the secret to moist turkey every time
0For many home cooks, roasting a turkey so it's juicy and not dry can be a struggle every year—especially since many of us only do it once a year! So we tapped an expert, Shawn Matijevich, lead chef of online culinary arts & food operations at the Institute of Culinary Education, for some tips and tricks. Here, the chef-instructor answers basic questions definitively, dispels myths and offers up his own surefire method for a juicy turkey every time. Take it away, Shawn!
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Is There a Brand of Turkey That Will Come Out Less Dry?
No, here's why: All major brands purchase their turkeys from farmers who are contracted to raise birds to a certain standard for them. They are pretty much the same breed of turkey (broad-breasted white turkey) and are fed the same and slaughtered when they reach the desired weight range. This means that they are all pretty much the same.
Before I Roast My Turkey, Is There Anything I Can Do for Juicier Results?
It's more about your oven temperature and not overcooking your bird. If you are buying a standard grocery store turkey, it has often been brined as part of the slaughter process. I see a lot of people advocating for brines, but unless you are getting an air-chilled or heritage bird, the brining may have already been done. Check your turkey labels for additives like salt or words like "enhanced" or "self-basting," which often indicate that the bird has already been brined.
Does It Matter Whether My Turkey Is Fresh or Frozen?
Only a little bit. If the turkey was properly frozen and held at the proper temperature, then you probably won't notice the difference. Freezing them also kills parasites, so that is one thing on the side of freezing that might bring people comfort (although parasites aren't that common in turkeys these days). If you are trying to cook your bird and it is just even a little bit still frozen, that will impact the dryness, simply because it will take longer to cook.
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