Tom Friday Owner of Tom Friday’s Market in Brighton Heights
Q: What should a Thanksgiving Eve turkey shopper look for?
A: Obviously the person should get a fresh turkey as you don’t want to be thawing one at that point. The person should look for one that is not injected with basting solution. Some fresh turkeys are pumped with the sodium solution, and what you will have after it is roasted is shrinkage in the turkey. If you cannot find ones that are not injected with the
solution, Butterballs are one of the best.
Q: What are the basic rules of roasting a turkey?
A: Preheat the oven to 325 to 350 degrees. Remove giblets and neck from turkey and rinse. Season with salt and pepper. If roasting in an open pan, loosely place an aluminum foil tent over the meat until the last hour of roasting. The turkey needs to rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving to let the juices redistribute. The cooking time is 3 to 3 ½ hours for 8 to 12 pounds; 3½ to 4 hours for 12 to 14 pounds; 4 to 4¾ hours for 14 to 18 pounds; and 4¾ to 5½hours for 20 to 24 pounds.
Typically for adults, a 12- to 14-pound turkey can serve six to eight people; 15 to 16 pounds can serve nine to 10; 18 to 20 pound can serve 11 to 13; and 22 to 24 pound can serve 14 to 16.
Q: If ham is going to be the centerpiece, what can be done to it to make it special?
A: Start with a nice ham. A bone-in whole ham will make a nice centerpiece especially if it is cured and smoked in hickory wood so it gets a dark brown color. Then score the ham, first horizontally and then vertically. Stud it with cloves where the lines intersect. A glaze is always nice; use half of it before it is baked and the other half after pulling the meat out of the oven. I make a glaze with brown sugar, juice from a can of sliced pineapples, honey and juice from a jar of maraschino cherries and brush it on top. You can decorate the ham with the sliced pineapples and place the cherries in the middle of the slices.
Q: Instead of turkey, what are some good alternate cuts of meat?
A: The most popular one is the bone-in prime rib roast. We cut it and then retie the bone onto the meat so that it is easy for carving. Whole fillets of certified Angus beef are good options as they have more marbling and so more flavor. Then there is always the rack of lamb.