Irritating comments on my turkey.


 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Garland Hudgins:
I have found that poultry that was previously frozen will sometimes be pink around the bones, when fully cooked, as you described above. Do you know if the bird had ever been frozen? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I do not know the answer to that question. To be precise, this was not just pink meat, per se, but actually some red colored liquid and what appeared to be blood. But the temps were right. Next time, I think I'll give it an extra 30 minutes cooking time.
 
Jeff,

Poultry is one of the easiest meats to get underdone or uncooked. While judging bbq contests involving chicken, we use a trick to see if there is blood or simply juice coming out. Since freezing can taint the color near the bone, and smoking can cause smoke rings and pinkish colorations in the meat, take a white paper towel and press against the meat you think may be raw. If the towel is stained pink or red, you have uncooked meat. If the towel looks wet with juice but clear in color, your meat is fine and passes the cooked test.
You can try this on your turkey or chicken at home to see if your meats are cooked sufficiently.
 
it's unfortunate that people are still under the delusion that "done" meat has to be dry and have no visual indications of being so otherwise. people like that need to start watching shows on food network, especially alton brown's, in order to better get a clue. i say as long as you enjoyed your turkey that you cooked and you know it was done in the proper fashion, then congratulations and enjoy your well prepared bird. the rest of them can go on complaining, just ignore them. better yet, ask the ones that were complaining if any of them got sick from it being so called "underdone"? no replies? then that must mean the turkey was cooked to proper temps.

i get the same flack when hosting a cookout at my home. i get some people that refuse to eat any form of steak that has any trace of pink left in it. now for certain people i will be glad to cook the pink out and take it to just slightly above a medium-well state, but i absolutely refuse to cook a fine piece of prime steak to well done.....just ain't gonna happen on my grill. funny thing is as much as they complain about it, they also comment on how juicy and tasty it is and keep coming back to the cookouts.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">While judging bbq contests involving chicken, we use a trick to see if there is blood or simply juice coming out. Since freezing can taint the color near the bone, and smoking can cause smoke rings and pinkish colorations in the meat, take a white paper towel and press against the meat you think may be raw. If the towel is stained pink or red, you have uncooked meat. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
This is demonstrably untrue. Why KCBS persists in spreading this nonsense is beyond me.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">But the temps were right. Next time, I think I'll give it an extra 30 minutes cooking time. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
If the temps were right, viz. they hit the right number(s) for the right period of time and you used an accurate tip-sensitive digital thermometer - not some bimetal analog 'meat thermometer' - there was absolutely nothing to be concerned with. An 'extra 30 minutes of cooking time' can easily veer the flesh into the overcooked/dry arena. If that's okay with you, fine. It wouldn't be okay with me.

One thing you can do however: ice the turkey's breast first, as patrick sullivan notes. That will slow its cooking and allow it to hit safe at a slower rate than the dark meat. This means higher temps on the dark meat - a good thing. Not only can dark meat take higher temps than the breast, even though it reaches safe at the same temps as breast meat, it can feel and look unpalatable to people. If you can get your dark meat into the 170s while your breast is at 160 (or in the low-to-mid-160s, you'll have good (and good looking), palatable meat all around.
 
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