here’s-why-you-should-never-baste-your-turkey,-according-to-food-safety-experts
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Here’s Why You Should Never Baste Your Turkey, According to Food Safety Experts

ByHeather Riske

While many of us would argue that the sides are the best part of Thanksgiving, turkey is undeniably a Thanksgiving icon. And each year, it seems as though there are more and more tips and tricks for cooking your best bird yet, from brining and trussing to roasting, smoking and frying to even using a pillowcase. But one crucial turkey tip involves what not to do. Since roasting is the most common method for cooking turkey, many recipes will instruct you to baste your Thanksgiving turkey, continually adding cooking liquid to the bird as it roasts. But if tender, juicy turkey with crispy, golden skin is what you’re after, the BHG Test Kitchen says to avoid basting your bird. Here’s why. What Is Basting? First things first: what does it mean to baste food? Basting is a cooking technique that involves moistening the surface of food, often meat and seafood, with cooking liquid—such as broth, butter, or pan juices—as it roasts. “The act of basting meat/fish means that cooking liquid is occasionally spooned or brushed over a cut of meat/fish as it roasts,” says Sarah Brekke, M.S., Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen brand manager. “Cooks use this technique to help keep the cut of meat moist and tender as it cooks at a high temperature.” Why You Shouldn’t Baste Turkey While basting can be a great technique for adding moisture and flavor to scallops, pork chops, chicken, and more, our BHG Test Kitchen does not recommend basting turkey. There are several reasons to skip the technique this Thanksgiving. “First of all, we have found that not much flavor or moisture can penetrate through the skin on a turkey,” Brekke says. “Secondly, every time you open the door and spend a few moments basting the bird, the internal temperature of the oven can drop about 100 degrees, which just slows down the entire roasting process and there’s nothing worse than waiting on a sluggish turkey on Thanksgiving. Finally, the turkey skin doesn’t get a good chance to crisp up as it roasts due to all of that added moisture.” Coren Hayes, a Butterball Turkey Talk-Line expert, agrees, noting that basting a turkey does not add flavor or moisture to the meat and can prolong the turkey’s cooking time. “The liquid used to baste the turkey only penetrates about ¼ of an inch beneath the skin,” Hayes says. “Most of the juices will run off back into the pan. Pouring juices over the turkey’s skin while it roasts will not make the meat juicier.” Basting Turkey Food Safety Concerns In addition to extending the cooking time and preventing the skin from crisping up, basting turkey can also run the risk of cross-contamination as you continue to spoon or brush liquid over the meat. “Initially, the cooking liquid that gets spooned or brushed over the meat will become contaminated with any bacteria on the surface of the meat,” Brekke says. “If this liquid hasn’t reached at least 165°F by the next time you go to baste the bird, the spoon, baster, or brush will then become contaminated when you dip it into the roasting pan. That utensil, if continually used, will just continue to add raw meat juices/bacteria back onto the turkey.” How to Cook the Best Thanksgiving Turkey Luckily, you don’t need to rely on basting to achieve a perfect Thanksgiving turkey. For a moist and flavorful bird, the BHG Test Kitchen recommends rubbing butter under the skin of the turkey’s breast and thighs before roasting so that it can slowly penetrate into the meat as it roasts. To amp up the flavor even more, Brekke says you can try stirring up a garlic and herb butter mixture to rub under the skin. Instead of basting, Hayes recommends brushing the turkey with vegetable oil right before you put it in the oven and covering the turkey breast with foil two-thirds of the way through the cook time to prevent the meat from drying out. For more tips and tricks, see our ultimate turkey roasting guide.

i-asked-6-chefs-about-the-worst-way-to-store-knives,-and-they-all-said-the-same-thing
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Worst And Best Ways to Store Knives

ByKarla Walsh

If you ask pretty much any professional chef, “what’s your most essential kitchen tool?” they’ll probably tell you it’s a sharp knife. Our Test Kitchen pros confirm that a good chef’s knife is among the few baking and cooking tools every home needs. For everything from chopping onions to carving turkey, a nice sharp knife comes in clutch.  These slicing and dicing instruments are often sold as a knife set, and almost always in what’s called a “knife block.” Frequently constructed with wood or bamboo, knife blocks have slots that are designed to hold each blade in the set. But just because knives are often sold in blocks doesn’t mean you should store them in it, the chefs we spoke to agree. And often, that block is full of a bunch of knives you really don’t need…and don’t need to spend your hard-earned money on, they add.  Ahead, we slice through the misconceptions to fill you in about the worst and best ways to store knives, plus the only 3 knives you actually need. The Worst Way to Store Your Knives, According to Chefs Undoubtedly, storing knives on a counter or anywhere that’s within reach of pets or kids is truly the worst way. But when we’re talking about realistic options, a knife block is the worst way to store knives, all six chefs we spoke to agree.  “I never buy knife blocks for many reasons: it takes up precious counter space that I need, they can dull the knives, and bacteria can get trapped in the slots,” admits Clarice Lam, a New York City-based pastry chef and the author of the upcoming cookbook “Breaking Bao.” “Plus, I probably won’t ever use half of them.” Knife blocks take up a lot of precious real estate on your counter, echoes Roger Bowser, partner and head chef at Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. And if the blades are repeatedly scraped against the wood or stored in the wrong slot, they can dull surprisingly quickly, adds Derek Piva, executive chef at Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge in Gold Beach, Oregon. The tips of the blades can also get chipped fairly easily as you slide the knives in and out. But the most serious reason why knife blocks are among the worst ways to store knives relates to safety. A knife block ranks at no. 7 on the “germiest items in the kitchen” list (just below the refrigerator meat drawer), according to a household germ study performed by the public safety group NSF International’s. Since dark and moist environments allow for germs and microbes to thrive, a knife block can get particularly grimy if knives are stored damp, wet, or have not been thoroughly cleaned. “If knives are returned to the block without being fully sanitized, they may retain residue that can lead to bacterial growth over time, especially with temperature changes,” explains George Guzman, chef at Carta Wine Bar in New York City.  The plot thickens when you consider how challenging it is to clean a knife block. Without proper cleaning and drying of knives and in the absence of regular knife block deep-cleans—which requires several tools and 12 hours of drying time— “knife blocks can pose real sanitation issues. I prefer not to use them,” Guzman says. Although it would be rare for dirty knives to make anyone sick, when not properly cleaned and sanitized, contaminated knives can harbor foodborne illness-causing bacteria, research suggests. It’s wise to take as many steps as possible to keep them spick, span, and sharp. (In case you missed it, dull knives are actually more dangerous than sharp ones since they require more force to make each cut, which can increase the risk of slipping…and slicing yourself.) How to Store Your Knives  “No matter where you store your knives, they should be clean before you put them away so they don’t harbor bacteria,” Bowser says. After each use, wash knives in hot water and dish soap, rinse clean with running water, then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, the American Cleaning Institute suggests. From there, be sure to hold your knives using the handles only, rather than any part of the blade, then store them in one of these chef-approved ways, ensuring that the storage vessel is also clean: A magnetic strip A slot-free magnetic knife block A knife roll In knife guards, then placed in a drawer A knife dock in-drawer system 3 Types of Knives You Really Need (Skip the Rest, Chefs Say) Beyond the tidiness and sharpness factor, another reason why the chefs we chatted with choose to skip knife blocks is the fact that they often include many more knives that most home cooks really don’t need. The range of knives included in a set or block varies by the company and model, “and some people will definitely make use of all the knives in a larger set. But for the average home cook, smaller sets are often more suitable,” says Ian Coogan, culinary director at Motel Morris in New York, New York. “It’s rare to need every option,” Piva acknowledges. “Typically, a few versatile knives cover most cooking tasks.” Below, the three knives that will allow you to accomplish all of the basic cooking tasks, according to Paul DiBari, chef-instructor of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and our five other food

i-asked-9-chefs-the-best-way-to-eat-leftover-turkey,-and-these-are-the-best
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I Asked 9 Chefs the Best Way to Eat Leftover Turkey, And These Are the Best

ByKarla Walsh

Remember when leftovers would get the royal treatment by being tucked inside a tin foil swan? These days, extra servings tend to get a fair amount of shade for taking up precious refrigerator real estate, for being boring (we get it: the same casserole on repeat for 3 dinners in a row gets tired), and potentially resulting in excess food waste if you can’t work your way through them in time. Still, if you’re going to all the effort of whipping up an ambitious meal, you might as well do your future self a favor and gift yourself some precious meal prep. All nine chefs we spoke to agree that Thanksgiving leftovers are precious cargo and are worth celebrating in a new creation.  “Thanksgiving leftovers might just be the greatest leftovers in human history. I have always loved making ‘to-go’ plates after everybody has eaten and before we start cleaning,” says James Dibella, corporate executive chef at Link & Pin, The Cellar, and Duckworth’s in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s a generous gesture to share, but be sure to set aside some turkey for yourself, suggests Michael Manoocheri, director of food and beverage at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in San Diego, California: “Turkey’s versatility in particular lets you get creative with flavors and textures. Plus, leftovers mean minimal cooking for the next couple of days.”  Leftover turkey recipes allow you to think beyond the standard holiday plate and transform those cozy flavors into something new. Plus, “this keeps that holiday spirit going,” adds Jacob Jasinski, executive chef and food and beverage director for The Chanler at Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island. (By the way, the USDA recommends freezing or consuming leftovers within 4 days, so we always make it our mission to use them up by Cyber Monday.) Sylvia Casares, the author of “The Enchilada Queen Cookbook” and the chef/owner of Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen in Houston, Texas looks forward to leftover turkey recipes so much, “I always make two birds to ensure I have enough extra!” Sylvia Casares, the author of “The Enchilada Queen Cookbook” and the chef/owner of Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen in Houston, Texas  Jose Danger, executive chef at Teatro Restaurant restaurant at The Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, Florida   James Dibella, corporate executive chef at Link & Pin, The Cellar, and Duckworth’s in Charlotte, North Carolina Michael Manoocheri, director of food and beverage at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in San Diego, California 9 of the Best Leftover Turkey Recipes, According to Chefs For other holidays or Sunday dinners, we have you covered with our leftover pulled pork, leftover ham, and leftover chicken recipes. And come Thanksgiving, our panel of nine creative chefs have your back with the line-up of leftover turkey recipes below. When Eric Rowse, lead chef-instructor of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education in Los Angeles, California has extra turkey on hand, he admits, “I don’t want to eat a reheated Thanksgiving dinner. I want the flavors in a new shape to make the family feel it’s something new. I want to ‘chef’ it up”—and the ideas below explain exactly how to (easily) follow suit. Still, if you prefer to eat it straight up, stick around to the end to discover the best way to reheat turkey. A few tiny details make all the difference between juicy, just-as-good-as-fresh roasted meat vs. dry and tough turkey. Turkey and Potato Hash “I do not wake up early on Black Friday to hunt for deals. Instead, I normally stay back and make brunch,” confirms Jose Danger, executive chef at Teatro Restaurant restaurant at The Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, Florida.  The best Black Friday brunch, and one of the tastiest leftover turkey recipes, according to Danger, Manoocheri, and Derek Piva, executive chef at Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge in Gold Beach, Oregon? Turkey and Potato Hash. Bonus: Making a leftover turkey recipe the next morning will score you more fridge space soon after the feast. Dice or shred leftover turkey, then combine that with sautéed diced onions and peppers as well as leftover roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes—or blanched cubes of either tuber. Season as desired and top with eggs cooked your way. (Danger digs a fluffy scramble, while Piva prefers poached, and Manoocheri is into fried eggs.) Drizzle with gravy if you like. Turkey and Waffles For brunch or breakfast for dinner, Rowse recommends “a Thanksgiving version of chicken and waffles.” Start by warming the turkey in a skillet with a splash of gravy, ”especially if the turkey was on the dry side initially,” Rowse says. Then reheat a scoop of stuffing in a waffle iron so it is crispy on the outside and still moist on the inside. If stuffing wasn’t on the menu or if you finished it at the feast, cooked frozen waffles or homemade waffles work, too. (Our Cornmeal Buttermilk Waffles would be particularly fitting.) Pile the gravy-poached turkey on top of the waffles, and pair this with a side salad garnished with a few French fried onions if you happen to have them on hand for the green bean casserole, Rowse says Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Sandwich Of course, no round-up of leftover turkey recipes would be complete without what Ziggy Gruber, chef, owner, and delimaven at Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen Restaurant and Bakery in Houston, Texas deems “The Great Holiday Sandwich, Charlie Brown.” Simply warm the leftover meat