How to carve a turkey

Teach: How to carve a turkey

What to say

Carve a turkey by letting it rest for twenty to thirty minutes, then working on a steady board with a sharp knife and a fork. Take off each leg by cutting through the skin and popping the thigh joint, separate the drumstick from the thigh, then slice each breast off the bone in one piece and cut it across the grain into even slices. Carving off the bone gives neater slices than slicing on the bird.

What to show, in order

1. Check the thickest part of the thigh and breast with a thermometer, which should read at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit, then rest the bird for twenty to thirty minutes.
2. Set it on a board with a groove or a towel underneath so it cannot slide.
3. Cut through the skin between the leg and body, pull the leg outward and cut through the joint.
4. Split each leg at the knee joint into a drumstick and a thigh.
5. Cut down along one side of the breastbone and ease the whole breast off the ribs with short strokes.
6. Lay the breast flat and slice it across the grain into even slices.
7. Take off the wings at the shoulder joint.
8. Keep your guiding hand flat on top of the meat, fingers curled away from the blade.

When to stop and call a professional

• You cut yourself deeply, the bleeding will not stop with firm pressure, or you cannot move the finger normally: get urgent care or call 911.

The check question

Ask: Why rest a turkey before carving? Answer: So the juices settle back into the meat

From EveryManKnows. General information, not professional advice.