How To Speed Up The Roasting Time Of Your Turkey, According To The Pioneer Woman
Amidst cleaning your home for out-of-state guests and wrapping up work projects before the long holiday weekend, you've probably begun chipping away at the laundry list of groceries needed for Thanksgiving. Whether or not you've already stashed away a frozen turkey, the fact remains that most Americans enjoy Thanksgiving with a side of fowl. According to Statista, in 2020, 83% of Americans claimed turkey was their favorite Thanksgiving dish.
Unfortunately, NPR claims that rising costs related to Americans' beloved turkey dinners are making the holiday a lot more stressful this year. In addition to rising costs, cooking your bird can also be stressful. Whether it's fearing a dry turkey, or worrying over thaw time, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is adding a new feature this Thanksgiving for good reason.
Luckily, there are renowned chefs far and wide committed to helping everyday Americans serve a juicy, tender bird this Thanksgiving. Ree Drummond of "The Pioneer Woman" has not only dedicated entire episodes of her popular Food Network show to "Thanksgiving Shortcuts," but she also offers a unique way of preparing this year's holiday bird if you find yourself pressed for time.
Ree Drummond suggests spatchcocking for a faster-cooked bird
Nowadays, every notable chef seems to advocate their way of making the perfect roast turkey. While you might consider trying Valerie Bertinelli's deep-fried turkey, via Food Network, or Padma Lakshmi's slow-roasted turkey, via The New York Times, truthfully some hosts don't have unlimited time to devote to just one dish.
If you're looking to save time, The Pioneer Woman outlines her way of procuring an evenly roasted turkey by using the unique spatchcock method. In the detailed instructions, the ranch-dwelling chef first recommends taking out the bird's backbone and slowly breaking the turkey down the middle so it lays flat on a baking sheet. Next, you need to flip the bird over and press firmly on the breastbone until you hear a break. The final step is to lay every piece of the turkey (thighs and all) as flat as possible against the baking sheet to ensure even cooking. Then simply tuck the wings and season to your liking.
Not only are there additional benefits to spatchcocking your Thanksgiving bird, but The Pioneer Woman has additional turkey-related tips you may want to try this holiday.
Tried and true ways of making the best Thanksgiving turkey
Beyond a speedier cook time, America's Test Kitchen claims spatchcocking also guarantees a fully crisp bird since all areas of the turkey are resting on an even plane. Also, a spatchcocked turkey is easier to carve since the fowl has already been butterflied. The Pioneer Woman claims in order to streamline the entire process, having a trusty pair of kitchen shears is essential.
As you continue uncovering the secrets for a perfect Thanksgiving turkey, you may want to test out some of Drummond's other notable methods of preparing the ideal holiday turkey. People stands behind the country chef's unique apple cider turkey brine but according to "The Pioneer Woman", a genuinely delicious roasted turkey all comes down to proper planning. The method behind her Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey should be started a full day before its big debut on your dinner table, via The Pioneer Woman.
As always though, Drummond finds a way to make even the most complicated recipes accessible to anyone looking to save time. If you don't have days to prep a slow-roasted bird this holiday, you can try the unique spatchcock method or Drummond's Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Turkey recipe provided by Food Network.