( Psalm 107:1 )
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."
It's almost Thanksgiving, so I figured for this weeks Tuesday tips, I would post some helpful tips on how to cook a great turkey for Thanksgiving.
HOW MUCH TURKEY DO I NEED?
First, think about how many adults and children you will be serving and if you want leftovers.
Butterball's Perfect Portions Calculator will tell you what size turkey and how much stuffing to buy.
HOW DO I THAW A TURKEY?
Refrigerator thawing is best.
If you are short on time try cold-water thawing.
For refrigerator thawing, Thaw breast side up, in unopened wrapper, on a tray in the refrigerator. Allow 1 day of thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey.
For cold water thawing, Thaw breast side down, in unopened wrapper, in enough cold water to cover it completely. Estimate a minimum thawing time of 30 minutes per pound for a whole turkey.
MARINATING?
Always marinate meats covered in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.
Marinating meat in sealable plastic bags makes cleanup easy.
Use a container or plastic bag that’s big enough to position food in a single layer and easily turned to coat both sides.
Allow 1/4 to 1/2 cup of marinade for every 1 to 2 lbs. of meat.
Marinate 2 to 8 hours, depending on how strong you want the flavor.
Marinating too long will produce an unappealing, mushy texture. Poultry should not be marinated longer than 8 hours.
Discard leftover marinades that have been in contact with raw meat.
Do not reuse marinades.
Marinating meat in sealable plastic bags makes cleanup easy.
Use a container or plastic bag that’s big enough to position food in a single layer and easily turned to coat both sides.
Allow 1/4 to 1/2 cup of marinade for every 1 to 2 lbs. of meat.
Marinate 2 to 8 hours, depending on how strong you want the flavor.
Marinating too long will produce an unappealing, mushy texture. Poultry should not be marinated longer than 8 hours.
Discard leftover marinades that have been in contact with raw meat.
Do not reuse marinades.
STUFFING
Stuffing can either be placed (or "stuffed") in a turkey or it can be cooked separately in an oven-safe dish.
Here are some tried-and-true guidelines for stuffing your turkey:
Prepare your stuffing right before you place it in the turkey.
Use only cooked ingredients in stuffing
Use pasteurized egg products instead of raw eggs.
Place the prepared stuffing in turkey just before roasting. Do not stuff the night before, as it could cause food-borne illness.
Stuff both neck and body cavities of a completely thawed turkey, allowing 1/2 to 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound. Do not pack stuffing too tightly, as it may promote uneven cooking.
Do not stuff turkeys when cooking on a grill or water smoker. Do not stuff your turkey if you are using a fast-cook method in which the turkey will be done before the stuffing.
Stuffing should reach 165°F when done.
Prepare your stuffing right before you place it in the turkey.
Use only cooked ingredients in stuffing
Use pasteurized egg products instead of raw eggs.
Place the prepared stuffing in turkey just before roasting. Do not stuff the night before, as it could cause food-borne illness.
Stuff both neck and body cavities of a completely thawed turkey, allowing 1/2 to 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound. Do not pack stuffing too tightly, as it may promote uneven cooking.
Do not stuff turkeys when cooking on a grill or water smoker. Do not stuff your turkey if you are using a fast-cook method in which the turkey will be done before the stuffing.
Stuffing should reach 165°F when done.
HOW TO ROAST
It’s easy with the Butterball® Open-Pan Roasting Method.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove turkey from bag. Drain juices and pat dry with clean paper towels.
Place turkey lifter across full length of flat rack in a shallow roasting pan, 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep.
Tuck wings back to hold the neck skin in place. Place thawed or fresh turkey, breast up, on the turkey lifter. Rest loops on turkey, not over edge of pan during roasting.
Brush the skin with vegetable oil. Further basting is unnecessary.
Insert oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh, not touching the bone. (Thigh should reach 180°F. If the turkey is stuffed, move thermometer to center of stuffing. Stuffing should be 165°F when done.)
Place your turkey in the oven.
When the turkey is about 2/3 done, loosely cover the breast and top of drumsticks with a piece of foil to prevent overcooking.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove turkey from bag. Drain juices and pat dry with clean paper towels.
Place turkey lifter across full length of flat rack in a shallow roasting pan, 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep.
Tuck wings back to hold the neck skin in place. Place thawed or fresh turkey, breast up, on the turkey lifter. Rest loops on turkey, not over edge of pan during roasting.
Brush the skin with vegetable oil. Further basting is unnecessary.
Insert oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh, not touching the bone. (Thigh should reach 180°F. If the turkey is stuffed, move thermometer to center of stuffing. Stuffing should be 165°F when done.)
Place your turkey in the oven.
When the turkey is about 2/3 done, loosely cover the breast and top of drumsticks with a piece of foil to prevent overcooking.
IS IT DONE YET?
Start checking for doneness about 30 minutes before end of recommended cooking times.
Turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches the following temperatures:
180°F deep in the thigh. Juices should be clear when thigh is pierced deeply.
165°F in the center of the stuffing, if turkey is stuffed.
Lift turkey onto platter and discard turkey lifter.
Let your turkey stand 15 minutes before carving.
Start checking for doneness about 30 minutes before end of recommended cooking times.
Turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches the following temperatures:
180°F deep in the thigh. Juices should be clear when thigh is pierced deeply.
165°F in the center of the stuffing, if turkey is stuffed.
Lift turkey onto platter and discard turkey lifter.
Let your turkey stand 15 minutes before carving.
Your turkey is done when a meat thermometer reaches the following temperatures:
180°F deep in the thigh. At this temperature, juices should be clear when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.
180°F deep in the thigh. At this temperature, juices should be clear when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.
165°F in the center of the stuffing, if turkey is stuffed. When the turkey is done, remove from the oven and let the turkey and stuffing stand 15 to 20 minutes.
WHERE DO I PUT THE THERMOMETER?
Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer in the deepest part of the thigh, not touching the bone, before to placing the turkey in the oven.
For the stuffing temperature, the tip of the thermometer should be in the center of the body cavity.
Insert instant-read meat thermometer in thigh and/or stuffing to take the temperature, but do not leave the thermometer in the turkey during roasting.
For the stuffing temperature, the tip of the thermometer should be in the center of the body cavity.
Insert instant-read meat thermometer in thigh and/or stuffing to take the temperature, but do not leave the thermometer in the turkey during roasting.
Within 2 hours of roasting, remove stuffing from turkey and carve the remaining meat off the bone.
CAN I KEEP IT?
Store leftover turkey, stuffing, and gravy separately, then refrigerate.
Store leftover turkey, stuffing, and gravy separately, then refrigerate.
Eat within 3 days.
Freeze leftovers if you plan to store them for longer. Wrap in heavy foil, freezer wrap or place in freezer bags. Use stuffing within 1 month and turkey within 2 months.
Freeze leftovers if you plan to store them for longer. Wrap in heavy foil, freezer wrap or place in freezer bags. Use stuffing within 1 month and turkey within 2 months.
HELP! IS AVAILABLE.
***Butterball® also has a Turkey Hotline, in case you have any questions.
Just call 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372) weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time (Central Time) from Nov. 3 to Dec. 26.***
I know that these tips weren't actually mine, but I thought that they
were very helpful. I hope that some of them will come in handy for you.
1 comment:
Very helpful tips I think I'll use some of them for my dinner lol
Post a Comment