You're listening to Bill Handle on demand from KFI AM six forty KFI AM six forty Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. Hey everybody, Neil Savadri here, Happy Thanksgiving. I'm in for Bill Handle. You know him? Hi? That guy Bill Why he spits when he talks. Yeah, I'm in for him today. Just hanging out with you and doing our thing and we're just kind of celebrating Thanksgiving together because that's what we do every year, and I'm happy
to do it. If you have a question for me about food, cooking, baking, whatever, eight hundred five to zero one KFI, eight hundred five to zero one KF I, let's talk to Let's talk to Susan. Hi, Susan, Hell Neo.
Happy Thanksgiving to you.
Oh Susan, Happy Thanksgiving to you. How are you good?
Good?
You may have already covered this, and I'm going to ask again. I have a twenty one pound turkey, and yeah, I know it's a big one.
You got a football team coming or a big old turkey?
Heard of?
Okay?
Sure?
Both?
And if I go online, some say to cook at three twenty five. Some sites say three fifty one, at three seventy five, So I'm calling the expert. What temp?
How long?
Okay, Well, here's the different thing. The temperature and the time are going to be relative. They're going to work towards each other. What you have is a big, big bird, So time is of the essence. So you're gonna you're you're going to look at cooking a bird that big at you're looking at maybe between four and five. So if you're doing the uh, you know, three twenty five or you know something like that, you're you're looking at
almost knocking on the door of five hours. That's going to keep it a little juicier because it's you're cooking it at a lower temperature. Higher temperature is going to cook it faster in less time. I mean, it's that's really what you're dealing with. You're battling between the heat and moisture there. So is it a brind bird? Did you brind it? Dry? Brin it? How is it prepped? I it? Okay? Wet Brian, Okay, wet Brian. How many days?
Just twenty four hours? And then I rinsed it and patted it dry, and it's been sitting in the refrigerator undercover.
Just look at you Okay, you're good to go. You're good to go. Yeah, you can, ye, you can do it. If it's taking too much time. You know where to check the temperature the thickest part of the bird. It's right where the thigh and the breast meat there. You don't want to be hitting any bone. But that temperature needs to be one sixty and then you pull it out of the oven and it's going to rise another
five ten degrees. So it's going to hit that one sixty five, no problem, and then you don't overcook it. So that's what you're hitting for. But you should expect twenty one pound birds. Pretty big bird? Are you stuffing it?
Okay? Yep, okay, I have dressing on this side. How long should it rest before we carve it?
Okay? So resting the easiest way. People go, oh, you want to rest meat for this long? And I always go, well, what kind of meat and all those things. So this is the scientific rule. The scientific rule is you're taking the temperature and the thickest part of the bird to see when it's done right, and it goes I said one sixty, you take it out and you let it rest. You put that thermometer back in that same spot when it drops down to one twenty. When it cools to
one twenty, then it has it's done constricting. So at that point you cut the bird and it won't squeeze the juices out. That's with any cut of meat. So people always give you some sort of time and I'm like, that doesn't that's not how it works. Basically, you're looking
for the protein to come back down. So if somebody cooks their they like their steak, you know, very rare and like one twenty five or something, then really it's gonna come down five degrees before they can cut it, because it hasn't heated up, it hasn't pulled itself together as the heat tries to get to the center for too long. The only time where that doesn't matter is if you're cooking something souv'd because souvieede stays at the same temperature, so it doesn't constrict in the same way
and that doesn't matter. But that's a very specific type of cooking method. So if you're cooking in an oven or a steak, searing it, doing all that stuff, basically you want it to go from the top level of heat, which in this case is one sixty that's going to rise to one sixty five to make sure it's cooked. It's going to start coming down. When that comes down to one twenty. That means it is cooled down. It is rested to the point where it's no longer constricting,
which you know ends up squeezing out the juices. Does that make sense?
Okay, yeah, it's yes. Can I asked you while roasting, I have a convection oven. Do I put it on bake or I can put it on roast or bake or confection? Oh yeah, no, just a convection or roast.
Yeah, I set here's the thing. The convection. All it does is turn on a fan and to make it even, which is nice and in that case it's really good for the skin. You might want to split the difference and start with roasting and then finish off with convection if you want to dry out that skin some more. That's kind of the method I would go. Some people might say, ah, well, you're gonna the air is going to be circulating, and you might get it cooked faster.
That's something you could do as well. But either way, you're going.
To cook that bird.
Okay, breast up or breast down.
I'm a breast up kind of guy. Wink wink, AnyWho. I'll tell you why. Here's the thing. I'll tell you where that comes from. Actually, Susan, is that the assumption is that if it's breast down, then all the juices are going to the breast and therefore it's going to make them juicier. But you did everything right, and you did your brine and all of that. I wouldn't worry about it. Plus, it is really especially such a large bird, a twenty one pound bird, to move it from breastside
down to breast side up. Some people turn it halfway through. I don't mess with it. I don't think you're going to notice, especially with a proper brine, And it's just a pain. Make it as simple as possible.
Keep breast up, Okay, got it. One more thing?
Tenting to tent or not?
Yes, tent during.
You mean during bullet's in there or for during resting both? Well, yeah, you want to tint it lightly when it's resting because you don't want to steam the skin that you got that beautiful crust and crispiness on. And sure you can do the first part of the bird with foil on it, and then you're going to want to do the last part because it's going to be kind of pale with the foil off.
Okay, perfect, Thank you so much.
Really reduce the anxiety for it.
Oh well, I'm sorry. I know how much people like anxiety these days. But I'm happy to help, and in no way I can. Susan have a happy Thanksgiving, my friend, and thanks for calling. Alrighty, let's go to Virginia. Hi, Virginia. How are you out there in Oxnard? A delay?
Yeah, yeah, My question is Okay, so I have to cook the turkey and then I got to go someplace. How do I reheat it or store it so that it's still tastes decently?
Okay, So there's a couple of things. Now, you're going to cook the turkey and then take it to where you're you're going to eat it with family friends.
No, No, I'm going to cook the turkey and then I have to go someplace for a couple of hours and come back and serves a turkey.
Okay, A couple of things here. So there is a danger zone, and that is between the tempts of forty degrees and one hundred and forty degrees, So forty degrees and below is refrigeration or freezing, and then one hundred and forty and above is cooking. So in between that space there is problematic in the sense that if it goes if it drops below the safety net, which is one forty, if it drops below one forty and is in that zone for more than two hours, it's going
to go back. So you are you going to cook it, let it rest and then and then just leave. Are you going to toss it in the fridge?
I was going to cook it, let it rest, and then put it in the refrigerator with boiled Okay.
Now are you planning on, you know, doing the Norman Rockwellian carve it at the table? Are you gonna carve it and serve it carerved?
I was gonna carve it at the table.
Yeah. I think you're probably better off, uh, carving it when you get home and then warming it up carved okay, And that way I would put it into. I would put it into foil at three point fifty and warm it until it's one sixty.
In Even if it's already.
Cooked, Yes, you still have to get it up to temperature because that temperature is going to kill bacteria. That's why, you know, even microwaving things, it says, you know, cook until it's one sixty five in the center, you still have to reseat to the same temperature.
Okay, okay. Second question, then what if I dress it and do all the stuff that I need to do to it, and then cook it, put it in a refrigerator, and then come home and cook it.
Well, how big of a bird is it?
Just ten pounds?
Ten pounds? Well, you're still looking at roughly and it's you're not putting stuffing in it. No, okay, so you're looking at probably twelve minutes a pound roughly.
Yeah, it's about three hours.
Yeah, So if that worked for you, that would be the preferred method.
Okay, I'll do that.
That works for your time and I get home.
Yeah that different.
We'll eat later.
Yeah, screw them, you're the one busting your eye.
Yeah, we'll just eat later. I'll you know, I'll turn the TV on.
Yeah and watch TV.
Yeah, we'll play scrabble.
Yeah, don't fill up on rolls and you're good to go.
Yeah.
Yeah, no, I thought that's.
What I'll do.
I want to be safe. I do have safe sort of certification, and I'm thinking, oh no, okay, well.
It's all you know, it's easy to second guess, but that's the best way is to do that. Let it rest and you know, serve it in that state is probably the best.
Okay, I'll just put it in the fridge and took it when I get home.
There you go, all right, Vickio, happy, thank you. Hey, look at this. Got a text from my buddy John fueling over there at a corner butcher shop there in Laverne. You know what, They're open eight to two, so you got to get you know, ConA when you're on your way home to the Ie swing. Buy there off of the two ten. Go see see Johnny and say, uh, I want a turkey for a hat, and he'll go, we don't sell them for hats. You can go, I know, Neil Savadrin, He'll go who and he'll call the police.
And now have you thrown out? Great story, Neil, Yeah, well that's kind of riffing. No good, good folks over there. I'm actually eating his food today as a matter of fact, because my mother in law I'm going over to her house and she lives near there. And picked up stuff. If you're in Orange County looking for a place, I highly recommend you if you need any of your stuffs to check out the butchery. There's multiple locations the butchery. Those guys were are friends of the show as well,
and they'll take care of you. I love it. We've got we've got butcher friends all over the place that'll take care of you. You're over there in Los Angeles, the Foothills, got corner butcher. You're out and about. Maybe you're in Breo, or you're in Newport. What is that Eric Crystal Cove area? You know some of those places. I think Coasta, Mesa. You got the butchery. They'll take care of you. They got sides, they got meats's whatever, whatever you need, they got got you taken care of. Okay,
let's talk to Chloe. Okay, she just left. That worked out nicely. Let's go to Steve. Steve, welcome, Hey.
Hey Neil, happy Thanksgiving to you and the fambam. How you doing?
Oh good sir? And right back at you. How can I help you today?
Thank you? I got my first air fryer two three months ago. Look at you. I know I'm into that. I'm out of the stone age.
You get a microwave and a VCR as well.
Please come on, I believe it. Yeah, I won't. I won't mention the brand on the air. But I got an eight court basket unless you want me to mention and I have. Oh, I've got a gor Mia eight court got from Costco. Nice great deal basket type. Okay, So, Neil, a couple of questions. And by the way, I've only cooked French fries and chicken boneless and bone in, and that's my only experience. But I'm looking to expand my experience first and foremost, Neil, and I've spoken to everybody,
I've done my research. What's the difference between cooking on air fry, cooking on bake, and cooking on broil. I don't get that yet.
Okay, broil is going to punch the temperature up. Broil is usually from a single source, meaning it's above usually above. A broil is above they call them in salamanders in the business when you go to a restaurant, but it is high heat, usually five hundred degrees from above, and that's good for melting cheese or to crisping up the top of something. You don't want to do that. And you said baking or roasting.
Baking or air frying, and I've also cooked on air fry.
The air Okay, air fry is going to turn on the convection. It's going to turn on the air that circulates around around So frying in oil is a wet cooking method, but what it does is extracts the water. That's what makes things crispy. So those bubbles you see, is it pulling the water out of the food to make it crispy. So although air fryers are not frying because that's a wet method, what they are doing is
using heat and the circulation of air to dehydrate. Because actually, strangely enough, even though deep frying is a wet method, it is you're basically extracting the liquid out of something. You're dehydrating, So it's doing that to make things crispy. So that is that method. If you're baking with it, it probably turns off the convection portion and is at a temperature around three fifty, so it's going higher temperature
and circulating the air for the air fry. And that's what I would recommend if you're going to do a small turkey in an air fryer is I would do it on air fry neil.
When I purchased the air fryer, it came with literally one piece of parchment paper which was at the bottom. And I've done my research and spoken to people about do you need parchment paper, a piece of aluminum foil, nothing at the bottom just because of simplicity, I've been using aluminum foil. Do you have an opinion on what should be at the bottom of the air frier.
No, I think that's fine. Some people have the only thing difference between parchment and foil, like Martha Stewart, for instance, never uses foil because she has concerns about foil and aluminum touching your food. I personally don't, although I know the dangers of it are the concerns that people might think with some study, you know, studies is showing aluminum and ties with Alzheimer's. But if it's not touching and
you're just using it to I personally use both. But in this particular case, you could use if it's just catching the drippings, as foil or parchment is absolutely fine.
And speaking of the drippings, neil, and this is my second to last question, Thank you so much. I've done some of my chicken cooking with bone in chicken thighskay, And I've done it both ways where I put the bone in chicken thighs in the air fryer the entire time, and I've also done it where I've done the bone in chicken thighs where I've cooked them on the skillet, just just to have those drippings for like ten or fifteen minutes fall into the skillet so all of those
drippings don't fall into the air fryer. Do you have an opinion on bone in chicken, whatever size, whatever the case may be, to cook it one hundred percent in the air fryer or maybe part of it on a skillet and part of it out.
No, it depends. If you're going to make a gravy. That sounds like a smart idea to do that, And so you have the drippings in the pan, just make sure since it's not it's only partially cooked, make sure you cook those drippings all the way through in a gravy or what have you to bring them up to one hundred and sixty five degrees. But other than that, yeah,
I'd probably do the same thing. If I was going to do a gravy, I'd do the drippings because they might dry out more with the convection on in an air fryer, and then you have a different situation there. So that's that's my thoughts on that. My friend, Sorry, Steve, got to go. Kfi Neil Svader in for Bill Handle. Happy Thanksgiving to you, Happy to be with you, answering your questions, hanging out being buds. Let's talk to Chloe. Hey there, thanks for calling back. How can I help?
I am in charge of the turkey, Yeah you are, You're little tin pounder. Got to take it about thirty minutes across town, so I'm not sure how to travel it. And do I make the gravy before? Do I take the pan with me when I get there to make the gravy?
Yeah, you could make the gravy before. You may have to reheat it and loosen it up a bit, but you know, if if you have some chicken stock or something like that to loosen it up there, otherwise it might just be fine. Even a little water would do it quite honestly. But as far as the turkey, you should be good. This is what I would do, is I would cook it, let it rest cool down a
little bit because you don't want it steaming itself. Then i'd wrap it really well in foil and then I you know, really tight and foil, and then i'd wrap that with a clean towel, and then i'd put it into a cooler, shut the cooler, and drive thirty minutes. And it's probably not going to lose any temperature at.
All, Okay, So I'm going to let it rest before I wrap it.
I would let it rest for a little bit because got to cool down. You don't want it steaming the skin or steaming itself, So i'd let it cool down a little bit beforehand. You don't need to let it rest completely to one hundred and twenty in the thickest part of the bird when it cools down, as we talked about earlier. But yeah, and then you should be good to go.
All right, Well, then I need to get it in the oven a little bit earlier.
Than I planned. Yeah, if if you weren't planning on letting it rest a little bit, I think that's probably best. You don't want it to rest on the way per se because you're wrapping it up, So that would be that would be my thought on that.
Great, fantastic, Thank you so much.
You're very welcome. Thanks for calling. Let's talk to Luigi Neil Hap happy thanksgiving to you. Luigi. How can can I help you? My friend?
Thanks? About a couple of those big pies at Costco. I got a pumpkin and an apple O nice. Yeah, they've been in the fridge for about three days. Okay, how do I warm them up? Can I warm them up?
Well? I would warm up that apple pie. The best way to do it is in a three one hundred and fifty degree oven, and I would put foil over the top so you don't burn that crust and let that heat up. But the pumpkin pie, you don't need to do anything. You could come to a room temp and you'll be fine. Great, you could eat a cold even I mean, you know I like cold pumpkin pie with some whipped cream on there.
Yeah. Yeah, the apple Now you said three hundred and fifty per hello.
Well, it's basically you want it to be at one sixty five in the center, to be completely reheated, and the foil is going to protect that crust from you know, over cooking or browning again. So that is what you do. They might even have their own designations on the package. I can't remember you last time I had a Costco pie, but I know them. I know them well, it's just been a minute. But that's what you do. Roughly, reheating stuff around three point fifty is pretty normal.
Thanks Neil, Happy Thanksgiving.
You're very welcome. Happy Thanksgiving to you, my friend by we talk to Oh, you know what, I'm right up against the clock and I should probably go to the top of the hour, but I will give the numbers out again. Eight hundred five to zero one five three four, eight hundred five two zero one five three four. If you're waiting online, we'll get to you when we return eight hundred five to zero one five three four. And I'd love for you to join me on Instagram at
fourk reporter at fork reporter on Instagram. We have fun there, learn things and get to know each other and make the world a better place. It's a lot for a social media outlet, but we do it. Part of my goal. More of a calling really, seven fifty seven here on Thanksgiving more and happy to be with you. Let's don't do it. I swear you do it. Cono, you dump me and I will come in there and I will knock with that poor excuse for a beard right off your face. Neil Svader in for Bill Handle. This I'm
thankful for you. Cono. This is KFI heard everywhere.
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