Ideal temperature for killing bacteria is more of a spectrum than a hard set number. 165°F is the USDA recommendation because it’s idiot-proof. Guarantees that all bacteria will be instantly killed.
But if you pull the bird at 165°F, you’ve already overcooked the meat and dried out all the juices. Personally I take my poultry out at 150°F, let it sit and naturally rise to 155-157°, and so long as it stays at or above 155 for more than 90 seconds, it’s perfectly safe to eat. The number is more like 45 seconds IIRC but I double it just to be safe. Been doing it this way for over a decade and it’s never gotten anyone sick.
I agree. Smoked a turkey breast today. 155f, pulled and wrapped in foil and placed in the microwave (as a sealed metal box, not actually used the microwave) for 30 minutes while the sides cooked. You can warm a cup of water before if you really want to keep the heat
My ham has been in the oven for 2 hours and the core temperature is only 70… I don’t think it will be ready when “dinner” starts in an hour and a half…
To be fair, this is the first time I’ve cooked holiday food in my own oven in my own residence… I’ve never cooked a ham this big before.
Usually the hams you get at the store are already cooked (check to be sure) and you just want it hot. That should give you a little wiggle room there! Whereas a pulled pork or something needs to be brought up to temperature to be technically edible, then held at that temperature for a while so it can be delicious
At this point I’m just going to assume the core was still slightly frozen or close to it when I put it in. I left it to thaw for several days in the refrigerator…
Agreed, which is why I bought a digital thermometer and prob my bird multiple times in different locations and depths to make absolutely sure of this.
Turkey takes hours depending on the size and weight. Chicken is a bit less.
Ducks are usually about five or six pounds and very fatty which means they cook a bit faster than most other birds. I don’t normally roast them myself, I cut them into chunks and make a duck soup or stew.
… and a critical skill for any would be Thanksgiving chef out there … LEARN TO MAKE TASTY SAVOURY GRAVY! It doesn’t matter how well you cook your turkey, chicken or duck, if you don’t make a good gravy with it, it won’t be fun for anyone.
Do you have a link to the video? or at least a description so that we can find it? I’m always on the lookout for new ways to make gravy … to me it’s the key to any big feast.
Absolutely beautiful and helpful … I learned to make thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years Day big family dinners with turkey and everything from my mom years ago and there isn’t a year that goes by that I don’t learn something new. It just keeps getting better with time, practice, mistakes, youtube videos, talking to people like you, the occasional kitchen fire, burns, ruined gravy, burnt potatoes or the accidental meal where everything works out perfectly and you end up with perfectly cooked turkey and a gravy that just turns out perfect. I have a 15 lb turkey in the freezer ready for Christmas and this video will definitely help in making it.
Thanks for this, that is a great channel and I’ll be watching more.
What about duck, roasted for an hour and served with a nice side of gravy.
You should cook it to an internal temperature of 165f or 74c instead of a set time…sorry, the Internet has ruined me. I’m so alone.
Ideal temperature for killing bacteria is more of a spectrum than a hard set number. 165°F is the USDA recommendation because it’s idiot-proof. Guarantees that all bacteria will be instantly killed.
But if you pull the bird at 165°F, you’ve already overcooked the meat and dried out all the juices. Personally I take my poultry out at 150°F, let it sit and naturally rise to 155-157°, and so long as it stays at or above 155 for more than 90 seconds, it’s perfectly safe to eat. The number is more like 45 seconds IIRC but I double it just to be safe. Been doing it this way for over a decade and it’s never gotten anyone sick.
I agree. Smoked a turkey breast today. 155f, pulled and wrapped in foil and placed in the microwave (as a sealed metal box, not actually used the microwave) for 30 minutes while the sides cooked. You can warm a cup of water before if you really want to keep the heat
My ham has been in the oven for 2 hours and the core temperature is only 70… I don’t think it will be ready when “dinner” starts in an hour and a half…
To be fair, this is the first time I’ve cooked holiday food in my own oven in my own residence… I’ve never cooked a ham this big before.
Just use the replicator, Miles.
And offend me dear old ma? She never believed in using replicators.
Miles, Molly is hungry.
Usually the hams you get at the store are already cooked (check to be sure) and you just want it hot. That should give you a little wiggle room there! Whereas a pulled pork or something needs to be brought up to temperature to be technically edible, then held at that temperature for a while so it can be delicious
It is precooked, and it’s made it up to 120! 25 more to go and it’ll be ready to serve, and food got pushed back anyway, so there’s still hope.
https://www.marthastewart.com/8295708/how-long-cook-ham-guide
TL;DR A pre-cooked 10-pound ham, bone-in will need about 2 1/2 hours.
At this point I’m just going to assume the core was still slightly frozen or close to it when I put it in. I left it to thaw for several days in the refrigerator…
Ah well, a learning experience for next year.
You live and you learn!
Maybe practice with a ham during the year to figure cook times out :)
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Cooking practice is the best practice, because I get to celebrate each success and some of the failures with a nice meal
Agreed, which is why I bought a digital thermometer and prob my bird multiple times in different locations and depths to make absolutely sure of this.
Turkey takes hours depending on the size and weight. Chicken is a bit less.
Ducks are usually about five or six pounds and very fatty which means they cook a bit faster than most other birds. I don’t normally roast them myself, I cut them into chunks and make a duck soup or stew.
… and a critical skill for any would be Thanksgiving chef out there … LEARN TO MAKE TASTY SAVOURY GRAVY! It doesn’t matter how well you cook your turkey, chicken or duck, if you don’t make a good gravy with it, it won’t be fun for anyone.
I just watched Babish (dude in YouTube) make a browned-butter roux. What a game changer for gravy.
Do you have a link to the video? or at least a description so that we can find it? I’m always on the lookout for new ways to make gravy … to me it’s the key to any big feast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSPlKPooPJk
Absolutely beautiful and helpful … I learned to make thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years Day big family dinners with turkey and everything from my mom years ago and there isn’t a year that goes by that I don’t learn something new. It just keeps getting better with time, practice, mistakes, youtube videos, talking to people like you, the occasional kitchen fire, burns, ruined gravy, burnt potatoes or the accidental meal where everything works out perfectly and you end up with perfectly cooked turkey and a gravy that just turns out perfect. I have a 15 lb turkey in the freezer ready for Christmas and this video will definitely help in making it.
Thanks for this, that is a great channel and I’ll be watching more.
Not sure if this is the video OP meant, but here’s one of Babish making Gravy.
https://youtu.be/ztl0gGVFoK0?si=pxacKSu6QjDDFvU6
Takes about 2 hours for a duck roast.
Source: will be roasting duck imminently