House of Meats: Prepare the Perfect Turkey

Storing Turkey:

A turkey can be held for up to 3 days in the coldest part of the refrigerator, generally the bottom shelf. To hold an extra day or two, place in the freezer for several hours to chill and then place in the refrigerator.

Thawing Your Turkey:

The quickest and safest way to thaw a turkey is in cold water. Change the water every hour. When thawing in cold water, cover any exposed skin with a wet towel. This method takes approximately 30 minutes per pound.

Another way to thaw is in the refrigerator. Place your turkey on a tray and allow 1 to 3 days to thaw, depending on size.

Preparing Your Turkey & Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450° F (325° for cooking bag).

2. Remove turkey from packaging.

3. If you have a whole turkey remove the giblets from the neck cavity and the neck from the chest cavity. These may be boiled for broth.

4. Rinse turkey and both cavities. Pat turkey dry. Stuff neck and body cavities lightly with House of Meats Homemade Bread Dressing. NOTE: Some prefer to cook dressing in a separate pan. Turkeys cooked unstuffed are more moist.

5. Turn the wings back to hold the neck skin in place over the dressing and return the legs to a tucked or tied position.

6. Brush the turkey with butter or olive oil if desired. Rub the turkey inside and out liberally with salt and your favorite spices.

7. Place the turkey into a roasting pan. For whole turkeys and breasts, place the breast side up for best presentation or place the breast down for the juiciest white meat.

8. Add approximately 1/2" water to the pan.

9. Wash preparation utensils, work area, and hands with hot soapy water following contact with turkey and juices.

10. Cook at 450° F uncovered for 45 minutes. Cover with a lid or an aluminum foil cover. If aluminum foil is your option, it must be used properly; place a foil tent with the "shiny side in" loosely over the turkey. Reduce temperature to 325° F and continue cooking.

11. Cooking times on our chart are approximate. Turkeys cooked in a roaster with a lid will take approximately 1 hour less than those covered with foil. Start checking your turkey for doneness 1 hour before the scheduled time you expect your turkey to be done. The most reliable way to do this is using a good quality instant-read meat thermometer. The turkey is fully cooked when:

    1. The inner thigh's internal temperature is 180° F.

    2. The thickest part of the breast's internal temperature is 170° F. The center of the cavity stuffing temperature should be 160° F. For accurate thermometer reading the thermometer should be inserted into the thickest part of the muscle without touching bone.

12. When you are satisfied that the turkey is done remove from your oven, cover and let stand for 20 minutes before carving.

HINT:

When dinner is set for a definite hour it is wise to start the bird 20 to 30 minutes ahead of schedule to avoid delay should the turkey take longer to cook than estimated. This will also allow for time to make gravy and arrange the turkey attractively on a platter.

How to Carve Your Turkey

Remove Drum and Thigh: Start with the legs at the carver's right. Gently pull the leg away from the body and cut through the joint between the thigh and the body. Remove the leg and thigh to another cutting board. Cut between the drum and thigh; slice meat on the thigh parallel to the bone.

Slice Breast Meat: Make a deep horizontal cut just above the wing. Insert a fork firmly in the top of the breast; start slicing halfway up the breast, carve thin slices down to the horizontal cut working upward to the center bone.

DON'T FORGET A PICTURE OF YOUR PERFECT TURKEY.