Tuesday Tips: Jack's Turkey Tips volume 2

I am proud to say that this is my 300th post! With Thanksgiving just 3 days away I am posting more turkey tips. My Dad, Jack, called me on Sunday with some more advice to share with my readers.

Here is a true nugget of Jack wisdom: “Like any good carpenter, plan your last task first.” This could be applied to many situations in life, but in this case, my Dad is saying that you should think about how you are going to get the turkey out of the oven, out of the pan, and on a cutting board once it is cooked. Here is his advice:

If you don’t plan ahead, getting the cooked turkey out of the pan is no easy task. My Dad said that he struggled with this for a few years until he learned this trick. Use heavy duty aluminum foil and create two strips that can be used to lift the turkey out of the plan. Cut 2 pieces of aluminum foil that are longer than the width of the pan, and have enough extra foil on each end to grip. Fold the pieces of foil twice width-wise and put strips in the pan, and then place the turkey on top. Once the turkey has cooked, get a friend to help you. You each grab one side of the foil and lift to take turkey out of pan. Even though that took a long explanation, it is very easy and pretty fool-proof.

I feel like a visual would be helpful, so I made this using Google Image and Microsoft Paint. As silly as this image is, the red lines represent where you place the foil.

My Dad imagines that if you put a large turkey in an aluminum pan, there is a chance that turkey might end up on the floor when you are taking it out of the oven. Eliminate this possibility by placing a cookie sheet under the aluminum pan.
Start defrosting your turkey now.
If you like a crispier skin, unwrap the turkey the day before Thanksgiving and leave it uncovered in the fridge until you are ready to roast it.
A cooked turkey is 180 degrees.
If you stuff your turkey, make sure the stuffing reaches 165 degrees.

Here is a link to last year’s Turkey Tips from my Dad.