From The Extension Agent to the Fire Chief, Local Experts Give Advice for Cooking Your Thanksgiving Turkey Safely

This Thursday families will gather around the dinner table for Thanksgiving, and for most families, a big turkey will be the center of the meal.

There are plenty of ways to ruin a good thanksgiving sibling squabbles, football rivalries and the like. Don’t let a bad turkey be the cause. The Record reached out to some local gobbler experts for advice about preparing the perfect Thanksgiving meal.

Most turkeys come frozen. So the first step is to properly thaw it.

“The safest way, of course, is in the refrigerator,” said Fayette County AgriLife Extension Agent Sally Garrett. “It’s recommended to keep it in the original wrapping and place it in a container so that as it thaws, the turkey does not drip on any other food.”

Garrett said a every four to five pounds of frozen turkey requires 24 hours to thaw. That means a typical 12 lb. turkey needs up to three days to thaw in the refrigerator. A thaw turkey can remain in the refrigerator up to two days before cooking, Garrett said.

“You can thaw it in cold water, but you have to follow some specific directions,” she said. “It needs to be in a leakproof plastic bag so it doesn’t absorb water. Then place it in the sink. Cover it with cold tap water. Then you have to change that water every 30 minutes. You have to allow 30 minutes of thawing for each pound of turkey. Then you have to cook it immediately.”

Most frozen turkeys sold commercially have been brined or injected with a salt solution. Garrett said it’s important to keep the turkey in its original packaging so that it doesn’t lose the solution during the thawing process.

“Never, never, never thaw your turkey out on a countertop,” Garrett said. “It just takes too long and the if it stays at room temperature for more than four hours, the germs start to multiply. That’s why it’s safer to thaw it in the refrigerator. It thaws slowly from the outside in.”

Garrett said you should be careful when handling the turkey to make sure you don’t cross-contaminate other foods. She recommends using a separate cutting board for the turkey. Be sure to wash your hands and all utensils with hot, soapy water after touching the bird. Disinfect countertops that come into contact with the turkey.

There are several ways to cook the turkey. Regardless of the method you chose, Garrett said the turkey’s internal temperature must reach 165 degrees F before serving. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature in three locations: the thickest part of the breast, in the meat of the thigh near the body, and the spot where the wing meets the body. Be sure the check the temperature in the meat away from bones.

“Those pop-up timers that come with the turkeys may not be accurate,” she said. “You still want to use a food thermometer.”

For a roasted turkey, Garrett recommends baking it in a roasting pan at 325 degrees F in the oven. Cooking time will depend on the size of the turkey. Remove from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 165 and then allow it to rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before carving. Garrett said resting the turkey after cooking keeps it juicer.

As for seasoning, Garrett says different families have different tastes. Season the turkey with spices and herbs that your family likes. But don’t just season the outside of the bird. Rub seasoning in the cavity and under the skin.

Some people fill the turkey cavity with stuffing before baking. Garrett advises against this practice. The stuffing must also reach 165 degrees F before it can be safely eaten. Stuffing inside the cavity cooks slower than the turkey. When the turkey is done cooking, the stuffing will not be safe to eat. If you cook the stuffing to 165, the turkey may be over cooked and dry.

“I think you’re better off baking the stuffing in a separate pan on the side,” she said.

Some folks might try to deep fry a turkey this year. Injected with butter and spices and then deep fried in oil, a turkey cooked in this manner results in juicy meat and crispy skin. But you must have the right equipment and take extreme caution to avoid a fire. The last thing you want to do is call the fire department on Thanksgiving Day.

“The biggest thing is the turkey must be completely thawed out,” said La Grange Fire Chief Frank Menefee. “And you have to have a pot big enough to hold the turkey and all the oil it takes.”

If you lower a frozen turkey into hot oil, the oil will boil over the top of the pot. And if you’re using a gas burner, that oil can ignite and start a fire.

For that reason, Menefee recommends setting up the deep fryer outdoors and away from any combustible material.

“Make sure you don’t have too much oil in the pot so it doesn’t spill over when you drop the turkey in,” he said.

You can determine the volume of oil needed by placing the raw turkey in the pot and filling with enough water to just cover the turkey. Take out the turkey and dry it, then measure the amount of water in the pot. That’s how much oil you’ll need.

“If you’re going to deep fry a turkey, just be careful,” Menefee said.

But here in Central Texas, in the heart of barbecue country, lots of folks might try their hand at smoking a turkey this year for Thanksgiving.

Local champion pitmaster Curt Harbers of CC’s Country BBQ offered some tips for smoking a turkey.

First, he recommends selecting a 12-14 lb. turkey for smoking. Larger turkeys will not cook as well on the smoker.

“One of the pro tips is to spatchcock it,” Harbers said. “You want to cut the neck and the backbone out and carve out the breastbone so that it lays down evenly.”

This will help the turkey cook more evenly on a barbecue pit. You can cook it in an offset smoker or on a barbecue pit over direct coals.

“You can do it either way and it’s not going to change much,” Harbers said. “But if you’re doing it on an offset, the wing tips and leg tips are going to get really dark. So another pro-tip is to cover those with a little foil over them once you get the desired color.”

Harbers said he keeps the smoke temperature steady at about 290 degrees F. Most turkeys will take about two and a half to three hours to cook at that temperature, depending on their size.

Harbers said he checks the internal temperature with a food thermometer to determine when the turkey is done.

“I’m looking for 170 to 172 degrees between the leg and thigh joint, just to be safe” Harbers said.

Harbers said he seasons his turkeys with his own brand of barbecue rub, called BBQ Junkie, which can be purchased locally at ale Petit Gourmet Shop in La Grange or on his website at ccscountrybbq. com. But any barbecue blend would work. Even something as basic as salt, pepper and garlic powder makes an excellent run for any smoked meat.

Regardless of how you cook it, don’t let a bad turkey ruin your Thanksgiving.