Talk Turkey to Me. Renee S. Ferguson

now I’m in a panic. I’m in deep x#@#! I don’t have directions. I don’t have a meat thermometer. Oh, wait, I’ll ask him where his meat thermometer is and he’ll just assume I know what I’m doing!”

      You’ll possess confidence once you have a meat thermometer.

      Eliminate the guesswork and just follow these simple guidelines:

      Cooking to the Proper End Temperature

      Regardless of the cooking method— whether roasting or grilling—the end temperatures are the same:

      •Stuffing 160ºF

      •Breast 170ºF

      •Thigh 180ºF

      Insert the meat thermometer into the thigh. To determine the right position, push the tip of the thermometer in until you reach the bone, but then pull back slightly so that it does not not actually touch the bone.

      “We didn’t thaw the turkey. If I cook it from frozen, do I use a drill to put a hole in for the meat thermometer?”

      Wait until about halfway through cooking and then insert the meat thermometer, when the meat is soft. (More on this cooking technique later.)

      A Word about Pop-up Timers

      Your turkey may or may not come with a pop-up timer. This little bit of technology is designed to take the guesswork out of determining when your turkey is done. It may be convenient if you don’t have a meat thermometer but should not be the sole indicator of doneness. Check to make sure the juices in the lower parts of the turkey—the leg and thigh—run clear.

      The pop-up timer is actually a funky thermometer. It works simply. The pop-up is constructed using an inner blob of metal that melts at around 185ºF. The metal is in solid form at room temperature but will become molten as the flesh surrounding it heats up. When the metal becomes liquid, the pop-up indicator pops as a result of a spring mechanism within the outer casing—and the turkey is done.

      “Well, the pop-up timer never did go off, so I continued to cook it for 9 hours. Everyone told me it was delicious and couldn’t compliment me enough!”

      This turkey roasted for more than triple the amount of time required. The cook was blessed with a patient, gracious, and diplomatic family who were so hungry they would eat anything and think it was good! Common sense should be used with respect to timers that fail to pop. A traditional meat thermometer is a good backup to a pop-up timer and can also take the temperature of the lower thigh area, which is shielded by the roasting pan. The thigh must reach a temperature of 180ºF.