The Thanksgiving turkey seems to send even the most competent cook into a tailspin. Judging by the phone calls the newspaper's food section receives on the pre-Thanksgiving Wednesday, Tom is a kitchen terror.
Chill out - it's just a big chicken. Follow these rules and you'll have a safe, savory turkey day.Here's a short list of "don'ts." Don't do these things and you're just about home free.
- Don't defrost the turkey at room temperature: Yes, the kitchen counter looks inviting, but the only thing it will host is a rash of bacterial growth. Instead, defrost a frozen bird (in its wrapper and resting on a tray so none of its resulting liquid drips onto other food) in the refrigerator, allowing one day of fridge time for each 4 pounds of turkey weight.
If you're in a rush, the frozen bird (breast down and in its wrapper) can be defrosted in a tub of cold water. Thawing time is 30 minutes per pound and make sure to change the water every 30 minutes.
- Don't stuff the bird the night before: I don't care if your mother did it, I don't care if you've never gotten sick eating at your mother's. The U.S. Department of Agriculture warns of the possibility of food-borne illness with this technique. (By the way, this also applies to stuffed chickens and turkeys you see in the meat counter at supermarkets. Don't buy them - it's courting disaster.)
- Don't cook turkey at less than 325 degrees: That means you, Mrs. Efficiency, who puts the turkey in the oven and bakes it at 200 degrees overnight. The prime temperature for bacterial growth falls in the range from 40 to 140 degrees. It's easy to see that it's going to take a 20-pound turkey hours to reach that safe 150 degrees in a 200-degree oven. In the meantime, you've got an oven full of microbes inviting their friends in for a party (and ruining yours).
Instead, the USDA and Butterball recommend baking at 325 degrees. Interestingly, a 1993 study at the University of Georgia found that today's breeding techniques are yielding turkeys that are cooking faster, so the USDA has amended its cooking chart.
Here are the new guidelines. And they are guidelines; you'll still need to check the temperature with a thermometer.
Unstuffed turkey: 8-12 pounds, 23/4 to 3 hours; 12-14 pounds, 3 to 33/4 hours; 14-18 pounds, 33/4 to 41/4 hours; 18-20 pounds, 41/4 to 41/2 hours; 20-24 pounds, 41/2 to 5 hours.
Stuffed turkey: 8-12 pounds, 3 to 31/2 hours; 12-14 pounds, 31/2 to 4 hours; 14-18 pounds, 4 to 41/4 hours; 18-20 pounds, 41/4 to 43/4 hours; 20-24 pounds, 43/4 to 51/4 hours.
- Don't rely on built-in pop-up temperature indicators: A 1993 study found that though the indicators are accurate in birds weighing less than 15 pounds, with bigger turkeys they can be faulty.
Instead, use an oven-proof thermometer inserted deep in the turkey's thigh (not touching bone) to get the reading. The thigh should register 180 degrees, the stuffing should reach 165 degrees after the turkey sits for 20 minutes before carving (the 20 minutes' rest will yield a juicier bird).
Other signs that the turkey is ready - juices will be clear yellow, not pink, when meat is pierced with a fork. The thigh and drumstick should feel tender to the touch, but don't wait until the drumstick jiggles to be sure the turkey is done - that's a sign the turkey is overdone.
- Don't keep opening the oven door: Butterball suggests brushing the turkey with vegetable oil before placing it in the oven and letting it be. Continual basting really does nothing because the skin is waterproof, so constant opening of the oven only lets in dry air and ends up drying out the turkey.
Cover the turkey with a tent of lightweight aluminum foil about two-thirds of the way through the baking time, or earlier if it is becoming quite brown.
- Don't let carved meat or a carcass sit on the counter after the meal: Strip the turkey and store that meat, plus any leftovers from the table, in the refrigerator as soon as you've finished eating. Store in shallow containers in the refrigerator. Separate any stuffing still in the bird and store separately.
Now wasn't that easy?