Diane Gottsman | Leading Etiquette Expert | Modern Manners Authority

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How to Carve a Holiday Turkey

24 Nov 2014 By: Diane Gottsman

Image Courtesy of Celebrate Magazine

Bacon and Herb Crusted Turkey Image: Courtesy of Celebrate Magazine

 

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and our friends at Bob’s Steak & Chop House in San Antonio, Texas, are giving us some tips to help us carve our beautifully cooked main dish. Also, my good friend Shelly Miles, SA Living, and I had a Turkey Carve Off with Chef Derek giving us professional instructions and judging our carving craftsmanship. Who do you think carved the better bird? Here’s the link … enjoy!

How to Carve a Holiday Turkey 

Things you’ll need:

  • carving knife
  • carving fork (Chef Derek prefers tongs)
  • cutting board
  • large plate or serving platter
  1. After turkey is cooked, let the turkey rest a minimum of 20 minutes.
  2. Place the turkey on a large cutting board with the breast side up and use a medium size container to put the deconstructed turkey parts.
  3. Remove the breast by slicing down along each side of the center breastbone until you hit the rib cage. Using your hands peel the breasts away from the rib cage and then run the knife along the bone to remove the breast from the turkey.
  4. On the cutting board slice the breast crosswise (against the grain), and arrange slices on the serving platter or plate.
  5. Pull the leg and thigh section away from the turkey until you feel the joint pop (use a kitchen towel to protect your hands if the turkey is too hot).
  6. Cut through the joint that connects with the whole turkey and remove the other leg & thigh section in the same manner as the first.
  7. Using your hands, separate the leg from the thigh by pulling apart through the joints. If you experience trouble, use the tip of a knife to probe the joint and separate.
  8. Slice thigh meat by cutting parallel to the bone and arrange the slices on a serving platter.
  9. Stand up drumstick on the cutting board and slice downward along the bone to remove the leg meat, transferring slices to the platter. (Or, Diane likes to  leave the drumstick intact!)
  10.  Slice down between the wing and the breast, pull the wing away from the body to expose the joint, remove the wing by cutting through the joint.
  11. Remove the other wing in the same manner and place both wings on the serving platter.
  12. Voila – a perfectly cut turkey! (Thank you Chef Derek and Bob’s Steak & Chop House for the step by step tutorial.)

Getting your table ready for Thanksgiving? Here are a few of my table setting tips: How to Set a Thanksgiving Table.

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Diane Gottsman

Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert and modern manners professional, sought out industry leader, television personality, accomplished speaker, Huffington Post blogger, author, and the owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in executive leadership and etiquette training. Diane is routinely quoted in national and international media including The New York Times, The BBC, CNN, Bloomberg Business Week, Kiplinger, Huffington Post Canada, U.S. News and World Report, and Forbes. She is the resident etiquette expert for two popular morning talk shows, SA Living and Good Day Austin. She has been seen on The TODAY Show, HLN Headline News, WGN Chicago, and CBS Sunday Morning. Her clients range from university students to Fortune 500 companies and her workshops cover topics ranging from tattoos in the workplace to technology at the dinner table and the proper use of social media.