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Turkey 101 -- Selecting, Storing, Stuffing, Cooking and Carving

Ah, turkey! It's the entree of choice for Thanksgiving. If you're planning a Thanksgiving dinner, then it helps to be as educated as possible about how to select, store, stuff, cook and carve the perfect bird. The tips below will help guide you through the process, from start to finish!

Selecting the Right Turkey

Choosing the right turkey is essential to success. You'll want about three quarters of a pound per person, so do the math before shopping. All turkeys in the supermarket would make good choices, as they're all required to meet USDA standards for quality and safety. However, there are different grades out there to choose from. For your Thanksgiving dinner, you'll definitely want to choose Grade A. Many turkeys are pre-basted, which is a great choice if you want a turkey that's guaranteed to be moist and delicious. You will definitely want to make sure that the turkey you choose has a pop up timer. This will ensure that your turkey gets cooked to perfection. You'll see that you can choose from refrigerated and frozen turkeys. They're both good, but there are some benefits to refrigerated. For one, there's no thawing time required. Also a refrigerated turkey is normally a tad more juicy than a frozen one.

Storing Your Turkey

Proper storage is essential to health. A frozen turkey can be safely stored for a long time in the freezer, however a refrigerated one will only keep for a few days. So, if you choose a refrigerated turkey for your feast, be sure to purchase it around two days before Thanksgiving to ensure optimum freshness.

Stuffing Your Turkey

It's crucial to stuff your turkey properly to avoid illness. Many people don't even stuff their turkeys, but if you insist on it, there are some things you should know. A meat thermometer is essential to make sure the stuffing reaches a safe temperature. Even if your turkey reaches a safe 180 degrees, you need to make sure that the stuffing also reaches a temperature of at least 165 degrees.

Cooking Your Turkey

Roasting your turkey correctly is key to a beautiful, delicious bird. Here's how you can roast the perfect turkey:

First, remove all innards such as giblets. Even if you don't want to make giblet gravy, you need to take them out. Next, rinse the turkey with cool water inside and out and pat dry with a paper towel. If you're stuffing your bird, now's the time. The next step is to brush the exterior of the turkey with melted butter for a juicy browned appearance. Then, tuck the legs under or tie with kitchen string. Place in the roasting pan and cook for approximately 30 minutes per pound. A stuffed turkey will require more roasting time than an unstuffed one. Even if you turkey appears done, be sure to check it with a meat thermometer. After removing the turkey from the oven, be sure to allow it to sit for at least a half hour before carving.

Carving Your Turkey

Carving the TurkeyNow, it's time to carve! You can use a sharp butcher knife or even an electric carving knife. Use a large fork to hold the turkey down. Then, hold the knife parallel and as close to the wing as you can get. Make an initial base cut by slicing into the breast towards the ribs. Next, carve by slicing the breast downward to your base cut. Try to keep your slices as thin as possible.

And that's all there is to it! The only thing left to do is enjoy your feast!