Turkey Tips for Thanksgiving

Tip #1:
Plan on feeding one person per pound of turkey. Add a few pounds for bones and shrinkage during cooking.

Tip #2:
Not all turkeys are the same! Read your labels and avoid turkeys that have been “pre-brined” in sodium solutions that include “other substances”.

Tip #3:
Defrost frozen turkey in fridge one day per 4 pounds. So a 12 pound Turkey would take 3 days. A 14 pound Turkey, 3 1/2 days, etc…

Tip #4:
Remove the innards and giblets from center vanity before cooking turkey. Set aside for gravy or freeze for future stock.

Tip #5:
Use 1 TBSP of kosher salt per 3 pounds of Turkey.

Tip #6:
Consider dry-brining your turkey to pump up flavor without the fuss of wet-brining. See Thanksgiving HIGHLIGHT for deets. (Or check out my Dry-Brine in Bio-link.

Tip #7:
At 425 degrees, estimate about 10 minutes per pound of cook time as long as turkey is room temp. A good thermometer is a MUST when determining doneness.

Tip #8:
To test for doneness, insert thermometer between leg and breast, go deep without touching the bone. If thermometer reads 160, it is okay to remove and allow for carry-over cooking.