

Sharma and López-Alt agree that the best way to fix this white meat-dark meat temperature conundrum is to ditch the idea of serving a whole turkey and chop up your bird instead. To really solve this dilemma, bring out the poultry shears The heat will radiate up through the bottom of the sheet tray and help the thighs and drumsticks cook faster. Even better, place the baking sheet on a heated pizza stone. So one simple hack for roasting whole birds is to choose a different kind of pan - a low-rimmed baking sheet with the bird propped on a V-shaped rack. Meanwhile, the breast sticks up over the top of the pan, which means it gets the bulk of the heat and dries out more.

In a roasting pan, the high sides shield the bottom of the turkey - the legs and thighs - from heat, meaning they take longer to cook to temperature. "It would be difficult to design a worse tool for roasting a turkey than a roasting pan because you're taking a problem that already exists and making it even worse," López-Alt says. Understand the geometry of your meat, and ditch your roasting pan
#ROAST TURKEY TEMPERATURE DONE HOW TO#
So how to solve this problem rooted in bird biology? Science to the rescue! Read on. Meanwhile, the dark meat is made up of slow-twitch muscle fibers that the turkey is constantly using when walking around or standing, so the dark meat has a lot of connective tissue - which means you have to cook it at a higher temperature to break it down. And what that means is that it's relatively easy to overcook them," López-Alt says. "Those types of muscles are generally low in connective tissue, low in fat and very strong. The white meat is made up of fast-twitch muscles - these aren't used often but are activated in short bursts. It makes sense when you think about how turkeys use their bodies when they're alive. So by the time the legs hit the right temperature, your breast is overcooked. The white breast meat needs to reach 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and the dark leg and thigh meat should hit at least 165 degrees - and ideally, 175 or so. You've got two different types of meat that need to hit two different internal temperatures. That's why this year I've decided to tackle the turkey tradition once again - this time, with the help of two cookbook authors well known for demystifying the science behind good food: Nik Sharma, a trained molecular biologist and the author of The Flavor Equation, and Kenji López-Alt, a New York Times food columnist and author of The Food Lab.Īs López-Alt explains, the fundamental trouble with turkey is rooted in its anatomy. What's the point of getting up super-early and spending hours laboring and stressing in the kitchen if you're just going to end up with a bland bird? I don't need that kind of holiday heartache.īut bad turkeys are a problem that science can actually solve. It's more a matter of soul-crushing disappointment every time it turns out dry and flavorless. It's not because of dietary restrictions, although I do try to limit my meat consumption. This allows time for juices at the surface of the bird to distribute evenly throughout the meat.I've got a kitchen confession: I don't do Thanksgiving turkey. Tent with foil and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes. When turkey is done, transfer to warm platter. Stuffed turkey should be cooked to the same temperature, and the stuffing itself should reach an internal temperature of 165☏ (74☌). Remove tent for last hour of roasting.
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Roast in 325✯ (160✬) oven for about 20 minutes per pound (500 g) or until juices run clear when turkey is pierced and when thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180✯ (82✬) for an unstuffed turkey. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in roasting pan.
#ROAST TURKEY TEMPERATURE DONE SKIN#
Rinse and wipe the cavity sprinkle with salt and pepper or stuff lightly using skewers to fasten skin over the cavity. Prepare the turkey by removing giblets and neck. Quicker method: Cover the turkey with cold water (the sink is a good place for this), and change with fresh cold water every 30 minutes allow one hour per pound (500 g). Allow for five hours per pound, or per 500 g. If using a frozen turkey, thaw in its original plastic wrapper in the fridge. Don't worry you're only five steps away from serving the perfect bird at your big feast. So it's the holidays, and you're responsible for the main dish. Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned pro, it never hurts to have a quick turkey tutorial. Follow our five fail-proof steps for serving up tasty roast turkey.
