Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Turkey Carving -preferred knife/carving?

SoCalWJS
SoCalWJS Posts: 407
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
I'm at the point where I'm very comfortable with my variations on the Mad Max turkey for Thanksgiving, but I still get nervous with the slicing/serving techniques.

So I thought I'd throw it out there.

What is your preferred method?

What type of knife do you use?

Slice it straight off the bird, or remove the breast(s), then slice?

Other suggestions/tips?
South SLO County
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    I like to take the wings, drumsticks and thighs off as pieces and then take a filet knife and remove the breast meat from the bone. Then slice into serving pieces and arrange all on a platter for presentation.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
    i like to remove the legs completely,

    cut off the two drumsticks for the two lucky people that just like to chomp on those. .. .the two thighs i'll take an 8 inch chef's knife and carve the meat all off of and lay on the platter. ...then i was taught to make a slice with a chefs knife stright down along the breast bone from top to bottom following the rib cage, then take the kife and start taking slices horizontal to my work surface against that (i actually think i learned that all the way back as a boy scout 40 years ago). .. .so that as you take each slice you are left with a flat surface that you could set a glass on if you can picture that. ...and you just keep on taking slices off that way, cutting in towards the rib cage against where you made that initial top-to-bottom slice. .. .
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    Yeh! I guess I do that also. Why not add that to the "Naked Wizard" MM turkey site.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
    you know, the whiz and i always try to 'build' on the site each year, but unfortunately i kinda ran out of time this year. ... i really wanted to add my adjustable rig pics to the 'set up' section. .. and i agree with you, a 'carving' pictorial would be cool to add as well. ... might get the spawn to take some pics of me carving the bird this year and work with the whiz to add them to the site for next year ....great idea!!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    IT WILL HAPPEN! I prefer to cut the breasts off the bone and then slice.

    I might suggest 2 versions: one with tom's toys and one for most others w/ plate setter etc!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • HoldOn2UrButts
    HoldOn2UrButts Posts: 31
    For my money nothing can beat a good 'ol electric carving knife. I use it to cut off the leg/thighs, separate the leg from the thigh, then cut off the breasts in one (okay, two) fell swope.

    After that, use a carving knife to cut the thigh meat off the bone, then back to the electric for nice thin slices of the breast meat.

    Mmmmm..... can't wait! :cheer:
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
    yep, exactly. .. one with the plate setter/green feet setup thats there now, AND one showing tom's toys setup .. .and eventually maybe more. .. . thats the plan anyway ...

    you know, do to time constraints, when i was up at fred's music store doing the turkey demos a couple of weeks ago, i carved the breasts by taking them completely off and then slicing them up. .. that also works great too. .. .the way i described is the more elegant way of doing it when you are carving the bird on a platter rather than on a carving board. ..
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    It all works so that the bird gets to the tummyon time!

    I prefer the kitchen method.

    http://www.infoplease.com/spot/turkeycarving1.html
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,597
    i like to slice right off the bird and i use a thin deba knife, when im done i hide the deba and put out a sacrificial knife that i dont mind others dinging up. now my brother inlaw has a totally different approach, he holds the turkey vertical high over the plate and attacks with an electric carver, pieces land on the table and counter top, me i take three giant steps back and keep my hands and arms behind my back.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • emilluca
    emilluca Posts: 673
    Go to the New York Times web and view in the Dining and Food section the video on carving a bird. It is the best and easiest to do.
    E
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jeffinsgf
    jeffinsgf Posts: 1,259
    That was very informative. Think I'll try that.

    I usually do something similar. I cut off the legs and wings much as he did, but then I slice the breast while it's on the carcass. Looks like removing it will result in more slices and less "hash".
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories