TURKEY - Turkey Tips

Thanksgiving is a special day of the year. Great food, family, and a little winter chill in the air. To make sure everything goes smoothly, we've come up with these Turkey Tips that should make the kitchen work just a little bit easier.

Thawing your turkey

Your turkey will arrive at your home vacuum-wrapped in plastic and frozen or cool to the touch. To thaw your turkey, place it in the refrigerator (still sealed in plastic) for 48-72 hours before you plan on heating. Thawing in the refrigerator takes a bit longer, but it is the preferred method. Once thawing is complete, we recommend you enjoy your turkey immediately, though as long as packaging remains unopened it may be consumed within ten days.

Reheating your turkey

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F; unwrap your fully-thawed turkey and place it on an oven rack in a roasting pan with ½ cup of water in the bottom of the pan to keep it juicy. Cover the pan with foil, pinching tightly around the edges to form a seal, and place it on a baking sheet in the preheated oven. It will take approximately fifteen minutes per pound to reheat your turkey (approximately 2 ½-3 hours). Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature; turkey is done when it reaches 165°F. When it's done, let it rest for about fifteen minutes before carving. Although we recommend thawing Stubb's Whole Smoked Turkey for the full 48-72 hours, we understand that sometimes that just isn't possible. You may reheat your partially frozen turkey in the oven, but you will need to increase your heating time by about 25 percent.

Tools of the Trade

Let's run down a quick checklist of the most important things you'll need to have:

Long sharp carving knife to slice the meat? Check.
Carving fork to hold the bird in place? Check.
Large platter to set the slices of meat as you cut them? Check.

Okay, now we're in business. We also recommend you wear an apron, not just for the extra ''style points'' you'll be awarded, but because diving into a juicy turkey can be a messy proposition. An electric carving knife can speed the process, but we've always found that it's riskier to try the electric knife before mastering the conventional equivalent. Besides, the sound of the vibrating blade tends to detract from the mood of the table.

Slicing the First Leg

Pull one of the legs (it doesn't matter which) away from the body of the turkey. Insert the tip of your carving knife into that area. You're looking for the hip joint that connects the leg to the rest of the carcass. The joint is very easy to slice through and if you're having any trouble it may be an indication that you're trying to saw through the bone. Once you're sure you've found this ''keystone'' slicing point, just relax and cut slowly and steadily. The leg itself is comprised of the thigh and the drumstick. There is another joint that connects the two, and you can probably guess where it is. To carve meat from the thigh, slice parallel to the bone.

Carving the Breast

Now that both of the legs and wings have been removed it is time to carve the all-important turkey breast. Your carving fork will prove its worth in this step, as it is important that everything be held completely steady. Slide your knife into the tip of one of the breasts and slice in a downward-slanting motion. The first slice should be very small, and each subsequent piece will be a little larger. Make sure all sides of each piece are of a uniform thickness, or else you will begin to see some oddly-shaped pieces of turkey. As they come off the bird, stack your slices on the serving platter. Have piping hot gravy ready to go.

Turkey Stuffing

Where would turkey be without its trusty sidekick, stuffing? Stuffing is what separates a turkey dinner from a Thanksgiving dinner, or a hearty meal from a memorable feast. The popular side dish was originally invented as a sort of hodgepodge to make use of leftover ingredients, cooked inside the turkeys to take advantage of the natural juices; since then it has developed into a national obsession. Everyone has a family recipe or a favorite brand, and if there was no stuffing on Thanksgiving there would probably be a riot. Do not attempt to try to cook stuffing inside one of Stubb's Whole Smoked Turkeys, as they are already fully smoked and only need to be heated. Try some of Stubb's Southern Style Cornbread Stuffing ($9.99) instead.