I am going to try and get away from politics for a few days if I can. I would imagine that we have some fine cooks on here. I pride myself on being a pretty darn good cook myself. My mother was an excellent cook. She was such a good cook that she owned several restaurants and was successful with every one.
She was also a clean freak.
I would like to share some helpful hints about preparing Thanksgiving Dinner and how to avoid getting sick from salmonella or any other bacteria hanging out in raw poultry.
I don’t remember as a kid my parents or grandparents fussing over birds so much and maybe that was because they raised their own turkeys and chickens. Things got a bit more complicated with our food supply down through the years.
First of all….Do not thaw a Raw Turkey out on the counter. Some people will put old Tom in some cold water but I have found taking that bird out of the freezer and placing in a plastic bag ( Like a grocery bag) and sticking him or the hen in the refrigerator is the best way to thaw. The CDC recommends this as well.
I take my turkey out on Sunday and place in the fridge so it is thawed completely by Thursday. I also highly recommend having a supply of Lysol Wipes or Bleach under the sink. ( For cleanup) come Thursday. I have a Large Bowl in the sink with Bleach and water. This is where I put all utensils as I mess with that bird until done with preparation. Several forks and spoons will have to be washed over and over to make sure one is dealing with clean utensils. (unless you have enough forks and spoons to help you through the checking and basting process.
I arise at 6:00 AM to get started on Thanksgiving vittles. I have plastic gloves on when I pull out that turkey and get ready to give it a cavity search. (You know the kind of gloves)… The kind that are surgical or the ones like you color your hair with. Not the big plastic gloves.
Instead of buying just one foil roasting pan...Buy two. They are only a $1.00 at the dollar tree. I hope when you bought that pan, you did not forget to buy a meat thermometer.
I do not stuff my turkey but do my stuffing in a separate pan. This is just turkey instructions. I used to wash my turkey until I found out that is not a good thing. It is easier to spread bacteria so I am telling you...DO NOT WASH THE BIRD ….You can wipe it down with a paper towel but don’t wash it.www.foodsafety.gov/…
Pull all the insides like the heart, gizzard and liver out and the neck. They are generally wrapped in paper up inside the turkey. The turkey will still more than likely be a little frozen up on the inside...but no matter, yank the paper innards out, removing the paper of course and carefully throw the paper in the trash and place them in a pot full of water that will be used to boil the neck and gizzard. ( This is if you want giblet gravy) otherwise you may just toss it.) I don’t.
I learned a secret many years ago. The oven and turkey bags made are the best invention since loaf bread. Shake some flour and shake that bag up and down to coat it and then place the turkey inside the flour coated bag. You can baste that bird with salt, pepper and butter but that needs to be done before placing in the bag. You then preheat the oven to 350...and place that foil broaster in the oven with a fat turkey all inside the bag that is tied and then wait. This is where the cleanup, one of many that you will endure during the dinner to try and stay sanitized. I pull out the lysol wipes. and start wiping down counters after I have pulled off those little surgical gloves and disposed of them. I then use warm soapy water on faucets and antibacterial soap on every utensil I used. The soapy water is also used on the counters..(Including the top to my trash can) I use the bleach and water to further clean the sink and faucets. I wipe down most every contact in the kitchen with lysol wipes.
The pot full of neck, gizzards and heart is brought on high and starts to boil… I do this for hours...I turn down the heat but cook thoroughly those insides. I may take the temp down but I do not turn it off, until I am ready to do the gravy. I keep plenty of water in the pot holding the neck and organs.
Ok..after cleanup I can utilize my workspace again.. But most of the time that counterspace on the stove side is strictly for the meat. I do not even begin to use that meat thermometer until I am fairly sure that turkey is browning and almost ready. The inside of the turkey should be cooked until it reaches 165 degrees. Mine is always much higher than that but I baste it several times undoing the bag and retying it. I have never had a dry turkey… That bag I mentioned earlier keeps all the moisture and steam inside and also tenderizes the turkey. You will find out how much heat and steam it holds when you pull out that rack and untie the bag to baste it again… It will fog your glasses… Be careful. I can turn the oven down now because I want to maintain that safe temperature. The bacteria will come back if left out so don’t do that.
After you have used the heart and gizzard and neck to do your giblet gravy and drippings from the turkey to bake your stuffing, then that turkey and all should be done at about the same time… I start making my stuffing or dressing as we southerners call it about 10:AM. I already have my potatoes and eggs done for the Potato salad or mashed potates and they are warming on the stove top as well. My stuffing is cooking in the oven and the bird is either still in the oven or if completely done...gone in the refrigerator but will be reheated before serving. All in all everything should get done at about the same time…..At 12:00 PM or a little after. You are watching the Macy Day Parade during your cook time anyway.
I have to do all the cooking and I mean ALL of it on Thanksgiving. I really don’t trust anyone else with the turkey. Sierra helps me cut up potatoes and squash if we decide on squash..She also does the broccoli and cheese while I tend to the other casseroles. My cranberries or sauce is already in the refrigerator. I have my beans cooked the night before. I usually cheat on desserts and just buy a cake or pie..But sometimes I will make a pie at home. I have fresh schucked corn in the freezer from the summer so all I have to do is boil the corn. The one time of year, we do wear aprons because of dealing with raw poultry. ( unless I bake a whole chicken other times). I have rolls and sometimes they are brown and serve and other times they are just Hawaiian rolls. The girls or it has just been just me, wash as we go and load the dishwasher. By 12:00 or no later than 1:00 PM the dinner is done...paper plates and throw away cups because that dishwashing is already getting a work out. The turkey is ususally so moist it pretty much falls apart while carving but the food is buffet style...I take the turkey out of the bag which is sometimes a challenge and place it on a platter. I leave the stuffing in my foil baking pan. Everything is placed on the table including the tea, iced bottled water and soft drinks. The pans, pots ( what few are left after all the cleanup during the preparations) are placed in the sink in hot soapy water. All paper towels, foils and baking bags are tossed in the garbage. The counters get wiped down again. The whole preparation area is wiped down with wipes and now you can finally yell, “ Dinner’s ready”. I forgot to mention you have had to fight with some family members to keep them from sampling but no body messes with the turkey… I am particuliar about that BIRD.
I wrote all of this down because for many many years, I never knew what a job Thanksgiving Dinner really was. I went to my grandparents or my parents for Dinner. I miss them all for many reasons but these special occasions make me mindful of how hard they worked for a really good meal and I am thankful for that. For years and years now I have to prepare Thanksgiving for my own family and the first time I did it, I was totally lost with the exception that I could still call Mama and say, now how do I do this and when? Trust me first timers, it gets easier as the years pass. Be sure to put the food away immediately and reheat the turkey and stuffing and gravy even for leftovers.
Happy Thanksgiving and remember...it’s only once a year, and after you eat...Everyone else can load the dishwasher or wash the dishes and clean the kitchen, while you sit back and watch some old movies or maybe decide to put up the Christmas Tree...Which I normally do Thanksgiving night. I have already had an old folks nap so, I am ready to get festive by 7:00 PM Thanksgiving night. Well I won’t stay away from politics completely…. Can you picture Melania doing just half of this work? HA ..no me either.
Be Thankful for many things but this year be very thankful we have a Dem Congress.