It's here, the tips and advice you need to prep your turkey. What better person to walk you through it all then Ace Hardware's Grilling Expert, Chef Jason!
How To Prep A Turkey
Selecting the right Turkey
Picking the Right Size
Remember that you will yield about 50% of the total weight
19# Turkey will Yield about 9.5# of meat (dark and light meat)
I like to plan on about 1 – 1 ¼ Pounds of cooked turkey per person
This will account for any shrinkage, heavy eaters, leftovers, take home portions, etc
**What Turkey is Right? – Read the labels, all turkeys will say what they contain, when in doubt check the nutrition panel for sodium content**
Solution Free Turkey – should say contains Naturally Retained Water – that’s it
This allows you to control the flavor from the package to the plate
These Turkeys take on flavor very easily
I prefer this Turkey, that way I control all the flavor from start to finish
Pre Seasoned Turkey – should say contains some % of Solution or Broth
This is a convenience that means there is already some brine in it
These Turkeys allow you to season the outside and get cooking
Less opportunity to control the end flavor
Defrosting the Turkey
I recommend the safest defrost process there is…. From the freezer to the fridge
Place turkey in a pan to catch any juices that may drip/leak
Plan on 1 day of defrosting per 5 pounds of Turkey
Plan ahead for the best defrosting plan
Turkey Prep Tips
Carefully open the netting and remove
Carefully open the packaging and remove
Drain any juices into the pan
Remove the Giblets from the front neck area – usually under the flap of skin
Remove the Neck from the cavity
Trim off the Neck skin if desired
Trim off the tail portion if desired
Rinse the cavity and turkey
Place rinsed turkey back into a clean pan
Tuck the front wing tips under turkey
Prepare to Brine the turkey
Prepare to inject the turkey
Published on 10/10/2022.
Always follow manufacturer's instructions before using any product.
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