How to Cook a Turkey: Butterball Tips

How to Cook a Turkey: Butterball Tips

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line expert, has been doling out turkey advice for nine years.

Favorite "Good-as-Gold" Tip: "Set aside some time to write a daily to-do list - that way, you don't have to spend time thinking about what you need to do each day since you've already made a plan."

Favorite Thing About Turkey Talking: "I love being able to take part in the holiday meals of families across the country. I can help ease the anxieties of a first-time cook or help families out of a real turkey predicament! It's a great feeling to know I'm making a difference for people."

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line

This year, Talk-Line experts are providing their top five tips from thawing, food prep, cooking methods and budget tips to making Thanksgiving better. One of the first national help lines, the original Turkey Talk-Line, staffed six home economists and they fielded questions from 11,000 turkey-troubled Americans during its first season. Over 3 million questions answered, the Turkey Talk-Line has been open since Nov. 1 with 50+ Turkey talkers - plus you can find experts on Facebook and Twitter!

Here's some Butterball TIPS:

THAWING:

Butterball recommends following the "three T's" - Thaw, Temperature and Two-Hour Rule.

Thaw: Thawing in the refrigerator is the recommended method. For every four pounds of turkey, allow at least one day of thawing in the refrigerator. The refrigerator temperature should be below 40 F.

Temperature: Always use a meat thermometer to determine when the turkey is fully cooked. The turkey should reach 180 F in the thigh, 170 F in the breast and 165 F in the center of the stuffing.

Two-Hour Rule: Store leftovers in separate containers within two hours after cooking and eat or freeze within two days.

CARVING: 

Step 1. Cut band of skin holding drumsticks. Grasp the end of the drumstick. Then place a knife between drumstick/thigh and body of the turkey, and cut through skin to joint. Remove entire leg by pulling out and back, using the point of the knife to disjoin it. Separate the thigh and drumstick at the joint.

Step 2. Insert fork in upper wing to steady turkey. Make a long horizontal cut above wing joint through to body frame. Wing may be disjointed from body, if desired.

Step 3. Slice straight down with an even stroke, beginning halfway up the breast. When knife reaches the cut above the wing joint, slice should fall free on its own.

Step 4.Continue to slice breast meat easily by starting the cut at a higher point each time.

FRYING: 

Before you put it in fryer, make sure the turkey is perfectly thawed and dried. There should be no ice or water on it.

Inject some seasoning, spices to get more flavoring.

Place the turkey in the fryer properly to ensure success.

Source : http://abclocal.go.com