Take the turkey out
of the frig for about 30-60 min before cooking so it will get the chill out and
be more room temperature for even cooking.
Decisions: There are a variety of methods (tricks) used
for roasting a turkey in a conventional oven.
You will need to decide which method you are going to use, and just go
with it. ALL OF THEM will work if you
pay attention to a few fundamentals.
- · To brine or not to brine, that is the question. Research this topic based on scientific data, and not just what Aunt Martha recommended, because she’s a darn good cook. There are good reasons, both pro and con. Pick the one that makes the best sense to you. If you are disappointed in the outcome, do it the other way next time. PICK ONE.
- · If you have a brined turkey, then you really don’t need to turn the bird over half way through the cooking process. If you don’t brine (add moisture) the turkey, then start your bird breast down and turn it over about half way through the cooking time. This will allow for the natural juices to stay in the breast longer which should result is a less dry finished product. I call this “flipping the bird.”
- · To baste or not to baste: No matter if your turkey is dry or brined, or whether you decide to flip it in the cooking process, you should baste your turkey BEFORE you start cooking it. Basting it during the cooking process does almost nothing for taste or moisture, and extends the cooking time (due to opening the oven door) which results in a drier finished product. The exception is, if you decide to flip your bird, then you can do a quick baste with butter or broth at the same time. Otherwise, LEAVE THE OVEN DOOR CLOSED. Baste with butter or broth. Again, your choice. Butter seems to achieve a nice golden brown skin.
- · Aromatics: Recommended! Almost anything will work. Some suggestions to choose from are: One quartered onion, 1 sliced apple, orange or a fresh lime or two. One or two carrots rough cut. 1 or 2 stalks of celery. A sprig of thyme, a couple of bay leaves, some fresh basil, and some fresh sage. A few cloves of fresh garlic. You can also put some of the leftover aromatics in the roasting pan to simmer as your turkey is cooking. However, if you are using that broth for your gravy, you may not want those favors included. Your choice.
- · Don’t stuff your turkey with dressing. I know all the arguments for it, but just don’t do it. It isn’t worth the risk of contamination that can make you very, very sick. In fact, don’t set your turkey on the kitchen counter or other surfaces before cooking. Directly from the brine, to the sink to rinse it off, to the roasting pan. Eliminate all other contaminations possible.
- · Cooking time and temperatures: Again, you have a choice. Basically, the decision is whether you want to: 1. set one temp (325F-350F) for the entire cooking time, or 2. Cook breast up for the first 30 minutes at 500F, and then reduce the heat to 325F until the cooking is finished. My preference is, if you are going to be around the house, do the 500F quick start. It browns the skin and reduces the cooking time resulting in more moisture retention. One note: If you don’t flip the bird, and if you start with a super hot oven for the first 30 minutes, then make a triangular “aluminum tent” to cover the breast portion when you reduce the heat for the remainder of the cooking time. The white meat simply cooks faster than the dark meat and will dry out much more quickly. Don’t discard the pop-up timer before you cook your bird, just ignore it! You need to use your own meat thermometer….PERIOD. Those pop-ups are inserted in the breast and they are made to pop up at 180 degrees. That is TOO DONE and your breast meat will be sawdust. Insert your thermometer into the center of the breast, being careful to not touch the bone. When it reaches 160 degrees….TAKE IT OUT and let it rest for at least 20-30 minutes (it will continue to cook for a bit). Place your bird, feet first, in the oven so you can see the thermometer with the oven door left closed. Otherwise, invest in a meat probe that allows you to place the digital display outside of the oven (highly recommended as a MUST kitchen tool). Seriously, inner temperature is the only way to determine if your bird is ready to remove from the oven, and the quicker the better once it reaches your minimum temperature. Don’t believe the low and slow method for roasting a turkey. Quicker is better if you do it correctly. This is not a pork shoulder, and just doesn’t have the same amount of fat to keep it moist, so the longer it is in the oven, the drier it will become. COOK BY TEMPERATURE, NOT BY TIME. 160f internal temp is the magic number.
Well, these are the
basics. As I said, there are many
variations and tricks you can try, so go ahead…experiment. Make sure the fundamentals are right, and
then develop your own specific methods and variations. I have heard many people “swear” by their
methods with the endorsement: “it’s the
best turkey I ever fixed” or “everyone said it was the best they had ever
had,” GREAT! I’m happy for you! However, much of that could have to do with
the BIRD! They are not all created
(genetically or naturally) equal. It
could be the quality of the water you brine in.
It could be the accuracy, or lack thereof, of the temperature and even
heat in the oven you use. It could be
barometric pressure and other weather conditions. Altitude will definitely
affect cooking. DO YOU GET WHAT I AM
SAYING? Lots of variables. Get the basic fundamentals right, and you
should have an acceptable, to even spectacular, result!
Happy Turkey Day!
The Gatekeeper!