How to avoid dry turkey this Thanksgiving

Turkey is the centerpiece of many Thanksgiving dinners. The National Turkey Federation estimates approximately 46 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving each year, followed by 22 million turkeys at Christmas-time.
Turkey makes a pleasing picture on the dinner table. However, some people insist that turkey is their least favorite component of the Thanksgiving meal. One of the biggest complaints is turkey tends to be dry.
There are many reasons why turkey can come out dry. Turkey is a lean meat, and Healthline reports that turkey has slightly less fat in its dark meat than chicken.
Another reason why turkey may be dry is due to its poor breast-to-leg ratio. By the time one gets the leg meat to cook to temperature so it’s safe for consumption, the breast meat often has dried out.
There are many ways home cooks can prevent dry turkey this Thanksgiving.
Consider these turkey-tending tips.
—Brine the turkey. According to Science-Blogs, what causes a human to perceive a food as juicy may actually be his or her own saliva at work. Salty foods may stimulate the production of saliva in the mouth, helping the food to feel much more moist while on the palate. Look for tips on salting or brining a turkey go to America’s Test Kitchen online at www.americastestkitchen.com and search for “brine turkey” for a variety of offerings.
To adequately inject enough salt into the turkey meat, submerge it in a salt brine for a few days before cooking.
—Watch the cook time. It’s important to avoid overcooking the turkey, which will turn it as dry as the Sahara.
Some turkeys come equipped with pop-up timers to help cooks gauge when to take them out of the oven. However, a more accurate tool is a digital food thermometer that can be set to go off when the turkey reaches the correct internal temperature.
—Cook the turkey parts separately.
As previously noted, the breast meat will likely reach the desired temperature before the leg meat. To fix this, take the turkey out of the oven when it reaches five to 10 degrees before safe temperature for the breast meat, around 165 F. (Remember, the meat will continue to cook while “resting.”)
Let guests “ooh and aah” over the picture-perfect turkey. Then cut off the legs and return them to the oven until they are done. Arrange the properly cooked breast and leg meat together on a serving platter.
—Offer condiments. A moist dollop of stuffing, a drizzle of gravy or a scoop of cranberry sauce can add moisture to turkey. This approach does not prevent drying out, but it can make a turkey that has dried out a bit more satisfying.
Dry turkey can put off diners. However, some strategies can harness as much moisture as possible to enhance Thanks-giving dinners.
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ANTHONY BOURDAIN’S BUSINESS TURKEY
1 (14-pound) turkey, neck reserved for stock and giblets reserved for stuffing
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt
Pepper
Preheat oven to 425 F. Set a V-shape rack in a roasting pan. Brush turkey all over with butter and season with salt and pepper.
Set turkey in the rack breast side up and add 2 cups of water to the pan.
Roast turkey for about 2 hours, basting occasionally, until golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 165F.
Transfer turkey on the V rack to a baking sheet and let rest for 30 minutes.
Pour pan drippings into a bowl and reserve for stuffing.
Carve the turkey, arrange on a platter and serve.
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TRISHA YEARWOOD’S NO-BASTE, NO-BOTHER, ROASTED TURKEY
1 (12-pound) turkey, completely thawed, all giblets removed
½ cup salted butter, softened
2 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
2 stalks celery, cut in lengths to fit turkey cavity
1 medium sweet onion, cut in half
1 large carrot
2 cups boiling water
Adjust oven racks so covered roasting pan fits easily inside oven. Preheat oven to 500 F.
Rub butter on outside and in cavity of turkey. A self-basting turkey will not require all of the butter.
Sprinkle salt and pepper on outside of turkey. Put celery, onion and carrot in cavity.
Place turkey, breast side up, in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into pan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and put pan in preheated oven.
Start a timer when oven temperature returns to 500 degrees F. Bake exactly 1 hour and turn off oven. Do not open oven door.
Leave turkey in oven until oven cools; this may take 4 to 6 hours.
Reserve pan juices and refrigerate turkey if it will not be served after roasting.
(This method may not meet safe cooking methods for poultry)