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You are here: Home / Archives for Thanksgiving tips

Thanksgiving tips

Sous Vide Turkey – The Way to Get a Perfectly Moist Turkey Every Time

November 15, 2017 By Joi Sigers

If you’ve been paying attention to food trends lately, you’ve very likely heard of sous-vide, even if you’re not completely sure what it is. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to try the sous vide cooking method.

That’s because undeniably, poultry is where sous-vide shines. Unlike red meat, which can be eaten with a gradient of done-ness so the outside is gray and the inside is pink, with poultry, you need to cook it through. With a larger cut, like turkey breast, it’s impossible to cook the inside without overcooking the outside. Sous vide allows the entire piece of turkey to cook at the same time, so it’s completely, perfectly done. It‘s amazingly flavorful and never, ever dry!

Don’t let the name intimidate you. Sous-vide (soo-veed) means ‘under vacuum,’ a reference to the way food is packed before you cook it using this method. The equipment used to cook the food is called an immersion circulator, so you’d properly say, “I’m cooking this delicious turkey sous-vide,” not “I’m cooking this delicious turkey in the sous-vide.” But I digress. Why are people going crazy for sous-vide cooking? And should you jump on the bandwagon?

The premise behind sous-vide is actually simple. In traditional cooking methods such as dry heat (baking, roasting, broiling, frying, searing) or moist heat (boiling, braising, poaching, simmering), the goal is to get the center of the food cooked to the temperature that you want it to be.

Unlike grilling, here’s how sous-vide works:

Season your food (or even add a marinade or sauce) and place it in the bag you’ll be cooking in. You can invest in a vacuum sealer or just use Ziploc® bags (Brand name bags seems to leak less).

To vacuum seal with a zip top bag, place the item in the bag, then keep the zip top open and lower the bag into the water immersion circulator. Allow the water to press the bag closed, and lower it in until just below the zipper, so all the air is now pressed out. Then, zip the top and remove the bag from the water bath.

Bring the water in the circulator to the temperature that you want your food to be, and then place the bag back in the water bath with the immersion circulator. Cook it for a predetermined time, then remove from the bag and pat dry. The sous-vide cooker circulates water around the pot. The circulation prevents hot and cool spots from forming in the water to ensure even temperature throughout your food. Your food never overcooks. It’s just how you like it, every time.

Note that there are several types and brands of precision immersion cookers ranging in price from about $119 – $169. Many can be controlled remotely via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Kosher.com will review several brands, prices and other accessories in future episodes.

If you already own an immersion circulator or plan to purchase one in time for Turkey day, try this great recipe from Michal Frischman for Kosher.com.

Sous Vide Lemon Herb Turkey

Sous Vide Lemon Herb Turkey

SOUS VIDE LEMON HERB TURKEY

1 2-pound (1-kilogram) boneless, skinless turkey breast, sometimes known as turkey London broil (see note)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh
1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspooon salt
2 tablespoons flour

Mix the honey, lemon juice, herbs, salt, and pepper. Place the turkey in a heavy-duty ziplock bag or in a vacuum sealer bag. Add marinade to the bag. For a ziplock, submerge the bag in a bowl of water until just below the opening of the bag so the air is squeezed out, then seal the bag. For a vacuum sealer, set the machine to wet seal.

Place the turkey in a sous-vide set to 143°F (62°C). Cook for four hours or up to eight hours.

When ready to serve, heat oil and flour in a small saucepan. Stir well and cook for one minute. Add the juices from inside the turkey bag and whisk until no clumps remain. Slice the turkey thinly and serve with gravy on the side.

Note: You can follow the same time and temperature for any size turkey you would like to use.

Variation: To cook in the oven, keep the skin on and bone in. Bake at 375°F (180°C) for about an hour or until the thickest part of the turkey breast reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (70°C). Remove and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes

About Kosher.com
Kosher.com is the premier site for kosher cooking and conversation and the place to go for all things kosher food. Less than a year old but a rising star on the kosher food scene, it has thousands of top-quality kosher recipes, articles, tips, and entertaining shows. The site is the ultimate platform for the most diverse collection of kosher recipes.

Check out the kosher.com ongoing cooking series, where they will address choosing the right times and temperatures in sous-vide cooking for a range of different foods, and much more.

You can also rely on recipes for sous-vide at www.kosher.com, at many other online resources, and on the app your immersion circulator is linked to. Over time, you will likely want to experiment and come up with recipes on your own.

Stay tuned for the entire sous-vide series only at Kosher.com. They will have you cooking like a professional chef in no time!

And, you won’t want to miss this Sous Vide Video (http://www.kosher.com/shows/video/155/two-easy-ways-to-start-cooking-next-level-ribeye) –  Watch Chef Gabe on Episode 6 of ‘Under the Hood’, only on Kosher.com. Chef Gabe takes two cuts of ribeye to the next level with his seasoning and cooking techniques. Watch as he sous vides then sears the eye of the ribeye, or Spencer Steak, and then perfectly sears a ribeye crescent. These two ribeye ideas are sure to make your next steak a winner.


Filed Under: Cooking 101: How to Cook!, Thanksgiving Recipes Tagged With: how to bake a turkey, making a moist turkey, Thanksgiving tips, Turkey

Ten Things to Do the Day Before Thanksgiving (Pre-Cooking and Prep Work)

November 27, 2013 By Joi Sigers

Buttermilk Biscuits Make Biscuits and Cornbread for Your Dressing the Day Before

I made the coffee a little extra strong this morning. It’s the day before Thanksgiving and, in my kitchen, it means there’s WORK to be done! After getting my backside kicked years ago with the first holiday I hosted in our home (it happened to be a Thanksgiving), I’ve learned that the more you can get done the day before the big day, the less stressful the big day, itself,will be.

And everyone gets to eat on time, as opposed to two hours later. People sure get antsy when they’re hungry.

One of the things I do the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter is (admittedly) a little extreme… maybe a little eccentric… possibly anal… but, there you have it.  I clean off my dining room table and set out everything I’ll need for preparing the meal. All the broth, the mixing bowls, mixer, beaters, measuring spoons, casserole dishes, green beans, etc.  There are a few methods (and benefits) to my madness:

  1. I quickly discover if I’ve come up short with any ingredients. Better to find out on Wednesday than Thursday.
  2. I can hit the ground running on Thanksgiving morning without sorting through cabinets or drawers.
  3. I always get pizza the night before a holiday (!!) – after all, how can I cook when the counters are covered and my cooking utensils have already fallen into formation? Getting a night off from cooking when I’m on the cusp of a cooking marathon is priceless.

Below are 10 things you can do the day before Thanksgiving to preserve your sanity and keep the natives from getting restless.

  • If you make cornbread stuffing or dressing, prepare the cornbread the day before. Same with biscuits or other bread you’ll use in your stuffing/dressing. In fact, making your bread the day before is actually best because dressing and stuffing are best when the bread is dry.
  • Pre-Cut and pre-measure the onions, sage, celery, and other vegetables you’ll use. Store them, separately, in tightly covered containers or, better yet, plastic Ziploc bags (after all, they don’t have to be washed). When all you have to do is grab ingredients and toss them into your casseroles or stuffing, you’ll be singing your own praises.
  • Double-check the things most of us tend to overlook: Napkins, aluminum foil (plenty for cooking AND covering leftovers), tablecloth, whipping cream, butter, drinks, ice (uh oh, we need more ice), drinks, lemons for tea, candles for mood…
  • A lot (and I do mean a lot) of people actually assemble their dressing the night before, refrigerate it, then bake it on Thanksgiving day.  I’m not sure why, but I’ve never been able to bring myself to do this. I’ll pre-cut everything but, somehow, pre-assembling it makes me anxious. If your holiday backbone is stronger than mine (and it’d almost have to be), it’s something you might consider.
  • Clean out the refrigerator and possibly even the freezer. Nothing’s more aggravating than trying to park leftovers in unavailable parking spots.
  • Most desserts can easily be made the day before. Pecan pies, sweet potato pies, pumpkin pies, cakes, cookies, and brownies are just as good the next day. Sometimes they eve seem better, dont’ they? The last thing you need on Thanksgiving Day is more work or more competition for precious oven time.
  • Be sure everything is charged up  – telephones, ipads, and any other technology that may be furthest from your mind at the moment.
  • Most cranberry sauces and even cranberry salad can be made the day before. I’ll be making my cranberry salad this afternoon – It tastes just as good the next day (and even the one after that).
  • Boil eggs for deviled eggs the day before. Peel them, pop them into a plastic bag, and the only thing you have to do the next day is assemble them.
  • Go ahead and make your pie dough and even roll it out and put it into your pie plate. Simply refrigerate it for use the next day.

Most of all, cherish and enjoy every minute. Whether you’re doing prep work (as your cat watches your every move as though you’re the most fascinating person in the world), sneaking into the olives again, or talking about the big game – Thanksgiving is all about time spent with your family. Make every moment count double!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones. I hope it’s your best one yet.

Also See: Thanksgiving Facts, Tips, and Tidbits

Filed Under: Food Blog, Table Talk, Thanksgiving Recipes Tagged With: Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving prep, Thanksgiving tips

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My name is Joi (“Joy”) and Get Cooking is where I celebrate some of my greatest passions: Recipes, kitchen gadgets, gluten free food reviews, gluten free recipes, pig collectibles, chocolate, cookbooks, and coffee.

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