Turkey is a popular Thanksgiving dinner choice. Most people will cook their turkey first before it is served. While there are many things that you can eat raw, can you eat raw turkey?
No, you should not eat raw turkey. The main reason why you shouldn’t eat uncooked turkey is that it can make you sick. The bacteria that make people sick are called salmonella, and they are found on raw turkey meat. Salmonella causes symptoms like fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
What Does Raw Turkey Taste Like?
While you should not eat raw turkey, but if you’re just curious about how it tastes, the taste of raw turkey is a little bit like a chicken and a little bit like fish. It’s milder than beef or pork but still has a nice savory flavor.
The meat of a young turkey is more tender than older birds, which makes it easier to chew. Older turkeys have more fat and may be tougher.
How To Handle Raw Turkey
You can never go wrong with turkey at Thanksgiving. But sometimes, you can go wrong preparing it. Here’s how to handle raw turkey:
1) Make sure the turkey is thawed and completely defrosted before you cook it. You can tell this by inserting a knife into the thickest part of the thigh; if the juices run clear, not pink, it’s ready to go.
2) If you’re making a whole turkey and need to cut it into parts (legs, breasts), use a clean, sharp knife to make sure your cuts are smooth and even. This will ensure even cooking time for each piece of meat.
3) Use a meat thermometer every time you cook meat — especially when cooking poultry! Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer in several places on each piece of meat; this will let you know exactly when your food is done cooking without having to guess or cut into your food prematurely. It’s also important that you don’t overcook your poultry — this can lead to dry and tough meat (not what anyone wants at their holiday dinner). The USDA recommends that poultry be cooked until an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit is reached.
Tips To Prepare Turkey
Turkey is a great protein source for any meal, and it’s especially important to make sure you have a good turkey recipe on hand as Thanksgiving approaches.
Here are some tips for buying and preparing your turkey:
1. Buy a frozen turkey. This will allow you to buy a larger bird than you need, which is great if you want to save some money or cook multiple meals using the same bird. Just thaw it out in the fridge and use the meat in different dishes throughout the week.
2. Don’t stuff your turkey with anything other than vegetables, which can be cooked separately and served in addition to your main dish. If you need extra flavor, add spices like thyme and sage to your stuffing mix instead of stuffing it inside the bird itself.
3. Add flavor by basting your turkey with butter or olive oil before cooking it in the oven or on the grill — this will keep it moist and tender while giving it a rich taste that will complement any side dish you prepare alongside it!
How To Cook Turkey
When it comes to cooking your turkey, there are several options you have. However, the two best way to cook a turkey is by frying or roasting them. Below are the steps to cooking your turkey.
Frying
If you’re planning a Thanksgiving celebration, you might be wondering how to fry a turkey. Frying a turkey gives it a crispy skin and juicy interior. It also frees up your oven for other dishes!
You can fry a turkey in an electric fryer, deep fryer, or Dutch oven. Whichever method you choose, make sure that the oil temperature doesn’t exceed 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil with a wooden skewer or candy thermometer before adding the turkey. The oil should bubble around the skewer but not smoke or sputter excessively.
Frying takes about one hour per pound of turkey (or 10 minutes per 500 g). You can tell when the turkey is done by checking its internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching the bone). The USDA recommends cooking whole turkeys at 325 degrees F (163 degrees C) for 20 minutes per pound (45 minutes per kg), plus 30 minutes of resting time before carving.
Roasting
Roasting a turkey is a simple process that can be done in a few hours. Turkey has the perfect balance of meat, fat, and skin to make it one of the best roasting meats around.
Here are the steps to help you roast a turkey:
1. Start with a fresh turkey
2. Remove giblets and neck from the cavity
3. Rinse under cold water and pat dry inside and out
4. Place on rack in roasting pan breast side up
5. Cover loosely with foil if stuffing is included in the recipe
6. Roast at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes per pound (or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F)
Conclusion
When it comes to turkey, it’s not recommended to eat them raw. Raw turkey can contain harmful bacteria that could make you sick. To risk the chance of getting sick, you should always cook the turkey first. Plus, cooked turkey taste much butter.