This story was originally published in 2006.
It’s turkey time. You’ve got the bird. You’re ready to plan for the big day.
But what, exactly, have you got? Is it a plain, fresh bird? A Butterball or Honeysuckle? Did you buy an injected turkey?
And does it really make any difference when you get ready to cook these different birds?
Yes, says Anne Legg, an area cooking teacher who has run both Sur La Table’s and Central Market Plano’s cooking schools. Here’s what she says you need to know to make the most of the turkey destined for your table.
For naked birds, brining is best
A plain, inexpensive turkey that has had no water or juices added will turn out juicier if you brine it, Legg says.
Shirley Corriher explains why in Cookwise (Morrow, $30): “Brining is a way to increase the amount of liquid inside the meat cells,” she writes.
“When meat is soaked in a salt or sugar solution, some of the liquid will go through the cell walls into the cells.”
Brining also lets you control the amount of salt you add, Legg says, which can be important to some guests.
Legg gets right down to business using a clean, mop-size pail to brine. But you can also use an oversized plastic zip-top bag - in fact, anything that will hold the turkey and the brining liquid and fit into the refrigerator. Stores often sell disposable brining bags made just for turkey.
Legg suggests brining overnight. She keeps it simple with a solution of salt, sugar and water.
“Occasionally, I’ll use thyme, sage, fresh herbs,” she says. “I’ll bruise them and toss them in whole [into the brining liquid].”
Brining the bird: Remove the giblets from the cavity, if there are any; reserve and refrigerate for other use. Dissolve 1/2 cup salt and 1/4 cup sugar in every gallon of water you plan to use. Place the bird in the brining solution to cover in a container.
If you use a plastic zip-top bag, make sure to press the air out. Refrigerate overnight.
The next day, drain and discard the liquid. Then place the turkey, uncovered, on a rack in the refrigerator and allow to air dry before final preparation for the oven.
Juicy birds in a hurry
If you’ve managed to pick up a Butterball, Honeysuckle or similar turkey, no brining is necessary.
“Basically, most commercial birds, packed in tight plastic overwraps, are injected or brined,” Legg says, “’with up to 30 percent water added,’ as most of the labels will state. This liquid is a mixture of water, salt, flavorings and preservatives.
“The effect is similar to brining a bird at home,” she says, “in that it adds juiciness to the meat, especially the breast, which tends to be dry.” The roasting method for both types of birds is the same.
Buy an instant-read thermometer
If you buy a commercial bird, throw away or disregard the pop-up timer, Legg insists, because it pops out when the bone reaches 180 F, she says, which overcooks the breast meat.
“I cook to 160 F,” she says, using an instant-read thermometer. It’s about a $12 investment, she adds, and they are widely available.
An easy method for roasting a turkey
Here’s Legg’s method for perfect turkey every time. (Remember to remove the giblets from the cavity of the commercially packaged turkey.)
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Place the rack low enough for the bird to fit without touching the top or sides of the oven. Once the turkey has air-dried, massage it all over with room-temperature butter. Cut up 2 onions and place them in the cavity with some fresh herbs, such as thyme and sage. Tie the legs together, tuck the wings under, and place on a rack in a pan in the oven. Roast approximately 15 minutes per pound.
Although some cooks baste the turkey as it cooks, Legg does not. “I don’t mess with it,” she says. “The only thing I’ll do is tent it loosely with foil if the skin is starting to brown too much.”
Test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. Stick it deep into the breast, but don’t touch the bone.
When it reads 160 F, remove the bird from the oven. Present it on a platter at the table. Then, Legg says, take it back to the kitchen to carve. If you don’t present it at the table, allow it to rest 30 minutes after you take it out of the oven before carving.
The breast meat will be perfect, Legg says, but the thigh meat may be more medium-rare. If that’s the case, she suggests microwaving that meat about 5 minutes while you slice the breast. “By the time you’re done, you can carve the dark meat as well.”
Variation: The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (America’s Test Kitchen, $34.95) suggests this: Preheat oven to 425F.
Start with placing the bird breast-side-down on the rack. After an hour, reduce heat to 325 F, remove the turkey and carefully turn it over, so it’s breast-side up: “Tip the juices from the cavity of the turkey into the pan. With a clean kitchen towel or potholder in each hand, firmly grasp the turkey at each end and flip it over, placing it breast-side up on the rack.”
Return to the oven to finish roasting 1 to 2 1/2 hours longer (depending on size). It’s done when the thigh meat registers 175 F on an instant-read thermometer. Make sure the thermometer doesn’t touch the bone.
Injected for deep frying
And what if you have an injected turkey?
“Injection is really useful for a fried bird to keep it from popping and foaming,” Legg says. Injecting, like brining, makes for a juicy turkey. But because the liquid is injected deep into the tissues, it adds less water to the skin, which reduces splattering when the bird is lowered into the hot oil.
Legg doesn’t recommend injected turkey for other cooking methods, such as roasting or grilling, because the holes you make for injecting will allow the juices to leak out.
Kim Pierce is a Dallas freelance writer.