Here are my steps for butchering and breaking down a turkey. One major tip throughout the process is don't cut through bone. If you hit any bones, stop and investigate. All the parts of the turkey are connected using a socket joint or tendon and that is what you want to find to make your job a lot easier (and to preserve as much meat and skin as possible). If you get stuck, it helps to move the wing and leg parts like a turkey would so you can better see where the joints connect.
- Put the whole turkey in its packaging on a roasting or large tray with sides and put in the fridge to thaw. If frozen solid it could take 4-5 days to thaw (one day per every 5 lbs is the rule of thumb).
- When ready to butcher, clear are large section of counter space near the sink for cutting the turkey. Be sure you consider where runaway juices can flow to make sure they don't go to anything you can't wash easily. Also, be sure to sharpen you butchery knife. I like to use an 8-9 inch chef's knife.
- Take the turkey out of the fridge. Remove the packaging in the sink (made this mistake before) to let the fluids run out. Remove the neck and packet of innards.
- Place the turkey on a cutting board on the section of counterspace you've prepped. I like to have both the sink and the trash can nearby so I can clean up and throw parts in the sink or trash as needed without having to get turkey juices on handles or unwanted surfaces.
- With the breast side up, cut away the skin between the thigh and breast. Follow the thigh line and cut the skin closest to the thigh. Do not cut any meat part yet. Just keep cutting the skin up and down the thigh until you can freely move the thigh.
- Grab the leg and thigh and pull it back towards the board until the hip joint pops out.
- While holding the leg up and the rest of the bird dangling on the board, cut the meat from the top of the thigh, through that joint (between the bones), and down to the base. Be sure to hug the knife close to the backbone to get the most meat.
- I like to keep the leg and thigh connected so it takes the same amount of time to cook as the turkey breast, but you can separate them into parts if you'd like. To do that, flip it skin side down and look for the line of fat between the joint. This is an indication of where the joint is but it isn't exact. It is actually just to the leg side of that line. Cut there following the side of the line and hopefully you'll hit the joint. If not, place your knife tip in the joint area and make small cuts to see where you missed. Find it then cut all the way through.
- To separate the wing, hold it up in the air and let the rest of the bird rest on the board. Start by cutting the skin in the armpit area between the wing and the breast closest to the breast. Make small cuts in the meat where it connects to expose the ball socket bone. The joint is below that socket even deeper into the breast. Cut through the joint and then the connecting meat around it until the wing separates.
- Just like the leg and thigh, I like to keep the wing in tact to cook, but they can be separated into their three parts. To do that, start by separating the upper wing from the mid wing. With the skin side down, follow the upper wing bone line to where it meets the mid wing. You can see and feel the joint of the wing bone meeting the mid wing. Find the center depressions which is where bones connect, and cut through that joint. If you hit bone instead, make small cuts near the bone to figure out where you missed.
- To separate the wing tip from the mid section, again put the pieces skin side down and find/feel where the bones meet at the joint and try to cut through the middle of it. If you hit bone, keep making small cuts and move the bone to find the joint. Don't try to pop the joint because there are too many connective tissues in that area so it is difficult to do.
- Now to remove the backbone from the breast, start by placing the carcass breast side down. Be careful handling the carcass during these next steps because the exposed bones and joints are sharp and can cut you.
- Start at the bottom end of the turkey and cut through the gap between the backbone and the breast bones. Once you get half way before the rib bones get closer together, you should be able to bend the backbone backward to pop the joint out in the middle of the back. Cut through that joint to remove the bottom half of the backbone.
- For the top half, you will see a white line of fat running from the armpit where the wings used to attach through to the bottom end of the breast bone. This line indicates where the joints of the bones meet. You can start on the armpit end or the bottom end and start making cuts from one end to the other. If you hit bone, adjust the knife up or down until you hit the another joint. Eventually, you'll cut through all the joints to free the rest of the backbone. .
- Now it's time to separate the breasts from the breast bone. Find the breast plate and cut on one side of it. Making small incisions a bit at a time, gently follow the curve of the breast bone trying to remove as much breast meat as possible. Cut all the way to the two ends trying to hug the bones until the breast separates. I keep the two parts of the breast in tact as one unit. Follow the same steps for the other breast.
- Now you should have all your pieces ready for my Epically Fast and Delicious Roasted Turkey.
- One final step is to wash all the turkey parts you plan to serve and pat them dry with paper towels. Also, make sure your tray or roasting pan is dry. This helps for the seasoning and cooking process. Place all the parts back on the tray or roasting pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready for the next step.
- For the parts you don't plan to serve, add to your stock pot and use follow the steps for my Thanksgiving Turkey Stock.
Inspiration
- https://youtu.be/WOtGuNI26Ws
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