How to Carve a Turkey
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JACKSON, Tenn.–Carving the turkey on Thanksgiving can be intimidating. Carl Jones with Premier Place Catering in Jackson is an experienced carver. “Present the bird and then you take it to the kitchen and you work on it,” he said. Jones says first start with the leg and thigh meat. “You have this skin, just cut through it,” he said. “We get down there and just pop that out, away from the bone.” Next comes the wings. “Go in there and find that joint,” said Jones. “Pull it away from the bone and release it with the tip of your knife.” After cutting the thigh, legs, and wings, it is time to cut the breast meat off the bone. “You just find just right in the center and then you start cutting with the tip of your knife, pulling away,” said Jones. “This bone will curve out and you have to curve your knife out, just start, pull it away.” Then cut the breast meat. “The grain of the meat is running this way, so we want to cut across the grain,” said Jones. Save the leftovers. Jones says you can use the extra turkey to make sandwiches, casserole, or soup. “A lot of people will take this and will use this and chop it up and put it in their dressing,” said Jones. Jones say the main thing is to be careful. “You have a sharp knife and always cut away from your hands and other extremities,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect. If you don’t get it quite right you just chop it up and no one knows the difference.” Jones says it is usually a good idea to let your turkey rest a couple of hours before carving. He says you can also use an electric knife to carve turkey.
