Preparing a turkey is an important Thanksgiving holiday event. You’re facing family and you want to impress. Well, Lincoln Self Storage has you covered!
If you’re using a frozen turkey, start thawing it in the fridge now and leave it in for two days, depending on its size. Then brine the thawed turkey, breast down, for one to three days in a bucket of salt water in the refrigerator, weighing it down so it stays submerged if needed. Brining a Thanksgiving turkey by soaking it in one pound of salt for each gallon of water makes the final cooked turkey moister. It absorbs the liquid, and the salt solution changes the makeup of the turkey muscles, converting a portion to liquid. Cook using your favorite recipe, then get ready to impress your guests with your carving skills!
To avoid a dry turkey, you must let it rest when you take it out of the oven. Your bird should rest for at least 20 minutes before you start carving, but you can wait up to 40 minutes. There are two ways to slice a turkey. There is a deboning technique that creates thicker, juicier filets, and there is the traditional method you may have seen growing up. Deboning the turkey is easier. It simply calls for cutting the entire breast off the bone at once. Or you can shave thin slices off the breast until you reach the bone. Remember to always cut against the “grain”, in other words, across and down. Remove the legs by cutting between the inside of the leg and the body of the turkey. Slice to separate the thigh and the drumstick. Then cut along both sides of the bones to remove them. Then cut into fillets. Once you’ve removed the breast, remove the wings by cutting where they meet the body of the turkey. Use as garnish on your turkey tray.
Enjoy, and be thankful for time with your friends and family!
