The table covered with an array of food takes the center of the room, as anticipation to feast builds in everyone’s stomach. Out comes the most important platter of the evening, not yet unveiled. As the cover comes off, faces drop. There lies a mangled bird, a ruined turkey.
Thanksgiving centers its focus around delicious looking and tasting food, so one can assume that a turkey carved wrong could ruin the whole experience. Following that thought, here is the correct way to carve a turkey:
After cooking the turkey, let it rest for around 15-20 minutes depending on its size. Without doing this step, one can expect to feast on dried-up meat since resting it allows the juices to flow back into the bird. Once done resting, lay down a few paper towels and grab a sharp knife to begin the carving process.
The bird’s legs should face the carver for the most efficiency and ease. Begin by slicing the skin near where the breast and leg connect, and then cut through the joint in that area. Repeat this process for the other leg. Following that, start to go for the wings by pulling until an audible pop rings out. To take off the wings, simply cut through the joints similar to the process for the legs.
Once the wings and legs have been removed, it is time to tackle the easiest meat to cut off: the breast. Simply follow the bones of the bird with the sharp knife until the meat has slid off. If there remain some small pieces attached to the bone try to avoid adding them to the meat platter as they may ruin the platter. In order to prevent waste, make sure to utilize the carcass by making fertilizer, pet food or even a decoration for next year’s Halloween.
To complete the look for Thanksgiving, cut the meat up into bite-size pieces and place them on a nice platter. A well-carved turkey makes a happy family, so make sure to show it off!