So the bird is getting done early?

Stuart

Judging by the posts, including Max's attempt to calm folks down there are a number of eggers out there worried their bird is cooking too quickly. [p]This begs the question; What to do if your turkey is finished much earlier than the guests are arriving? I saw a piece yesterday on a local TV show here in Dallas in which chef Kent Rathburn mentioned reheating turkey. This was in the context of carving a bird and noticing a pinkness to the flesh of the thigh. He dismisssed the common concern of this a sign of not being done by saying "That pink color is ok, since we are going to reheat the bird.."[p]I didn't get a chance to hear the discussion prior to, or after that portion of the segment. My assumption was that he pulls his turkey slightly early and carves it, then reheats it when ready to serve.[p]Any one use a method similar to this, whether by design or accident? What do you do when the turkey is done an hour before guests are set to eat? I hope I don't have this problem, but it seems like good information to have. [p]Oh and, Happy Thanksgiving All!

Nature Boy

stuart,
If it is done early, rest in foil in a large cooler. You can loosely wrap it. If you will be resting in a cooler, you might pull off slightly earlier that you normally would, as it'll continue to cook in the cooler. Probably a good idea to pull it out of the cooler and loosely tent for the last half hour to dry the skin a tad.[p]Happy Thanksgiving!
A non-cooking Nature Boy today.
Chris

tn slagamater

stuart,if you cook to approved temperatures, you are safe. The occasional pink color in chicken and turkey is due to bone calcium and does NOT mean the meat is undercooked...it is safe if you hit safe temperature.... My bird hit temp in 2/3 the estimated time, I wrapped in foil and a towel for 2.5 hours...no problem...it was EGGCELLENT!!!