What's for Dinner? Tips for Cooking a Turkey
Cooking a turkey is actually pretty easy once you know what you're doing. These tips for cooking a turkey will make everything go smoothly.
Tip #1 for Cooking A Turkey - Plan Ahead.
The truth is, it can be difficult to cook a turkey on short notice. In the United States, anyway, you need to plan ahead if you want to cook a whole turkey. Frozen turkeys are available year-round, but frozen turkey take a couple days to thaw, depending on how much they weigh.
Fresh turkeys can be cooked the same day you buy them, but in the U.S. you can only get fresh turkeys the week before the Thanksgiving holiday - unless you ask your grocer or meat market to order a bird especially for you.
If all else fails and you must have a turkey right away, you are best advised to buy a smoked turkey. A smoked turkey is fully cooked when you buy it, and all you have to do is heat it up and serve it.
Tip #2 for Cooking a Turkey - Use a Meat Thermometer
Turkeys come in a variety of different sizes, and ovens work in varying levels of efficiency. Eating raw turkey can make you and your guests very, very sick, so use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the meat is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit before you remove the bird from the oven. Insert the meat thermometer in the deepest part of the breast or thigh.
Tip #3 for Cooking a Turkey - Skip the Stuffing
Stuffing that's cooked inside the bird is very tasty because it has been soaked in turkey fat; it is unhealthy for the same reason. Not to mention, there are issues with bacteria when you cook the stuffing inside the bird.
A turkey cooks faster without stuffing. It's easier to maneuver because it's lighter in weight when the stuffing goes in a separate casserole dish, not inside the bird. Stuff the turkey cavity with a bouquet garni or bundle of herbs to season the bird as it cooks, or stuff it with aromatic root vegetables like sweet onions and carrots. Discard the herbs and vegetables when you carve and eat the bird.
Tip #4 for Cooking a Turkey - Use a Cooking Bag
Sure, you can use a turkey baster to keep pouring hot juices all over the turkey, but a safer, more efficient way to guarantee that your turkey stays moist is to put the whole bird in a cooking bag. All the moisture will be trapped in the bag, making it next to impossible for your turkey to dry out.
Tip #5 for Cooking a Turkey - Let the Bird Sit
After you take the turkey out of the oven, the interior of the turkey will continue to cook for a short time after you remove it from the heat source. Don't try to carve the turkey until all the juices have settled - usually about 20 to 30 minutes after the turkey is removed from the heat source.
