Food: How to Roast a Perfect Turkey...
Every year, around this time, I decide to do a test-run for Thanksgiving.
That's right - it's turkey time!
So, I turned to my favorite source for fool-proof recipes - America's Test Kitchen and Cooks Illustrated. This year, in the Fall Food Edition, they have what very well might be the perfect turkey recipe. I decided to test it out on All Hallow's Eve, and the results were excellent. Basically, it calls for a four-hour soak in a brining solution of saltwater (one cup of salt to each gallon of water). I bought a brining bag - basically a huge zip-loc - at Central Market and it did the trick. After the soak - towel the bird dry and cover nicely with 4 tbs of melted butter. You'll need a roasting pan for this one. Luckily, the outlets like TJ Maxx and Tuesday Morning are full of good roasting pans this time of year. I got mine at Costco. You set the turkey in the roasting pan breast-side down and roast at 400 F for 45 minutes. It looks awkward, and I have been skeptical of this method in the past, because you have to flip the turkey at some point. But, it works. So, after 45 minutes, you flip the turkey to the breast-side up position, and bring the temp at the thickest part of the breast to 160. Rest for 30 minutes, and you're done!
I must say that brining is the real secret, allowing for moist meat, the likes of which I have never tasted. Though it may be intimidating, it's really quite easy, and worth the work!
That's right - it's turkey time!
So, I turned to my favorite source for fool-proof recipes - America's Test Kitchen and Cooks Illustrated. This year, in the Fall Food Edition, they have what very well might be the perfect turkey recipe. I decided to test it out on All Hallow's Eve, and the results were excellent. Basically, it calls for a four-hour soak in a brining solution of saltwater (one cup of salt to each gallon of water). I bought a brining bag - basically a huge zip-loc - at Central Market and it did the trick. After the soak - towel the bird dry and cover nicely with 4 tbs of melted butter. You'll need a roasting pan for this one. Luckily, the outlets like TJ Maxx and Tuesday Morning are full of good roasting pans this time of year. I got mine at Costco. You set the turkey in the roasting pan breast-side down and roast at 400 F for 45 minutes. It looks awkward, and I have been skeptical of this method in the past, because you have to flip the turkey at some point. But, it works. So, after 45 minutes, you flip the turkey to the breast-side up position, and bring the temp at the thickest part of the breast to 160. Rest for 30 minutes, and you're done!
I must say that brining is the real secret, allowing for moist meat, the likes of which I have never tasted. Though it may be intimidating, it's really quite easy, and worth the work!
posted by Father Lee Nelson, SSC at 8:56 PM
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