. Serve whole, or slice off the meat.
Carve the breast: Begin slicing parallel to the bone, making thin, vertical slices, and remove them from the ribs of the carcass. Slice each piece in half or thirds if desired.
Once the turkey is carved and the meat is laid out on a platter, garnish it with something green, such as thyme, rosemary or parsley. And wait for the applause.
Compiled by Betty Shimabukuro,
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Hot lines
Toll-free hot line hours are listed in Hawaii time:U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline, 888-674-6854: Food safety specialists answer calls about meat and poultry preparation and cooking questions, weekdays, 5 a.m. to noon. Tomorrow's hours: 3 to 9 a.m. Recorded information available 24 hours a day.
Online: www.fsis.usda.gov
Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, 800-288-8372: Home economists and nutritionists answer questions 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and 2 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow.Online: www.butterball.com
Foster Farms Turkey Helpline, 800-255-7227: Turkey-cooking questions answered by operators 24 hours a day through next Monday.Online: www.fosterfarms.com
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