Chef note- re:Thanksgiving

Cheffie · Post by **Cheffie** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 2:59 pm

When defrosting a turkey (or chicken for tht matter or anything) please DO NOT just leave it on the counter at room temp to defrost. I heard a radio show today where they said this was the quickest way to defrost, that, or under lukewarm water. WRONG. Hey , if you want foodborne illness/end up in the hospital, be my guest.

Defrost poultry under cold running water- put it in a big bowl so water can run off the sides. OR, defrost 2-3 days (give it 4 to be sure for turkey) in fridge, with drip pan underneath so you don't contaminate the rest of your foods. Also, stuffing a turkey can be dangerous, don't stuff it too packed. Better, cook it seperate. *****Always cook your bird till at least 160, temp it again, after it had rested,(temp with rise 5- 10 degrees while resting) it must be over 165- temped away from the bone. to be safe. This fool on the radio, after she defrosted it on her counter overnight for 2 days, only cooked it 130 degrees and then dug in.

Always rinse the inside and outside of your bird, cook it 165, and let it sit after coming out of the over for at least 10- 15 minutes. This allows the meat to "rest" (redistribute juices), and you won't have a dry bird. (The "rest" also applies to large roasts & steaks.

Not trying to seem like a "know it all" to those who know, just don't want to see my friends here get sick.

UnkleLemmy · Post by **UnkleLemmy** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:04 pm

I normaly just take my turkey out of the zip lock bag and throw it between some bread.
Maybe I'll get fancy and add mustard and cheese too but that depends on how much energy I have.

lemmys' meat comes presliced and in bags.

Paralepsis · Post by **Paralepsis** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:13 pm

Thank you for posting this, Cheffie - I heard something similar on the radio and almost drove off the road. Who taught these people to cook?

I left a major supermarket here once when they announced that the "frozen prawns on sale will make a wonderful dinner; just thaw in hot water..."
but I digress.

Thanks for the post anyway - here's to wonderful drunken Thanksgivings, and fabulous food!

daphne · Post by **daphne** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:24 pm

I wish I could have gotten a turkey like Schernoff's. All natural and healthy.

I bet it's going to be great. Thanks Cheffie, for those tips. I bought one one for the Things and got myself a piece of shit tofurkey. That can be left on top of the dryer or the television to thaw, then used as a doorstop, and then I get to gnaw on it. Yippee.

I hope to see drunken Thanksgiving pics around here after we've consumed mass quantities of champagne or something akin to a celebritory drink.

gthevinoslinger · Post by **gthevinoslinger** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:26 pm

drunken thanksgivings are the best kind. this year, i think it'll have to be cocktails, not beer, as i'm usually to stuffed anyway. i never realized how great drinking for thanksgiving could be until my first thanksgiving with the in-laws. they're mostly lightweights, but they're fun for the major holidays.

daphne · Post by **daphne** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:29 pm

I got so drunk one thanksgiving that I spent until 5 pm the next day with the dry heaves. I was 24 at the time. I remember specifically the nail in my coffin was doing shots of whiskey after drinking 2 bottles of cheap champagne and a couple glasses of wine.

Champagne is a bad hangover, isn't it?

UnkleLemmy · Post by **UnkleLemmy** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:52 pm

I defroast my fish by just letting it sit in a bucket of water but they are sealed in plastic.
I'm not gonna poison myself, am I?

Mother Goose · Post by **Mother Goose** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:18 pm

daphne wrote:I wish I could have gotten a turkey like Schernoff's. All natural and healthy.

I bet it's going to be great. Thanks Cheffie, for those tips. I bought one one for the Things and got myself a piece of shit tofurkey. That can be left on top of the dryer or the television to thaw, then used as a doorstop, and then I get to gnaw on it. Yippee.

I hope to see drunken Thanksgiving pics around here after we've consumed mass quantities of champagne or something akin to a celebritory drink.

One year, my brother had gone vegetarian due to the influence of his ex-fiance. My mom went through all the trouble of making him a tofurkey alongside of our real bird.

Later in the evening (the ex-fiance wasn't in the picture by then), we went out carousing/bar-hopping, and did loads of Irish car bombs. We made it back to the parents' house, staggering drunk. I went to the bathroom, and when I came out he was brandishing one of the turkey legs in one hand and a thick ham sandwich in the other. Apparently, his vegetarianism was only in undrunkenness. It was classic.

Willicus · Post by **Willicus** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:26 pm

We deep fry our turkey. And there is no stuffing. It's called dressing, and it's cooked in a pan, goddammit.

Cheffie · Post by **Cheffie** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:33 pm

UnkleLemmy wrote:I defroast my fish by just letting it sit in a bucket of water but they are sealed in plastic.
I'm not gonna poison myself, am I?

Make sure your water is 40F or lower.

Rule of thumb: betweeen 40F & 140F is the danger zone. Anything kept in that range for more than 4 hours should be discarded.

Paralepsis · Post by **Paralepsis** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:33 pm

daphne wrote:I wish I could have gotten a turkey like Schernoff's. All natural and healthy.

I bet it's going to be great. Thanks Cheffie, for those tips. I bought one one for the Things and got myself a piece of shit tofurkey. That can be left on top of the dryer or the television to thaw, then used as a doorstop, and then I get to gnaw on it. Yippee.

I hope to see drunken Thanksgiving pics around here after we've consumed mass quantities of champagne or something akin to a celebritory drink.

I just about peed myself laughing at that one, but know you speak the truth.

Willicus - one of these days I'm going to get someone to do a proper deep fried turkey up here again. Damn, that is the way to do it!

RIPT · Post by **RIPT** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:43 pm

This why I don't like cooking poultry. All I can think of is the salmonella bath it took before it got to the grocery store. I think we should all eat Prime Rib on Thanksgiving!

UnkleLemmy · Post by **UnkleLemmy** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:08 pm

Cheffie wrote:
UnkleLemmy wrote:I defroast my fish by just letting it sit in a bucket of water but they are sealed in plastic.
I'm not gonna poison myself, am I?

Make sure your water is 40F or lower.

Rule of thumb: betweeen 40F & 140F is the danger zone. Anything kept in that range for more than 4 hours should be discarded.

Even if its sealed air tight?
Sometimes I defrost them in the bag but dont actually cook them and leave them in the fridge for a day or two.
I haven't died yet.

Is my fridge between 40F and 140F?

I'm dumb with food.

Cheffie · Post by **Cheffie** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:13 pm

UnkleLemmy wrote:
Cheffie wrote:
UnkleLemmy wrote:I defroast my fish by just letting it sit in a bucket of water but they are sealed in plastic.
I'm not gonna poison myself, am I?

Make sure your water is 40F or lower.

Rule of thumb: betweeen 40F & 140F is the danger zone. Anything kept in that range for more than 4 hours should be discarded.
Even if its sealed air tight?
Sometimes I defrost them in the bag but dont actually cook them and leave them in the fridge for a day or two.
I haven't died yet.
Defrosting in the fridge is fine.

Is my fridge between 40F and 140F?

I'm dumb with food.

Cheffie · Post by **Cheffie** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:15 pm

Cheffie wrote:
UnkleLemmy wrote:
Cheffie wrote:

Make sure your water is 40F or lower.

Rule of thumb: betweeen 40F & 140F is the danger zone. Anything kept in that range for more than 4 hours should be discarded.
Even if its sealed air tight?
Sometimes I defrost them in the bag but dont actually cook them and leave them in the fridge for a day or two.
I haven't died yet.

Is my fridge between 40F and 140F?

I'm dumb with food.

Defrosting in the fridge is fine.