Cook Your Holiday Turkey with Food Safe in Mind

Holiday Turkey Cooking Tip.

There are many ways to cook a turkey and also as many questions. Here are some tips on how to cook a turkey with food safe in mind.

Before you cook your turkey you must defrost the bird. This should be done in your fridge, and it will take about 2 to 3 days, depending on the size of the turkey. If you have a time problem, you may defrost the turkey under cold running water. Remove the plastic first for faster defrosting.


You have to prepare your turkey before cooking. First remove the plastic cover and the giblets, which are usually stuffed into the neck area in a paper bag, and in some cases the neck, which would be inside the turkey. Next wash the turkey thoroughly, inside and outside with cold water. Before seasoning make sure all the water has drained from inside the turkey. Use your own spices, but make sure you rub the seasonings on the outside as well as the inside. If you don’t rub the seasonings into the turkey you will have a spicy (salty) sauce and the turkey meat will taste bland.

IMPORTANT:
Whenever you prepare raw meat make sure to eliminate cross-contamination. Which means, that you thoroughly clean and disinfect the cutting board, knife, table and any other tools you have used. Keep your family healthy - avoid food poison.

"Never use the same cutting board or tool for other food items before you cleaned and sanitized them!"


Before you place the turkey in the oven make sure your oven is preheated. The best result for moist meat is 325° F (163° C). 

Nowadays, turkeys are bred with more white meat, so disregard your old recipe with the amount of time a turkey should cook. Allow more time for cooking. Here is an approximate timetable, depending on the oven temperature:

2 ½ -3 hours for 8 to 12 pounds 
3-3 ½ hours for 12 to 16 pounds 
3 ½-4 hours for 16 to 20 pounds 
4-5 hours for 20 to 24 pounds 


IMPORTANT:
Always use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 180° F (82° C). Do not rely on the meat thermometer (“Pop-Up”), supplied with the turkey, they are never accurate.


If for some reason you forget to get a meat thermometer you can check the turkey by using a fork or a skew and pierce a small whole in the leg (drumstick), deep enough to reach the bone. The leg takes the longest to cook. When you remove the fork or skew from the leg press down on the small whole. If the liquid, which will run out, is “cloudy” the bird is not ready, if the liquid is “clear” the bird is cooked.

Now, there are several debates on which sides the turkey should be placed, breast down or breast up. Personally, I have found no difference. 

Here we come to the next safety tip. Cook the stuffing separately. If you cook the stuffing in the turkey, the turkey would be overcooked and dry.

If you would like a crisp skin on the turkey, quickly place each breast side of the turkey in a frying pan with hot oil long enough to color the skin golden.

Place the turkey into a roasting pan, large enough that there are about 2 inches of space around the turkey and approximately 2 inches deep. 

If you like a crisp skin, leave the turkey uncovered until half cooked, then cover lightly with tinfoil.

Basting will keep the turkey moist. When basting, it is safer the remove the turkey from the oven, that way you will not get burnt. 

For others who do not like crisp skin, do not brown the sides and cover the turkey with tinfoil as soon as you place it in the oven.

LEFTOVERS:
After you served and eaten your turkey, refrigerate all leftovers. This should be done within 2 hours after cooking. If you decided to stuff the turkey, remove all stuffing from the bird and refrigerate separately.
Leftovers should be, once cooled, placed in the freezer or eaten within 3 days.
When reheating stuffing, the internal temperature should be at least 165° F (74° C), gravy should always brought to a boil for about 30 seconds.

STUFFING TIP:
To make the stuffing more appealing, roll it in buttered wax paper and then tinfoil. Once the turkey is half cooked, place it in the same roasting pan. That way it will absorb the flavour of the turkey. When serving, just unroll it and cut the stuffing into slices.

HEALTH TIP:
The highest amount of cholesterol (fat) is in the skin of the turkey and next in the dark meat.

More information on Food Safe:

http://www.cfia-acia.agr.ca/english/toce.shtml

http://www.fightbac.org

http://www.foodsafety.gov

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