This year callers to Butterball’s Turkey Talk-Line will hear something new—a man’s voice. Yep, for the first time since the talk line began in 1981 men will also be helping panicked cooks prepare their holiday feasts. Joining the more than 50 women at the hotline will be R.J. Jaramillo, 49, of San Diego, as the talk line’s first official male spokesman, and several men from Chicago, where Butterball is based.
“Cooking is a huge passion of mine, so I’m looking forward to sharing my expertise,” Jaramillo, who runs the blog Cook Like A Dad, told ABC News. “I’m most looking forward to helping everyone at the Thanksgiving table have the best Thanksgiving.” He’ll be busy: The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line (800-288-8372) gets thousands of calls a season.
One of the most common problems bedeviling callers is how to defrost the turkey. Typically they don’t leave enough time. The rule of thumb, according to the talk line, is one day of thawing for every four pounds of turkey. Put it in the refrigerator on a tray to catch any drips. Callers who skipped that step are advised to use the cold water method, which entails putting the bird breast side down, in an unopened wrapper, in enough cold water to completely cover the turkey. Change the water every 30 minutes to keep the turkey chilled. Figure on 30 minutes of thawing time for every pound of turkey.
When the Butterball operators are trained, they learn how to roast turkeys 10 different ways so they’ll have first-hand experience from roasting a turkey in a conventional oven to deep frying one outdoors. No matter what method you use, you’ll want to know how to best carve the turkey for serving. Here’s what Butterball recommends.
![]()
How to carve a turkey
Let the cooked turkey sit for about 20 minutes before starting to carve. For breast meat, begin halfway up the breast and slice straight down with an even stroke. When the knife reaches the cut above the wing joint, the slice should fall free on its own. Continue to slice breast meat by starting the cut at a higher point each time.
For the drumsticks, cut the band of skin holding the drumsticks. Then grasp the end of the drumstick, place your knife between the drumstick/thigh and the body of the turkey, and cut through the skin to the joint. Remove the entire leg by pulling it out and back, using the point of the knife to separate it. Pull apart the thigh and drumstick at the joint. And for the wings, insert a fork in the upper wing to steady the turkey. Make a long horizontal cut above the wing joint through the body frame. The wing can then be disjointed from the body.
The best knives from our tests
To get the cleanest cuts, you’ll need a good carving knife. After testing dozens of knife sets, Consumer Reports recommended nine sets ranging in price from the $75 Ginsu Chikara, a CR Best Buy, to the Kyocera Kyotop Damascus HIP ceramic set for $785. Two manufacturers dominate the list of top knife picks, including Zwilling J.A. Henckels and Wusthof. But don’t buy by brand alone. When shopping for knives, go to the store and try them out to make sure they feel comfortable in your hand. Happy carving.
—Mary H.J. Farrell
Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2007-2013 Consumers Union of U.S.
