We’ve all been there. The house is full of hungry family and friends, the aromas of roasting turkey and all the fixings and side dishes fills the house and, there you are, standing knife in hand, assigned the daunting task of carving the holiday turkey with no clue as to where to begin. This saga has been played out again and again, in every household throughout the Holidas. With little or no instruction, many just fake it and begin hacking away, the result being a tangled mess of meat and bones on a plate that, well, doesn’t quite look as appetizing as we intended.
Fear not friends, the Ergo Chef chefs are here to the rescue. We’ve put together a step by step guide to carving the perfect turkey that will wow your guests and make you the hero of the day. Just be patient, make sure your Ergo Chef Chef’s knife is held properly and we guarantee you’ll be presenting a delicious beautiful plate of turkey that will make you proud.
Once your turkey has been removed from the oven, let it rest so the juices set. On a sturdy cutting board, with a moist dish towel placed underneath to prevent the board from moving, prepare to make a culinary masterpiece:
1. Place the turkey on the cutting board or a platter, breast side up, with the legs facing away from you. Steady it with the carving fork in your guide hand.
2. Cut through the skin that connects one leg to the carcass, cutting as close to the leg as possible.
3. Set down the knife and pull the leg away from the bird until the ball joint that connects it to the carcass pops out of the socket. (If the turkey is too hot to handle, use a clean, dry towel to protect your hands.)
4. Cut straight through the joint with the knife. The leg will now pull easily away from the carcass.
5. Lay the leg on the board, with the knee facing you and feel for the joint connecting the drumstick bone and the thigh bone.
6. Place the knife blade directly on the joint and cut straight through to the board. (You shouldn’t feel any resistance.) If you do, the blade is on the bone, not the joint. Feel for the joint again and adjust the position of the blade accordingly. Repeat with the process above with the opposite leg and thigh.
7. The Wings: Grip a wing with your guide hand and pull it gently away from the carcass so you can see where it is attached. Work the tip of the knife between the ball joint of the wing and the socket. Cut all the way through the joint, through any meat and skin, and remove the wing from the carcass. Repeat above with the opposite wing.
8. The Breast: Steady the side of the breast you’re not carving with the carving fork in your guide hand.
9. Using the tip of the knife, cut down along one side of the rib cage, then lay down the carving fork and use your guide hand to push or pull the breast gently away from the ribs as you go.
10. Let the knife blade ride the rib cage straight down to the socket where the wing was attached. Cut along the bottom of the breast to remove that half completely.
11. Lay the breast half on the cutting board, skin side up, and cut it on the bias into serving-size slices.
12. Steady the carcass with the carving fork and repeat above steps with the opposite side of the breast.
We’re sure that if you follow these simple steps, soon it will become second nature and you’ll be carving your poultry like a pro. We hope this guide has helped and from all of us at Ergo Chef, we wish you a Happy Holidays.
Ergo Chef
