As we go into this weekend, we are all thinking about having a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.
Of course, all of the sides: Cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and the list goes on and on.
But the real star of the big day is turkey! ABW's Executive Chef Chris answers all your questions about how to prepare the perfect Thanksgiving turkey:
Q. Do you brine it? A. BIG YES, except for maybe a Butterball, because they brine it at the factory. Otherwise, yes brine it. Anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. You can find 1000's of brines on-line.
Do you put a dry rub on it? Yes, I actually do both. I brine it for 48 hours, take it out and dry it off, put the rub on it and set it in the ref. uncovered for an additional 24 hours.
Q. Should I use a compound butter rub? A. Some people like to use a compound butter to rub under the skin. This works best if you are roasting a turkey in the oven.
Q. Frozen or Fresh? A. Fresh usually turns out a little better, but not that big of a difference. The biggest mistake people make is not allowing enough time for the turkey to thaw out. Depending on how big the turkey depends on how you need to let it thaw in the refrigerator, usually somewhere between 2 to 4 days.
Q. How long should I cook a turkey? A. Somewhere between 15 to 20 minutes per pound. Don't guess what the internal temp should be. Use a real thermometer. It should read 165 degrees and it should be placed in the thickest part of the thigh.
All right, but how are we going to cook the turkey?
- Roast it in an oven: This is the most common way Americans cook their turkey. The biggest mistake home chefs make is roasting at 350 degrees the entire time. They should use convection roast (this breaks the thermal barrier down and seals the outside faster, resulting in a juicier result) at 475 degrees for 30 minutes and then cut it back to 350.
- Grill it: This is one of my favorite ways to cook a turkey. If you grill it then you should spatchcock the turkey. That means you cut the backbone out and lay it as flat as possible. This will cook your turkey more evenly. You can also smoke it on the grill.
- Deep fry - I did this for 10 years straight and I used to love it. I would sit outside with friends the entire time and smoke cigars and drink. This process can be messy and lead to a longer clean up.
- Combi-Steam Oven: Did you know you can put a 24lb turkey in a Thermador 30" Combi-steam oven? You can, I did it in North Bethesda. It came out great. Do you know why so many people have problems with turkeys over 20 lbs? Because they are so big that by the time you cook them properly they are dried out. Make sure you have plenty of gravy. Well, not in a steam oven-- this allows you to cook your turkey perfectly and keep it moist and juicy.
- Rotisserie - This is the most underutilized least spoken-about piece of equipment we sell! We sell hundreds of Thermador (that comes with the ovens) and Miele ovens (comes as an accessory). It is the only way I cook my turkeys now! It frees up the oven, easy cleanup, and the taste is AMAZING! It's self-basting! I do chickens, prime rib, pork roast, and turkeys all year round. My favorite thing to do with a turkey is get a spray bottle with apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and salt, and I will spritz the turkey every 30 minutes.
Wow, you have never had a turkey better than that! Gobble up! Chef Chris