From a food borne illness point of view, if I were to pull the turkey, when breast hits temp,carve and serve the breast, can I re-heat the leg/thighs another day?

quote:

Originally posted by michele p:
From a food borne illness point of view, if I were to pull the turkey, when breast hits temp,carve and serve the breast, can I re-heat the leg/thighs another day?

What temperatures are you using for done?

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That's my question too. Where are you pulling now?

If the thighs are >160 there is no safety issue but most people do not find them palatable at temps in the 160s. The higher temps called for, for dark meat, have nothing to do with safety; it's a palatability issue.

Note that you can ice the breast as a way to slow the breast's rise and make it more likely to be done when the thighs are done.

Breast 165
Thigh 175
The turkey I did the other day, the breast hit 165 but the thigh was at 160. I pulled it off anyway (the breast was excellent), but I don't know if I can still use the thighs that are in the frig, because they never got up to 175.
I usually make pea soup with the smoked thighs, but I don't know if I can use them.

See the post above your last one.

Thighs are safe at 160, just not very palatable.

Short answer: probably (depending on temp and time held at particular temps) or yes but I wouldn't.

Longer answer: Moist breast and undercooked legs/thighs OR cooked legs/thighs and dry breast? It doesn't have to be either or. There are a few steps you can take to make it possible to serve the white and dark meats at the same time.

First of all, brine. It helps keep the breast moist and the whole bird seasoned.

Before roasting, putting an ice pack strapped on top of the breast as it sits out in room temp helps.

When roasting, if possible, try to keep the legs towards the back of the oven where it's hotter. If you take temps using the breast and it's done or very close to it and the juices are still pink you have two choices. You can either foil the breast and keep cooking until the thighs are done or you can pull it out and take the legs off and place them back in the oven. You're better off cooking the legs through right away rather than on another day, both for safety and quality.

edit: damn I walk away for 5 mins and my post becomes #6 instead of #3. Sorry for seeming repetitive with this post.

Great, thanks guys.
Yes, the turkey was brined, and the next one I will ice the breast. Great info!!

one thing i learened is to not tie the legs. just let them hang freely. also i seem to have gotten around that by cooking my bird upside down.

quote:

Originally posted by michele p:
From a food borne illness point of view, if I were to pull the turkey, when breast hits temp,carve and serve the breast, can I re-heat the leg/thighs another day?

Yes.
FWIW, 165 is safe temp for turkey.

Or lower. Like everything else it's time @ temp, not just an intantaneous kill number.

quote:

Originally posted by derek_d:

quote:

Originally posted by michele p:
From a food borne illness point of view, if I were to pull the turkey, when breast hits temp,carve and serve the breast, can I re-heat the leg/thighs another day?

Yes.
FWIW, 165 is safe temp for turkey.

quote:

Originally posted by K Kruger:
Or lower. Like everything else it's time @ temp, not just an intantaneous kill number.

Exactly! Good points guys!

The problem the general population has is 'pink' poultry = it's not cooked enough regardless of the internal temp! So they cook it to oblivion until it's no longer pink! Pink poulty will not make you sick or kill you if you have prepped and cooked it properly

quote:

Originally posted by K Kruger:
Or lower. Like everything else it's time @ temp, not just an intantaneous kill number.

To demonstrate the temperature/time relationship. Here's a dwell chart of the temperature/time/lethality for beef.



Tender cuts of beef often are preferred when cooked to lower temperatures than poultry. Hence, a temperature/time relationship for food safety purposes for beef.

The article referenced by the URL in the chart, above, also says that poultry must be cooked to 160 degrees F. with no time requirement. The pathogenic microorganisms don't recognize any important difference between beef and poultry. A temperature of 160 degrees F. works for both beef and poultry.

All of these referenced requirements are intended for commercial operations where accuracy of the monitoring equipment is required along with record keeping and record availability to the FSIS.

The suggested USDA/FSIS guideline of 165 degrees F. for poultry is what I regard as a public health model guideline for consumers. As such, it may reflect allowances for inaccuracy in temperature measurement and it simplifies things by removing the time component.

Really, how many average Janes and average Joes calibrate their thermometers? How many know exactly where to take the temperature of a thigh? I do not discount the public health model for poultry temperatures. I embrace it! I don't want my sister screwing up our annual Thanksgiving turkey!

Besides, Michelle wrote that she was going to make soup with the thighs...

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quote:

Really, how many average Janes and average Joes calibrate their thermometers?

Few. But the idiots powers-that-be at the FDA, USDA and FSIS never stress the importance of such. Further, they just reference 'thermometer' rather than 'tip-sensitive thermometer'--the only kind that should be used for thin items like chicken or poultry parts, burgers, et al. Bimetal therms should not be used for these items--but we do not hear this from government agencies. Not only do they dumb down the info but they make rules with no science to back them up (e.g., 'never thaw on the counter') and avoid politically 'difficult' positions--like bing clear about the problems with bimetal therms vis-à-vis safety.