You really do want to learn how to debone turkey so you can have a moist bird that everyone will love and is very easy to carve.
In 2017, a friend called me and said that a friend gave her a 25-pound turkey, but she had a 40 pound and wanted to know if I wanted to 25-pound turkey. I was surprised, I didn’t even know the turkeys got that big. I told her I would be happy to have her extra turkey. But, then when I brought it into the kitchen, I realized it would not fit in my Nesco Roaster, so I had to do some creative thinking. I had recently watched Chef John of Food Wishes debone stuff and roll up a whole turkey. If I deboned this turkey, it would fit nicely into the Nesco. I deboned it, then I put a dry brine, rolled it up, injected it, and roasted it. You know what? It was great!
The thing is, once you debone a turkey, you don’t want it with bones again. It’s so easy to carve and it turns out perfectly moist. As you know, the thickest part of the turkey is the thigh and leg area. By the time those parts have finished cooking, the breast is often dried out. If you wondered why gravy is served with turkey, that’s why. Roasting a turkey in a Nesco oven definitely prevents that from happening, but, not everyone has one of those ovens. But, anyone, given the opportunity and a little patience, can debone a turkey.
Removing the backbone and breastbone from a whole turkey makes it cook faster, which means less time in the oven for it to dry out. It also makes carving a cinch.
How Long to Cook a Boneless Whole Turkey
If you cook a 15-pound turkey according to this recipe, it should be done after a little under two hours in the oven. Of course, youll need to use your instant read thermometer to measure the temperature before serving. The internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees F.
Her grandfather was a butcher and she comes from a long line of good cooks, which include her mother and sister, Margaret.
To start, she sets up at her kitchen space with a large kettle for bones, a saucepan for the giblets and enough counter space to accommodate her cutting board.
Into the thigh cavities, Dimock will stuff her apricot stuffing, closing the edges and tying them tightly with kitchen string.
She works down to the wings, which she breaks from the sockets and leaves whole for flavor.
Removing the poultry’s skeleton obviously reduces the size of the turkey, but it also reduces its roasting time, she said.
A lot of turkey producers put a plastic piece into the cavity to hold the legs together. It’s called a hock and it’s easy to remove. Just pull the cavity apart with your hand, snip the hock on both sides and it will come out easily. There is no reason to fight with it. The video included with this recipe is a shortened version, but if you want the long version with a fuller explanation, a half-hour video, you can watch that here as well.
Nature has done a wonderful thing and made it easy for us to debone. For example, the wing bone is just like the bone coming from your shoulder. Pull it back and you will hear a sound and be able to see the knob at the end of the bone. The thigh and leg bones have a thin piece of white tissue exactly where you need to cut to separate the two pieces. You will need scissors to cut the breast bone from the backbone.
The thing is, once you debone a turkey, you don’t want it with bones again. It’s so easy to carve and it turns out perfectly moist. As you know, the thickest part of the turkey is the thigh and leg area. By the time those parts have finished cooking, the breast is often dried out. If you wondered why gravy is served with turkey, that’s why. Roasting a turkey in a Nesco oven definitely prevents that from happening, but, not everyone has one of those ovens. But, anyone, given the opportunity and a little patience, can debone a turkey.
You only need a few things, a good, sharp boning knife, a scraping knife, and scissors. A pair of pliers also come in handy to take care of the ligaments in the turkey leg. Those are the same ligaments in the human leg that stretch the muscles allowing us to walk upright.
You really do want to learn how to debone turkey so you can have a moist bird that everyone will love and is very easy to carve.
FAQ
How long does it take to cook a boned and rolled turkey?
In an oven that is set at 180°C / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4, you should allow 20 minutes per pound, plus 20 minutes.
Can I debone a turkey before cooking?
Does boneless turkey breast cook faster than bone-in?
How can I get my turkey to cook faster?
- Don’t stuff the bird. Skip cooking the stuffing in the bird. …
- Cook just the parts, rather than the whole bird. …
- Don’t truss the turkey. …
- Don’t open the oven door too often. …
- Spatchcock your turkey.
