This Thanksgiving, even though you may have successfully seasoned and roasted your turkey, added just the right trimmings and strategically seated your feuding relatives at least three table settings apart, one small detail remains: how to carve the turkey.
As the central role to any holiday meal, how the turkey appears on your plate is almost as important as how it tastes. No matter how delicious, no one wants to eat shreds of meat that look better suited for the dog bowl than on their dinner plate.
Avoid the real recipe for disaster by following Good Housekeeping's four steps to carving the perfect bird. Plus, take a few pointers from the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute on the best carving equipment. Your Thanksgiving meal will look just as good as you'll feel knowing you're sharing it with family and friends.
Before you carve:
Make sure you have a carving knife that's thin and long. The knife can be slightly flexible, which helps when cutting in hard-to-navigate places (like when you remove the wishbone).
To cut the old-fashioned way, the Wusthof Trident Classic 8" carving knife ($99) is a worthy investment for successful Thanksgiving carvings to come. TheChef's Choice 470 Steelpro knife sharpener ($39.99) is a nifty gadget that remains stable on the counter while sharpening your knives to give them the edge they need to get the job done.
If you prefer cutting with a bit of electric power to easily and quickly slice beautiful pieces of meat, try the Cusinart CEK-40 ($49.99) or the Rival 1205 for about half the cost ($22.11) and with the same Good Housekeeping Institute seal of approval.
Sharpen your knife before taking the turkey out of the oven, wait 15 minutes to ensure the meat is firm and juicy, and then begin to cut by following these 4 manageable, easy-to-remember steps.
How to carve:
Step 1
- Remove stuffing. Grasp a drumstick. Place long carving knife between thigh and body and cut through to joint. Pull leg outward and disjoint it with knife point. Separate thigh from drumstick; put pieces on platter.
- To remove breast: Insert fork into opposite side of bird to steady it. Holding knife parallel to cutting board, with front (wishbone) end toward you, make a long cut just above wing joint through to body frame.
Step 3
- Positioning knife tip at front (wishbone) end, use blade to cut straight down along the side of breastbone to release breast half from body. Now is a good time to cut off wing and separate it into sections.
Step 4
- Place breast, skin side up, on cutting board and slice meat diagonally across breast into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Put slices on platter. Repeat entire process with leg and breast on other side.
After you carve:
A hostess's worst nightmare is running out of food for her guests, so inevitably we all have leftovers no matter how many guests come to our Thanksgiving table.
If your leftover turkey and its trimmings aren't consumed within 24 hours, keep the food ready-to-eat for lunch sandwiches, soups and other post-Thanksgiving treats by storing it in heavy freezer bags. Try the holiday themed Ziploc bags for some extra pizazz to your freezer this season.
For more great tips on the final preparation details to your Thanksgiving meal, check out more pointers from Good Housekeeping (and do some online holiday shopping while your turkey roasts!).
Related links:
- Good Housekeeping-Tested Gadget and Gear for the Perfect Thanksgiving
- What to Buy Your Terribly (Cute) Toddler This Christmas
- The Gifts to Make Your Holiday Hostess Happy
- Everything Your Hubby Wants Under His Christmas Tree
- Gifts Under $40 for Everyone on Your Christmas List
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
