When we get together with my family for Thanksgiving, a certain family member keeps opening the oven door, like every 5 minutes, to pull the turkey out and check it. He says it doesn't make a difference - you gotta keep checking it so it doesn't overcook and dry out. The other family members are trying to convince him that by doing that, the oven cools off and it will take even longer to get the dang thing done! So, who is right?
2006-10-28 18:53:36 · 11 answers · asked by Stupe 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
yep, your man is wrong... it will take longer if you peek at it.. tell him to remember that " a watched pot never boils" and a peeked at turkey won't get done any faster by him checking on it all the time..
2006-10-28 18:58:46 · answer #1 · answered by Just Me 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well you are both right, it certainly does cool the oven off and take longer, but if you dont check it, then you can screw up the turkey for everyone. too many people serve overcooked turkey IMO! If you have the time, let the man use his meat thermometer every 10 minutes if he wishes, but better yet, you can buy a meat thermometer that you can stick in the turkey and it has a cord that reaches outside the oven and allows you to monitor the meat without opening the oven. I recommend one of those.
edit: I thought he was actually checking the turkey for doneness, if he is peeking at it to estimate doneness he is an idiot anyway. keep his butt out of the kitchen.
2006-10-28 18:58:00 · answer #2 · answered by Bistro 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is wrong. That cools off the oven, does not allow the bird to get to the right internal temp, and subjects the entire clan to food poisoning! He is also letting out the steam that came from the bird, and therefore drying it out even faster!
So, go check out Martha Stewart.com. I saw her wrapping up the bird so you do not have to open the door and baste so much, and it gets it brown and crispy.
Sounds like an investment into one of those meat thermometers that you can read from outside of the oven might be a good thing! Bet all of the usual kitchen volunteers will ante up to buy one, just to get rid of Certain Family Member!
Doncha love holidays with the family! LOL, start pouring beer into the certain family member early, and point him into the TV room, where he can drive that crowd nuts changing the channel every 5 minutes. Bet the football game watchers will not let him!
Thank goodness, that was not our problem at our dinners. The women folk did the cooking, and were skilled enough, and in retrospect after reading your problem, smart enough to have most of it prepared in advance. Now I know why! LOL, happy early Thanksgiving to you and yours and even that Certain Relative!
2006-10-28 19:33:43 · answer #3 · answered by riversconfluence 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Tell your family member to keep his hands off of the oven door! The other family members are correct, each time he opens the door, it allows the oven to cool off, which will result in two things happening...the heating elements will continue to come on in an attempt to maintain the temperature (which does lousy things for the electric bill!) and will cause the skin to darken too quickly, while the 'cooler' temperature will necessitate a longer cooking time. Tie him down, distract him in some way, ban him from the kitchen, do something to keep him from disturbing that turkey! It only needs to be basted about every 45-minutes to an hour to keep it moist. (I've made 29 Thanksgiving dinners and 27 Christmas dinners...so I've cooked a few turkeys. Never had a dry one by basting every 45-minutes/1hr.)
2006-10-28 18:58:44 · answer #4 · answered by hrprrbn 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Every 15 minutes is just fine, and if you are checking every 15 minutes, and basting lightly every time after how ever many hours , it will be fine, but every 5 minutes, you are letting way to much heat out of the oven. Even on the turkey package, I am sure it says after so much time check the turkey every 15 minutes. not 5... Anyways if that person isn't preparing the turkey, why is that person checking the turkey. Next time, tell that person while you appreciate concern for how the meal will turn out, it is under control and the turkey will turn out even better if s/he lets the one who is in charge of making the turkey worry about it.
2006-10-28 21:13:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I only open the oven about 5 times while it is cooking and then only to baste. Your family member is cooling the oven off every time the oven is opened. Tell him to stop it, and you might get to eat sooner. You know what they say "to many cooks spoil the broth". There should be one person in charge of the turkey, vegetables, salads, breads, etc... don't let them be in charge of the bird. Hope I was some help.
2006-10-28 19:23:41 · answer #6 · answered by carmen d 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
leave the turkey alone. if he is that worried about it, get a digital meat thermometer. stick it in the turkey, set the alarm for the proper temp and leave the dang turkey alone until it is cooked
2006-10-29 04:26:20 · answer #7 · answered by jbenishmlt 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
5 minute man is wrong, the rest of you are right. Don't ya just love the holidays and family?
2006-10-28 18:55:51 · answer #8 · answered by Chloe 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
nooooooooooooooooo
heat takes 15 minutes to get bck up to right temp after door is opened.
you'll never get much door.. peeking...
that what pop up term and reg term are for...
2006-10-28 19:32:59 · answer #9 · answered by cork 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a cookbook; you do not have to peek every five minutes! this is why you are eating dinner at eleven o'clock at night!
2006-10-28 18:57:11 · answer #10 · answered by Pooks 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋