Preparing a turkey is not as difficult as you might think. Most people do not invest enough time into properly preparing for this process and because of this, they wind up with under-cooked birds or meat that is very dry. With the proper planning and tools, however, you can cook flavorful, juicy meat that will be the talk of the occasion.
When you roast a large bird it is important to use good timing. For this reason, defrosting your bird is something that should be done well before you start to cook it. You will often find defrosting instructions on the package that the frozen meat is contained in. The size and weight of the turkey will commonly determine the time that will be necessary for thawing it out.
Once the bird is fully defrosted it should be carefully rinsed and inspected for remaining feathers. The body cavity should be rinsed as well and you should remove plastic packages of giblets from inside. You must not could these with the turkey given the fact that they are wrapped in plastic. If you wish to incorporate the cooked giblets into other elements of you meal such as your bread stuffing or your gravy, you can place them to the side for later use. If not, you can go ahead and throw the entire package out.
The same is true of the turkey neck which is commonly stored in the body cavity as well. This can be kept and cooked down with the rest of the bird and used to flavor other dishes or it can be tossed out. The neck, however, produces a very dark and tender meat and may be worth saving if you have plans on using left overs to create soups, stews and other meals. You will also likely find a small, plastic thermometer inserted in the raw meat. This should be left in tact as it will signal when the cooking process is complete.
For an attractive presentation you may want to trim the extra skin and fat at the neck and rear. This can be done with a strong pair of meat shears. The bird should next be placed in a large roasting pan. You can start the preparation process by using olive oil or melted butter to baste the bird. This will ensure even browning of the skin and will help the seasonings to adhere.
You can use chopped onions, garlic and celery to stuff the body cavity. If you intend to stuff the cavity with a bread stuffing you must remove these vegetables midway through the cooking process in order to do so. If not, you should leave these in the bird while it cooks. They hold a lot of water which will help to keep the bird succulent and most and they will also add a lot of intense flavors.
Then you will need to coat the meat in your choice of spices and seasonings. Seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder and rosemary among other should be used. Last, you can add a few cups of chicken or turkey broth to your roasting pan.
If you do not have a roasting pan that has a snug lid, you should use tinfoil to create one. This will trap all of the steam and juices in and prevent the bird from becoming dried out. The turkey should be slowly roasted at a low temperature for a several hours and can be taken out of your oven once the thermometer has popped up.
When you roast a large bird it is important to use good timing. For this reason, defrosting your bird is something that should be done well before you start to cook it. You will often find defrosting instructions on the package that the frozen meat is contained in. The size and weight of the turkey will commonly determine the time that will be necessary for thawing it out.
Once the bird is fully defrosted it should be carefully rinsed and inspected for remaining feathers. The body cavity should be rinsed as well and you should remove plastic packages of giblets from inside. You must not could these with the turkey given the fact that they are wrapped in plastic. If you wish to incorporate the cooked giblets into other elements of you meal such as your bread stuffing or your gravy, you can place them to the side for later use. If not, you can go ahead and throw the entire package out.
The same is true of the turkey neck which is commonly stored in the body cavity as well. This can be kept and cooked down with the rest of the bird and used to flavor other dishes or it can be tossed out. The neck, however, produces a very dark and tender meat and may be worth saving if you have plans on using left overs to create soups, stews and other meals. You will also likely find a small, plastic thermometer inserted in the raw meat. This should be left in tact as it will signal when the cooking process is complete.
For an attractive presentation you may want to trim the extra skin and fat at the neck and rear. This can be done with a strong pair of meat shears. The bird should next be placed in a large roasting pan. You can start the preparation process by using olive oil or melted butter to baste the bird. This will ensure even browning of the skin and will help the seasonings to adhere.
You can use chopped onions, garlic and celery to stuff the body cavity. If you intend to stuff the cavity with a bread stuffing you must remove these vegetables midway through the cooking process in order to do so. If not, you should leave these in the bird while it cooks. They hold a lot of water which will help to keep the bird succulent and most and they will also add a lot of intense flavors.
Then you will need to coat the meat in your choice of spices and seasonings. Seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder and rosemary among other should be used. Last, you can add a few cups of chicken or turkey broth to your roasting pan.
If you do not have a roasting pan that has a snug lid, you should use tinfoil to create one. This will trap all of the steam and juices in and prevent the bird from becoming dried out. The turkey should be slowly roasted at a low temperature for a several hours and can be taken out of your oven once the thermometer has popped up.
About the Author:
John Howe supply turkeys from their UK farms, which are well suited for Thanksgiving and Christmas.Visit their website