Family is gathering at my house for Christmas supper this year. How big of a turkey do I need? There will be about 14 adults and 5 children. --Emily The size of turkey you need depends on three major questions. The first one you have answered -- how many people will there be. Next, you need to decide on portion size. Health adults... Read more →
How long does it take to defrost a frozen turkey? --Andy The length of time it takes to defrost a frozen turkey depends on a few things, most importantly the weight of the bird and the method used. The length of time will also be affected by the temperature at which it is being defrosted. There are two generally accepted ways of... Read more →
Why should you rest meat after cooking it?-- Darren Resting meat serves three purposes. First, it allows the meat to finish cooking through, Straight out of the oven, or off the fire, the outside of a piece of meat is hotter than the middle. The difference in temperature can be quite large. During resting, the heat from the outside... Read more →
When I barbecue meat, there is a layer just under the surface that doesn't look like it got cooked, even though the middle looks done. What causes that?-- Dean What you are seeing is called the smoke ring. It is an area of meat that, although it is cooked, hasn't turned the greyish brown we associate with cooked meat. There are... Read more →
How can I remove the "over-salted" problem in a cooked pork roast. I adjusted the sauce with red wine vinegar and brown sugar,which helped, and cut off the outside edges of roast. I have heard that adding a peeled potato to soup that is overly salty will reduce the salt. Is this true?--Susan There are only a few ways to deal with... Read more →
Whenever I read instructions on how to cut up a chicken, the writer seems to invariably talk about the 'oysters'. What are they and how do I find them?--Sandy They oysters are small tender pieces of dark meat situated just forward (toward the front of the chicken) of where the thighs meet the backbone. Because they do very little work... Read more →
I understand that the common wisdom nowadays is to cook stuffing separately from the turkey. Why?--Karen In order for salmonella and other bacteria to be killed, most food, including turkey, should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). The temperature should be measured at the center of the food. The ideal cooking... Read more →
On a recent trip to Victoria, British Columbia, Pat and I visited the home of some friends -- old friends for her, new friends for me. As probably is happening among foodies all over nowadays, conversation turned to the movie Julie & Julia which had just come out and, with that, discussion of the supposedly challenging and difficult... Read more →
I have a family favorite flank steak marinade that uses vegetable oil. Can I substitute olive oil (health reasons) and get the same taste and marinade? I am worried that when the meat is marinaded over night in the refrigerator that the olive oil will harden. Thank you for your assistance.--Sandy The reason for using fat of any sort... Read more →
I love grilled steak but am never sure if I should salt it before putting it on the grill. I have heard that salting the meat before cooking it will cause the juices to leak out of it. Is that true? When is the correct time to salt a steak you are going to grill? Some people prefer to salt their meat after it has been seared, exactly... Read more →