Its thanksgiving time!

The holiday season is upon us. Halloween is now in the rearview mirror and Thanksgiving is coming up. Family, friends, and great food are in store. If you are the lucky person in charge of creating this amazing meal, some planning is the best way to make it as stress-free and easy as possible.

First off, the Turkey. Most turkeys bought are frozen (which isn’t a bad thing really) while fresh is always better. Frozen turkey not only is it the most economic option, but it is so much easier to find and easier to prepare. Remember, turkeys are big, you essentially bought a 10-14 lb block of ice, and yes its going to need to defrost completely in your fridge. Allow ample time to defrost, Typically a 10-14 lb turkey will take 3-4 days to defrost, larger birds will take longer. I usually start to defrost my turkey a week ahead, that way it is completely defrosted by Wednesday and the prep can begin.

The best way to ensure a juicy turkey is Brining (a method consisting of a salt and spices solution which the turkey will marinate in for 12 hrs causing it to absorb moisture and flavor). You will need a large vessel such as a food-safe bucket, or a large stock pot big enough to hold turkey and submerge in brine liquid. This will need to sit in the refrigerator, and yes it will take up a lot of space, it is heavy and will seem like a hassle, but the result will be worth all of the trouble. You can find a lot of pre-packaged brines at your local stores, or you can do a quick search and make your own. The brine process is started the night before cooking, while this is happening all other meal prep can be done. After the brine process, the turkey will be taken out of the brine rinsed and dried with paper towels before the next steps.

Its cooking time, your turkey is now brined and ready to be baked/smoked/grilled or whichever method you choose. Using some of you favorite seasoning and butter make an injection solution, or simply purchase a commercial injection at your local store. Inject turkey about every 2 inches and let rest at room temp for 30-45 minutes prior to cooking. Pat dry the turkey using paper towels to ensure it is completely dry right before cooking sprinkle the outside with your dry seasoning and let’s get it to cooking.

** Note: Yes, it is very common to stuff your turkey. There are tons go different stuffings and fillings used for this. I personally do not stuff, I don’t believe it adds any extra flavor to the turkey and just creates extra steps and mess in the long run. Also because you have to make sure the stuffing is at a minimum of 165 degrees, it will make your turkey become overcooked ( which is the main reason most people do not enjoy turkey).

This is the exact way we cook our Turkey Breast at Rockin’ Kitchen which gives us the best tasting and juicy turkey breast.

Thank you for reading, hopefully these simple tips can help you take your dinner to the next level. Remember we are aways here to help, contact us with any questions, comments, or simply to say hello.

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving with your family and stay safe.