How to prepare a bone-in or boneless turkey breastplus steering clear of the most common slicing mistake.
If youre hosting asmall Thanksgivingmeal, turkey breast is a brilliant option.
Food Styling: Holly Dreesman.
Credit:Jason Donnelly. Food Styling: Holly Dreesman. Prop Styling: Joseph Wanek
(you might also roast or slow-cook it with stellar results.)
Cooked turkey should only be kept for 3 to 4 dayseven if refrigerated.
Leftovers left at room temperature can begin to grow bacteria.
Credit:Jason Donnelly
A chefs knife or slicing knife: A largechefs knifeis Brekkes preferred tool for the task.
If the blade seems dull, take a moment tosharpen the knife.
If you own and are comfortable with an electric knife, feel free to use that if you like.
Credit:Jason Donnelly. Food Styling: Holly Dreesman. Prop Styling: Joseph Wanek
Cook and Let Rest
Tent the turkey with foil to keep it warm during the process.
As meat cooks, the juices rise to the surface.
This rest time lets the muscle fibers chill out and allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
Credit:Jason Donnelly
Reserve the drippings to whip up agravy, if desired.
This can lead to ragged slices and more waste.
The top tip to carving a bone-in turkey breast is to make it boneless before you kick off slicing.
Locate the breastbone, then place the blade of your knife just to the outside of the bone.
Repeat again on the other side to yield two boneless turkey breasts.
Using a knife, slice across the grain into slices of your desired thickness.
Try not to saw back and forth as you work your way down the meat.
Aim for long, clean motions as you slice from top to bottom.
Repeat until the entire turkey breast is sliced, then transfer to a platter and enjoy.
If your table is anything like ours, the slices get snapped up quickly.
How long can you keep leftover cooked turkey?USDA.
