How To Carve a Turkey

How To Carve a Turkey on Howcast

Tradition says slice at the table, but we think your guests will just as happy with a pretty, plated presentation.

You Will Need

• A cooked turkey
• A cutting board
• A carving knife
• A serving tray

Step 1: Carve in the kitchen

Keep the turkey in the kitchen after it’s cooked to let it cool slightly and the juices redistribute. Slicing that bird is a greasy, messy proposition, so keep your guests out of the splatter zone.

Step 2: Remove the legs

Place the turkey on a cutting board breast-side up. As you pull one leg away from the bird, slice through the skin and the joint connecting it to the body. Repeat with the other leg.

Tip : Use a long, sharp carving knife. A short, dull blade will take longer, shred the meat, and increase your chance of injury.

Step 3: Cut the leg meat

Cut through the leg joint to separate the thigh from the drumstick, and set the drumstick aside. Cut as much meat as you can off the thighbone, trying to keep it in one large piece. Cut against the grain to create slices about a quarter of an inch thick.

Step 4: Cut off the wings

Pull one wing away from the body of the bird, and cut through the skin and the joint. Repeat with the other wing, and set the wings aside.

Step 5: Remove the breast in halves

Remove the breast in halves. Use the breastbone as your guide, and cut down one side of it — as close to the bone as you can — so that the meat comes off in one piece. Repeat with the other half of the breast.

Step 6: Cut the turkey breast

Place both halves of the turkey breast skin-side up on your cutting board. Slice them against the grain at a slight angle into pieces about a quarter of an inch thick.

Step 7: Assemble and serve

On a serving platter, assemble the meat, and separate the white meat (the breast and the wings) from the dark meat (the legs and the drumsticks). Present your hungry guests with a delicious and tidy bird.

According to a recent study, two-thirds of Thanksgiving turkeys are cooked by women, while more than half are carved by men.


        

How To Cook a Quick and Easy Perfect Turkey

How To Cook a Quick and Easy Perfect Turkey on Howcast

 

Take the stress out of your Thanksgiving dinner showpiece when you roast up a moist, golden bird.

 

You Will Need

• A 12- to 14-pound kosher or self-basting turkey (to feed roughly 10 people)
• A roasting pan with a rack insert
• Aluminum foil
• A large plate
• An instant-read thermometer
• 4 tbsp. olive oil or melted unsalted butter
• A pastry brush
• Kitchen twine
• Silicone potholders
• Large plastic bags
• A sharp knife, cutting board, and serving tray
• Paper towels

Uncooked meat is a salmonella risk. To avoid infection or cross-contamination, wash your hands thoroughly after touching raw turkey.

Step 1: Thaw your bird

If you purchased a frozen bird, thaw it in the fridge. Allow one day of thaw time for every five pounds of turkey.

Tip: Never thaw a turkey on a countertop or at room temperature. It’ll become a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria.

Step 2: Preheat

Move your oven rack to the lowest possible position and preheat your oven to 400º.

Step 3: Cover the rack insert

Cover your roasting pan’s rack insert with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Use a sharp knife to cut a thin slit between each bar on the rack so that fat can escape into the bottom of the pan. Return the rack to the pan.

Step 4: Rinse the bird

Remove the giblets bag, which is stuffed inside the turkey, and rinse the bird inside and out with cold running water. Rest the wet turkey on a large plate, and use paper towels to pat it dry.

Tip:  Your bird may not have a giblets bag.

Step 5: Coat the bird with butter

Using the pastry brush, coat the breast with two tablespoons of oil or melted butter, and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Place the bird breast-side down on the rack. Coat the back of the turkey with the rest of the butter or oil.

Step 6: Roast the turkey

Place the turkey in the oven, and relax for about 45 minutes. Kosher and self-basting birds have already been salted and treated, so you don’t need to fuss over them.

Step 7: Flip the bird

Remove the turkey from the oven. Using clean silicone potholders, lift the turkey, flip it, and put it back on the rack breast-side up. Return it to the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the breast registers 165º and the thigh is about 175º.

Tip:  Measure the temperature at the thickest part of the breast or thigh. Make sure the thermometer only touches meat, not bone.

Step 8: Rest

Remove the turkey from the oven, and let it rest for about a half an hour. When it’s cooled, move it to a cutting board, carve it up, and serve a delicious bird to your hungry guests!

The automatic timer that comes in many turkeys is designed to pop up around 185º — 10 to 20 degrees higher than recommended.