Best way to cut/carve turkey? Objective is maximum meat output, aesthetics not important. TIA
I carve just like I’m breaking down a whole raw bird. Remove both breast to a plate then slice. Remove the leg quarters and then separate the leg from the thigh and add to the platter. We don’t fool with the wings.
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Kitchen shears to break down.
Thanks. I did my typical hatchet job for.a couple of reasons. But will take the advice for next year.
Google/yahoo is your friend
Probably too late for this year, but I learned from this Alton Brown technique
Maybe, but WBers are better!!
If aesthetics aren’t a priority and you just want to get the most meat, the easiest method is to remove the entire breast from the turkey first. Slice down along the breastbone and then cut the breast meat into slices on a cutting board. For the legs and thighs, twist them off at the joint and separate the thigh meat from the bone. You can do the same with the wings, though they usually don’t have much meat. This method is efficient and ensures you get every bit!
Carving a spatchcocked bird is much easier, as is cooking one. I highly recommend checking out Serious Eats’ approach.
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For all whole cooked chicken and turkeys I like to remove the wishbone before cooking. it makes carving the two breasts that much easier. I made a tactical error yesterday carving my sister’s turkey. I flipped the rested bird over to carve out the oysters and the leg quarters and destroyed the skin on the breast. Granted, the skin was not that crispy & well browned like one would want so into the stock pot it went….
For the breast I have been doing it this way for years. Even though the knife got a bit messy at the end-this leaves nice slices and flavorful skin on each piece-
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I got the wishbone tip from Jacque Pepin. Now follow that step religiously. Makes everything so much easier. Even when I do parts for frying etc. I still take it out.
Dude your messy is everyone else’s “zen-like clean”. Nice looking cuts.
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