Turkey Tutorial

So I am not going to go into every little detail of how to cook a turkey, but I am going to give you a few tips, because I think that most people my age probably have limited experience with this particular bird. Because Thanksgiving is usually marked by loads of people in one household, sharing one turkey, that means that probably only one out of ten of us cooks one every year, right? Especially people my age, who are probably still going to their parents' house for Thanksgiving. So it's just not second nature to cook up a mean bird.

In my case, Nathan and I moved 2000 miles away from our families shortly after we got married, so it's been up to me to roast a turkey for the past four years. This year will be my fifth. So I think I have a little bit to say about the matter.

First of all, I think the best practice for turkey success is roasting chickens. Have you ever roasted a chicken? You really ought to do it. It is a little confusing the first time or two (which side is up? do I just leave the wings dangling out like that? what's this nifty little bag stuffed in the chicken's cavity? is it done yet? what about now?), but once you have some of the basic questions answered and have roasted one successful bird, you can certainly do another one. To read a bit about roasting a chicken, you can check out my post about it from a couple of months ago.

So now that you know what to practice on, you might be wondering what equipment you need. Well, I recommend a roasting pan, like the one I've got here:I have a V-shaped rack, but it doesn't really matter what the shape is, so long as the bird isn't resting on the bottom of the pan. My rack is also non-stick, which is handy, because then the skin doesn't stick to it as you're removing the turkey. Both the pan and the rack are non-stick, actually, which also makes for easier clean-up, too.

If you don't have a roasting pan and don't want to go buy one, you can always use one of those foil pans you buy at the grocery store. However, you want to make sure it's pretty darn sturdy, especially if you're going to be roasting a bigger bird. And you want to make sure your turkey will fit in it, so choose the size accordingly. The big downside to these pans is that they don't come with roasting racks. So if I were you, I'd stick something down in the bottom to keep the turkey from sitting in its own juices as it cooks. Sitting in the juice would mean some really gross turkey skin, because it'd be kind of limp and gooey rather than crisp and brown. I'd put a layer of large potato chunks down there or something to keep it raised up. Plus, then you can eat the potatoes. :)

You'll also need a meat thermometer. Mine is technically for grilling, but whatever. As long as it gives me a number, I don't care.
I don't trust those darn pop-up things that come in the turkey, because they never pop up when my thermometer tells me the turkey is done. Which leads me to believe they're faulty. And since I've never killed anyone with my un-popped turkey, I'm thinking the actual thermometer is a better bet. You need to cook poultry until it's a minimum of 165 degrees inside (probably closer to 170-180), and you'll want to check both the breasts and the thighs/drumsticks, because white and dark meat cook differently. There's a huge price range when it comes to meat thermometers. You can get a really simple one for a few bucks, or you can buy a really nice remote digital one for a lot more.

The other way to check to make sure your turkey is done is to tip it and let the juices flow out of the cavity. If there's any pink in there, it's not done. Same thing if you pierce it somewhere with a knife--if the juices don't run clear, it's not done. However, go easy on the piercing. Every time you cut it, you're letting out a lot of the flavor and moisture (that's why you always let meat rest for 10 or 20 minutes after it's done cooking--it allows the juices to redistribute, and they won't all come running out as soon as you cut the meat).

Now to the actual preparation. I always, always, ALWAYS brine my turkey. I promise you it will be worth the extra effort. Just do it. Or I will leave Boston, come over to your house, and kick you. Brine the darn thing, people. It makes for a much more tender and juicy turkey. And what is the biggest complaint about turkey? That it's dry. Do you see the gem I'm offering you here?

So what is brining? Brining refers to soaking your bird in a brine (salty water) overnight. The salt tenderizes the bird; it does not make it taste salty. (Though it will make your gravy salty if you make gravy from the drippings, so beware. I buy a gravy base from Williams Sonoma or Trader Joe's and make it separately.) Most people also throw in some spices and whatnot into the brine to get a leg up on flavoring their turkey.

I wrote about brining last Thanksgiving, so you can get some more information here, along with some links to brine recipes. The only other thing I'd add about brining is that after you make the brine, which requires boiling some water, you'll need to let it cool completely before putting your turkey in it (the last thing you want to do is accidentally cook your turkey a little before it's time, or worse, bring it up to an unsafe temperature for an extended period of time). So I would make the brine Wednesday morning, let it cool in the fridge all day, then pop the turkey in it before you go to bed. Then all you have to do is rinse it off on Thursday morning, and you're good to go.

As for turkey flavorings, you can go any route you want. There are so many good combinations out there that I wouldn't presume to tell you what you'll like. I've always used rosemary, but I think I'll use sage this year. Williams-Sonoma has a ton of excellent recipes posted right now, and the Pioneer Woman has a how-to on the actual roasting of your turkey here (she brines her turkey, too, by the way). PW does a pretty good job of explaining the actual cooking of the turkey, so I will leave that part to her.

Okay, if you have read this far, you are a champ. Leave a comment and tell me whether or not you've ever roasted a turkey, whether you're a novice or an expert, and whether or not you're cooking one this year.