Ideal temperature for killing bacteria is more of a spectrum than a hard set number. 165°F is the USDA recommendation because it’s idiot-proof. Guarantees that all bacteria will be instantly killed.
But if you pull the bird at 165°F, you’ve already overcooked the meat and dried out all the juices. Personally I take my poultry out at 150°F, let it sit and naturally rise to 155-157°, and so long as it stays at or above 155 for more than 90 seconds, it’s perfectly safe to eat. The number is more like 45 seconds IIRC but I double it just to be safe. Been doing it this way for over a decade and it’s never gotten anyone sick.
I agree. Smoked a turkey breast today. 155f, pulled and wrapped in foil and placed in the microwave (as a sealed metal box, not actually used the microwave) for 30 minutes while the sides cooked. You can warm a cup of water before if you really want to keep the heat
Agreed, which is why I bought a digital thermometer and prob my bird multiple times in different locations and depths to make absolutely sure of this.
Turkey takes hours depending on the size and weight. Chicken is a bit less.
Ducks are usually about five or six pounds and very fatty which means they cook a bit faster than most other birds. I don’t normally roast them myself, I cut them into chunks and make a duck soup or stew.
… and a critical skill for any would be Thanksgiving chef out there … LEARN TO MAKE TASTY SAVOURY GRAVY! It doesn’t matter how well you cook your turkey, chicken or duck, if you don’t make a good gravy with it, it won’t be fun for anyone.
Do you have a link to the video? or at least a description so that we can find it? I’m always on the lookout for new ways to make gravy … to me it’s the key to any big feast.
Absolutely beautiful and helpful … I learned to make thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years Day big family dinners with turkey and everything from my mom years ago and there isn’t a year that goes by that I don’t learn something new. It just keeps getting better with time, practice, mistakes, youtube videos, talking to people like you, the occasional kitchen fire, burns, ruined gravy, burnt potatoes or the accidental meal where everything works out perfectly and you end up with perfectly cooked turkey and a gravy that just turns out perfect. I have a 15 lb turkey in the freezer ready for Christmas and this video will definitely help in making it.
Thanks for this, that is a great channel and I’ll be watching more.
What about duck, roasted for an hour and served with a nice side of gravy.
You should cook it to an internal temperature of 165f or 74c instead of a set time…sorry, the Internet has ruined me. I’m so alone.
Ideal temperature for killing bacteria is more of a spectrum than a hard set number. 165°F is the USDA recommendation because it’s idiot-proof. Guarantees that all bacteria will be instantly killed.
But if you pull the bird at 165°F, you’ve already overcooked the meat and dried out all the juices. Personally I take my poultry out at 150°F, let it sit and naturally rise to 155-157°, and so long as it stays at or above 155 for more than 90 seconds, it’s perfectly safe to eat. The number is more like 45 seconds IIRC but I double it just to be safe. Been doing it this way for over a decade and it’s never gotten anyone sick.
I agree. Smoked a turkey breast today. 155f, pulled and wrapped in foil and placed in the microwave (as a sealed metal box, not actually used the microwave) for 30 minutes while the sides cooked. You can warm a cup of water before if you really want to keep the heat
Agreed, which is why I bought a digital thermometer and prob my bird multiple times in different locations and depths to make absolutely sure of this.
Turkey takes hours depending on the size and weight. Chicken is a bit less.
Ducks are usually about five or six pounds and very fatty which means they cook a bit faster than most other birds. I don’t normally roast them myself, I cut them into chunks and make a duck soup or stew.
… and a critical skill for any would be Thanksgiving chef out there … LEARN TO MAKE TASTY SAVOURY GRAVY! It doesn’t matter how well you cook your turkey, chicken or duck, if you don’t make a good gravy with it, it won’t be fun for anyone.
I just watched Babish (dude in YouTube) make a browned-butter roux. What a game changer for gravy.
Do you have a link to the video? or at least a description so that we can find it? I’m always on the lookout for new ways to make gravy … to me it’s the key to any big feast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSPlKPooPJk
Absolutely beautiful and helpful … I learned to make thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years Day big family dinners with turkey and everything from my mom years ago and there isn’t a year that goes by that I don’t learn something new. It just keeps getting better with time, practice, mistakes, youtube videos, talking to people like you, the occasional kitchen fire, burns, ruined gravy, burnt potatoes or the accidental meal where everything works out perfectly and you end up with perfectly cooked turkey and a gravy that just turns out perfect. I have a 15 lb turkey in the freezer ready for Christmas and this video will definitely help in making it.
Thanks for this, that is a great channel and I’ll be watching more.