Social Learning

“Giblets” refer to a turkey’s food-worthy internal organs. They come in a bag that is stuffed into the turkey’s cavity. The turkey’s neck is also typically shoved into that cavity. These are those things that you probably once forgot to take out of the turkey before you roasted it.

The neck meat tastes like any other dark meat. I find it useful for making a crude turkey stock to use in making gravy. 

The giblets, a log of people will tell you to use them in the gravy or in the stuffing, but they often neglect to tell you t hat they have a distinctive flavor that will color whatever you put them in. If you’ve had giblet gravy or giblet stuffing and you know that you love it, great: use them. 

Sausage is great in stuffing, to my way of thinking. Also, a bit of sausage stuffed into the neck cavity helps baste the turkey as it cooks. If you like this idea, feel free to experiment with different types of sausage. I usually user sweet Italian sausage, but I think breakfast sausage would be an interesting alternative.

Stuffing is something that, of course, only your mother knows how to make well. I love it, and I can happily tell you that I’ve never had a homemade version that I didn’t love. When it’s up to me, though, I prefer it to be moist, but not “wet,” not soaked through … certainly not soggy. (I guess this is a note to remind me to not add too much stock to the stuffing. You do you.)

Basting the turkey is just about as easy to do with a ladle as it is with a turkey baster. Pro tip: don’t forget that the oven rack is designed to slide out of the oven without accidentally sliding all the way out. This will make it easier to baste your turkey. However, it’s nearly just as easy to remove the roaster from the oven temporarily. Shut the oven door as you do this, to help maintain temperature. Baste the side facing you, then turn the pan around and baste the other side. Slide it back into the oven. Rotating the pan in this manner will promote even cooking.

Gravy … now that’s where the rubber really meets the road. It takes talent to make a good gravy. Pro tip: once you’ve whisked all your turkey drippings into the roux, take note of how much gravy there is. You may be able to get by with what you have. It should be flavorful enough that a little will go a long way. If there is enough, this would be ideal, because it’s the best-tasting gravy.

However, most people that I know like to drown their entire Thanksgtiving meal in gravy. And who can blame them? But there’s no way a turkey is going to produce enough drippings to make this possible for everyone. The answer is usually to add chicken stock. Unfortunately, it changes the flavor of the gravy. Adding rotisserie chicken stock is primarily meant to stretch it out, not make it better. Pro tip: if the chicken stock is homemade, you’ll get a much, much better result. Part of my Thanksgiving ritual includes buying a rotisserie chicken beforehand to make stock from. 

Temperature is how you know when the turkey is done, timing. I am the last person in the world from whom you should take food safety advice. Well, maybe the not the last person, but certainly too far down the list to be thought of as an authority in any sense at all. So when I tell you that a temperature probe is surely the coolest way to monitor your turkey, I mean that in a literal sense. It is cool, and though I may or may not be cool, I know cool when I see it. That said, a temperature probe is certainly not the only nor even the easiest way.

You can also use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature every time you baste. In some ways, an instant-read thermometer is better than a temperature probe. You don’t have to worry about the cord as you’re putting the turkey in and out of the oven and rotating the pan. And, you wind up shoving the instant-read thermometer in and out of the turkey in multiple locations, which gives you a better shot at finding the “right” location and a true temperature. You want the thermometer to go as deep into the thigh as you can, without running into a bone. If you do run into a bone, just pull out a little and reposition.

In a perfect world, you would cook dark and white meat to different temperatures. My niece actually lives in such a world. She separates the two meats, then she confits the dark meat and roasts the white. If you’re a traditionalist and cook the bird whole, consider removing it from the oven before it reaches the desired temperature, and allow carry over to bring it to temperature. Research this if it sound appealing. 

A high-quality roaster with a removable rack is an investment, but if you plan to make Thanksgiving every year for the rest of your life, you’ll get a lot of use out of it. Plus, if it really is top quality, your children will fight over it after you’re gone. If you don’t have one, a half-sheet pan (sometimes just called a “sheet pan,” or a “jellyroll pan” or a “rimmed cookie sheet” will work. Place a cooling rack into it, and put the turkey on top of the rack. Tuck your carrots into the crevice in between the rack the the edges of the pan. There’s not very much room for the liquid and vegetables, but there’s enough room.

“Resting” is so undervalued. If you’ve every wonderd how to move the turkey from the roaster to the cutting board without burning yourself, of if you find it hard to carve the turkey because it’s too hot to grip while you’re cutting … you fool! The turkey hasn’t rested long enough! Roasting causes the turkey’s muscle fibers to contract, forcing its internal juices toward the center of the bird. Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the turkey, producing a much juicier final product. By the time its properly rested, it will be easy to handle.

The roasting vegetables that you cook with the turkey, you will ultimately discard. Its purpose is to leech flavor into the drippings. However, I find them to be insanely delicious, even if they may not be suitable for serving. Nosh on them in secret as you’re making the gravy.

Cornstarch isn’t my first choice for thickening a turkey gravy. I prefer flour. As you’re cooking the gravy, you’re going to think it looks too thin. Don’t let youself come to a definitive conclusion until it’s come to a gentle simmer. At that point, if you do feel it needs to be thicker, that’s when a tablespoon of emergency cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons of cold water can save the day. Stir it in. The sauce should thicken almost instantly.

Stuffing in the bird, or out of the bird. The debate continues to rage. I cook it outside. I didn’t always, but now I do. First of all, there’s no end to how much stuffing I want to eat, and that much stuffing simply cannot fit into a turkey. Secondly, in-the-bird stuffing is generally too wet for my tastes. This, there are very real temperature concerns with roasting stuffing inside the bird. Don’t take me for an alarmist; I’ll eat stuffing that was baked inside the turkey any day. But that doesn’t that you can altogether dismiss the issue.

Thanksgiving Wisdom

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man!, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you, Kesor and Proper Circle. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. In prepping this post, I relied on: Stewart, Martha, and Sarah Carey. 2008. “Perfect Roast Turkey.” In Martha Stewart’s Cooking School, 150. New York: Clarkson Potter. Stewart, Martha, and Sarah Carey. 2008. “Sausage and Sour-Cherry Stuffing.” In Martha Stewart’s Cooking School, 158. New York: Clarkson Potter.

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