Dine & Cook | Alternative food journalism

The people at Foster Farms want to talk turkey.  In fact they love the topic so much, they're willing to talk all things bird 24 hours a day now till after Thanksgiving.

Starting November 17, Foster Farms Turkey Helpline operators will be on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week until the 29th-- operators will be manning the phones on the big day too, ready to avert any turkey related disaster.

“Turkey is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, and we’re here to make sure every bird wins applause,” said Teresa Lenz, Foster Farms’ Consumer Affairs Manager. “Generations of families have depended on Foster Farms for memorable holiday feasts and comforting, delicious chicken and turkey meals year round. Whether this year is your first time hosting or if you’re a seasoned veteran, we’re just a quick phone call away and ready to lend immediate, live advice.”

From storage and preparation, to calculating how long to cook the bird, to baste or not to baste, to perfecting your grandmother’s stuffing recipe and finally, to carving your masterpiece with finesse-- the turkey experts are trained for any meal disaster.  Each year, numerous people call the hotline to get the advice they need.

According to Foster Farms now is the time to start thinking about how you'll be preparing your turkey.  One method to think about this year is brining-- a method of marinating in seasoned, salted water to increase the moisture content of the turkey.

"Amazingly, it doesn't make the turkey taste salty," Foster Farms writes in a brochure provided to Dine & Cook on turkey preparation.  "When done properly, brining makes the meat very juicy and if seasoning is added to the brining liquid, the flavors are trapped in the meat as well."

Brining Equipment & Ingredients

- Clean, food-grade plastic, stainless steel, glass or other heavy-duty container made of non-corrosive material, and large enough to hold the turkey and about 8 quarts of water (DO NOT use aluminum containers because they are corrosive)
- Large heavy plastic, food-grade bag (such as turkey oven roasting bag)
- Large non-corrosive stock pot
- One fresh or thawed Foster Farms turkey
- Brine mixture (see Step 2 below)

Preparation

- Line brining container with food-grade heavy plastic bag (DO NOT use garbage or other plastic bags that are not specifically intended for food use).
- To make brine: In different large stockpot mix 8 quarts water and 2 cups kosher salt. Bring to a boil; stir to dissolve salt. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar and other desired seasonings (garlic, herbs, and spices).
- Refrigerate brine overnight or until chilled.
- Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavity. Rinse turkey cavity and skin under cold water.
- Place turkey in lined container. Add brine. Gather plastic bag tightly around turkey so that the bird is completely covered with brine; squeeze out excess air from bag. Seal bag.
- Refrigerate turkey in brine at least 8 hours and up to 18 hours, following desired recipe.
- Remove turkey from brine; rinse cavity and skin under cool water. Pat dry inside and out. Discard brine.
- Immediately cook turkey according to package directions.

Additional Tips

- Always refrigerate turkey and brine.
- Heating the brine solution dissolves the salt and enhances the flavor of any seasonings.
- Brine should be cold before adding the turkey or the meat will absorb too much salt.
- A brine solution guideline: 1 gallon liquid to 1 cup kosher salt or 1 gallon liquid to 1/2 cup table salt.
- For a delicious twist, try our Honey Garlic Brine: 8 quarts water, 2 cups Kosher salt, 1 cup honey, 8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved and 4 sprigs rosemary. (To replace Kosher salt with table salt, reduce salt to 1 cup.) Bring water and salt to a boil; stir to dissolve salt. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate overnight or until well chilled. Proceed with above recipe.
- Discard brine after use.
- When stuffing turkey, brine the turkey first. Cook immediately after stuffing.
- If turkey is left in brine too long it will taste over seasoned and have a mushy texture.

When it comes to the big day operators have been briefed on all the popular ways to prepare a turkey.  One unconventional way finding its way to the Thanksgiving table is grilled turkey.  The turkey experts give this advice:

"Times may vary depending on temperature of coals, thickness of meat, and weather conditions. Rely on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of turkey meat to determine doneness. Breast meat is done when 170°F is reached. Dark meat is done when 180F.  When the turkey is done, the meat just under the skin may appear pink in color. This is not a sign of undercooked meat; it's caused by the smoke from the coals."

Grilled Whole Turkey Tips

- Do not stuff a turkey to be grilled.
- Turn wings back to hold neck skin in place. No trussing of the legs is necessary. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of thighs next to body, not touching bone.
- Grill turkey approximately 10-15 minutes per pound or until meat thermometer registers 180-185°F at the thigh. Begin checking turkey for doneness after 2 hours. If desired, brush turkey with glaze or sauce the last 15 minutes.
- The turkey is cooked when the meat thermometer reads 180-185°F at the thigh, or 170-175°F at the breast. The drumstick should twist easily in its socket, and juices should run clear, with no traces of pink when pierced with a fork.
- A whole 15lb bird on indirect heat takes about 4 1/2 hours to cook.
- For easy slicing, let turkey stand 20 minutes after removing from the grill.

Don't forget the stuffing-- Foster Farms recommends baking your stuffing in a covered casserole, not inside the bird to save time and ensure safe, complete cooking without the risk of overcooking the turkey.

Good Old-Fashioned Stuffing

Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lb loaf day-old bread or 3 quarts plain dry stuffing mix
- 3 cups chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Method
Tear bread into 1/2" pieces, or use 3 quarts plain dry stuffing mix; set aside.  Sauté onion and celery in butter or margarine just until tender.  Add to bread along with salt, poultry seasoning, and parsley. Toss lightly until well mixed.  Place in two buttered, covered casserole dishes or stuff loosely into neck and body cavities of turkey.

Casserole Method
Bake covered at 325F for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer. Drizzle with fully cooked juices from the turkey-roasting pan for additional flavor and moistness. Makes 8-10 cups stuffing after baking.

Baking Inside Turkey Method
Use 1/2-3/4 cup stuffing per pound of bird weight; stuff neck and body cavities loosely—stuffing will expand as it cooks.

Foster Farms raised this year's Presidential turkey, which will be pardoned by President Barack Obama in a special ceremony.

Hotline phone number: 1-800-255-7227