Turkey Tips from David
Source of Recipe
Marla
List of Ingredients
Turkey Tips from David
Recipe
Thanksgiving is coming so quickly now. It's really just around the
corner.There are lots of things to know about turkey in order to make
sure nobody has nothing to criticize. I know from what I speak.So let's
get the goods on a good turkey and how to make sure the bronzed bird is
perfectly done.
IS FROZEN TURKEY FRESHER TASTING THAN FRESH TURKEY?
If you want the freshest tasting turkey this Thanksgiving, don't buy a
fresh turkey.
That's what the editors at Cook's Illustrated magazine discovered when
testing fresh and frozen turkeys for their November issue. Turns out
frozen turkeys taste fresher and more moist than fresh.It may sound
counterintuitive, but science backs them up. Apparently, turkeys labeled
"fresh" can be stored at 26 F, a temp at which tiny ice crystals can
form in the meat.
Temp fluctuations during transport and storage (at the store and home)
can cause these crystals to thaw and refreeze, punching holes in the
cell membranes of the meat and causing them to lose moisture.
HOW CAN YOU TELL IF A FROZEN TURKEY IS FRESH OR NOT?
How can you tell its not a leftover frozen turkey from last year? There
are no date codes on frozen turkeys. If the turkey is wrapped in see
through packaging, rub it with your fingers to remove the frost off it.
Look at the flesh compare a few others. The grayer the flesh the longer
its been frozen. Also look at the weight on pack; the longer a thing is
frozen the more chance it will have frost burn which makes it feel
lighter.
HOW CAN YOU TELL DONENESS OF THE TURKEY?
Probably the trickiest part of roasting a turkey is being sure the
breast and thigh meat are done at the same time. All too often, the
breast meat ends up dry and overcooked while you're waiting for the
thighs to finish cooking. Any one of these techniques will help prevent
the breast from overcooking:
For an unstuffed turkey, roast the turkey, breast side down, for the
first one-third of the cooking time. This increases the rate at which
the thighs cook, so they'll be done at about the same time as the
breast.
For a stuffed turkey, loosely cover the breast with a doublethick piece
of aluminum foil for the first two-thirds of the cooking time. This
slows the rate at which the breast cooks, so it will be done at about
the same time as the thighs.
Checking the Internal Temp
The breast and thighs must reach different internal temps for ideal
doneness. The breast should register 165 F and the thigh, 175 F. Begin
testing for doneness about 30 mins before the total roasting time is
reached.
The turkey will continue to cook internally after you remove it from the
oven, so you may take it out when the thermometer registers 3 to 4 F
below the minimum temp. Then cover the bird loosely with aluminum
foil.If roasting a stuffed bird, be sure the stuffing reaches 165 F.
TO TEST THE BREAST: Using an instant-read thermometer, insert it into
the meatiest part, several inches above the wings.
TO TEST THE THIGH: Insert the instant-read thermometer away from the
bone, along side the opening of the main cavity underneath the
drumstick. This is the meatiest part of the thigh.
|
|
member logon
