Читать книгу Talk Turkey to Me - Renee S. Ferguson - Страница 53

If you just don’t have a meat thermometer, the old-fashioned method of piercing the lower thigh with a fork to see if the juices are running clear will have to do. The color of the skin is not an indication of doneness. Even if the skin is brown, it may be that the outside just cooked too quickly because of a high oven temperature. Conversely, the skin could be pale simply because you used a covered pan and the turkey itself could be done. Poke around with a fork to pierce the lower parts and check to make sure the juices are running clear.

One caller, apparently confused, set her oven temperature at 160ºF. Confusion abounds among chefs and home cooks alike when it comes to oven temperatures and final cooking temperatures. If you were to cook your turkey to an end temperature of 160ºF, the meat—though safe to eat—would be very rare and have an unappetizing quality and texture; the juices would be very pink and the meat would be chewy. So, for optimum taste and visual appeal, it is recommended that the thigh temperature be 180ºF.