A DoAhead meal rocks. Whoever invented the Crock Pot should be immortalized. (OK maybe not, but there are plenty of days my crock pot keeps my head from becoming a crocked pot and Doc will testify that’s worth alot!)

But what kind of DoAhead can we carve out of Turkey Dinner? Would you believe that answer lies in carving that big beautiful bird? Doc’s mother used to carve her turkey in advance of the meal. You would never know it. The meat was every bit as moist and delicious as if it had just been cut and put on your plate.

My brother-in-law (creater of the amazing Shro’s BBQ sauce) has implemented this DoAhead tip before. He’s added a few techniques of his own. Much of it is common sense but sometimes it helps to see something in writing. (It tends to make me more brave…braver? You know what I mean.)

So here you go, a few bullet points should you try this daring and delightful maneuver for having your kitchen mess managed and turkey ready to serve PRIOR to the arrival of your dinner guests!

Early Bird Turkey Carving

• Carve the bird like you would normally do.
• Discard the fat, cartilage and excess skin.
• Cut the meat into portion sizes.
• Place the meat on a tin-foil lined cookie sheet.
• Take some of the excess juice/broth from the roaster and ladle it over the meat.
• Cover the meat tightly with tinfoil and put it in the oven on warm.
• Turkey will stay warm and moist for up to an hour prior to serving.
• If it’s longer than an hour pour a small amount of the gravy made from turkey drippings over the meat
• Note: White meat will dry out sooner than dark, be more generous with liquid over the white meat.

That’s it DoAheads. This simple trick allows the chef to slip seamlessly from oven to table once thanks has been given!

Many blessings to you and yours this Thanksgiving!

Your DoAhead Friend,