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Let's Talk Turkey
It’s that time of year. Thanksgiving. Many, including myself, are intimidated by the bird. The side dishes are really no big deal. But the bird. Holy spumoni, if you screw that up, you’ll never hear the end of it. Last year, my turkey was so big that it hung off the sides of the pan, dripped juices all over the oven and nearly caught the oven on fire. I’m hoping not to have a repeat of that circus this year. I thought I would do some research to help me prepare.
Let’s demystify the bird.
How Big is That Bird?
Last year I ordered a turkey through my organic grocery delivery service so I could cook it the way I wanted and enjoy the leftovers and bones for broth. When it arrived, it was 17 lbs. Apparently, they didn’t know I am the only person who eats meat in my house. I put down a deposit on another turkey this year so who knows how big of a bird I might get. It’s like turkey roulette or turkey surprise. We’ll just have to wait and see.
So how much meat should you buy if you are able to choose the size of your bird? The Kitchn says the rule of thumb is about a pound of bird per person. Martha Stewart says 1 ½ pounds per person is the general rule. Good Housekeeping follows the pound per person rule. If most experts are saying about a pound per person, you are probably in good shape although you could add a pound or two for leftovers or just in case. You’ll also have a ton of side dishes so no need to feel like there won’t be enough food. Because there will. There is always plenty. Especially that weird green gelatin thing that is always there, but no one is quite sure what it is. Is that just my family? It can’t be just my family.
She’s as Cold as Ice
You’ve got the bird, but it’s frozen. Now what? Well, you are going to have to thaw it out. Probably for several days. Last year mine was awkwardly placed in a container in the mini-fridge in my bedroom. It’s the only place that had room for it. I’m sure we can do better this year. Maybe. It depends on how monster-sized my bird is.
Per Martha Stewart again, leave the turkey in its original wrapper. Place it on rimmed baking sheet of some sort, on the bottom shelf and allow a day per four pounds of turkey for it to completely thaw.
With this math, a 12 pound bird would take three days to thaw. My 17 pound bird took 4-5 days to thaw.
To Marinade or Dry Brine? That is the Question.
A basic marinade involves oil, acid, and seasonings. It’s that simple. There are a couple of ways you can marinate your bird. Make just enough to rub it all over the bird and keep flipping the bird every few hours to make sure the whole thing is nicely coated. Or you can make a crap ton of marinade and submerge the whole bird in it, like brining. Spices Inc. has some tips on how to do this as well as a few recipes.
Personally, I prefer to dry brine my bird. It’s like brining without all the mess. You mix some salt and spices, massage the whole bird with the mix both under the skin and over it. Then you let it rest in the fridge uncovered for a day or so. It seems counterintuitive that all that salt would make the bird juicy and flavorful, but it does. And yes, you want it to be uncovered. The air circulating allows the salt to dry out the skin a bit. It makes for the perfect crispy skin on that bird. Trust me.
Check out my Yumtastic Chicken recipe here for a mix of seasonings that I think are just perfect for poultry.
Is it Done Yet?
So how do you know when it’s done? It can get confusing. The general rule has always been 165 Fahrenheit. When the meat hits 165, you know it is done. Unfortunately, that often makes for a dry and tasteless bird.
Remember, the bird is going to rest for 15-20 minutes at least before you carve it. There will be carry over cooking as it rests. This means that as the bird rests before you carve it, the temperature will continue to rise a bit.
Still, it can be confusing to know when to call and say the bird is done. Serious Eats gives a good explanation on how to know when the bird is done.
Carve that Bird!
Now that you’ve got a perfectly cooked bird, how do you get it to the serving platter without making it look like a serial killer hacked away at the bird? Honestly, I’m not sure. My knife skills where the bird was concerned last year were a bit of a hack job.
But, I’m willing to learn so I found this video by Real Simple that shows how to carve a turkey. I’m thinking if I watch this enough. I just might figure it out.
Have a yumtastic Thanksgiving!
