The Chef Wolfe Method
Physics vs. Tradition
Years ago, I had the pleasure of studying Culinary Arts under the direction of Chef Kenneth C. Wolfe. Chef Wolfe was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had; he both taught and inspired many of the great Chefs working in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. One of the key techniques his students learned was his method for roasting turkey.
One of the greatest culinary travesties that has been adopted as tradition by most Americans is the way we cook our traditional Thanksgiving dinners. The problem is, a 20-plus pound turkey is not “designed” to be effectively roasted whole, and especially not whole and filled with stuffing.
If you just look at the geometry of a turkey, you will see that some parts are thick and some are thin. In order for the heat to penetrate far enough through the thick parts of the breast and legs to cook the stuffing to a safe degree, by the time that happens, significant parts of the outside of the turkey are dried out to a stringy mess. It is a losing battle against physics.
The Story of Ham-Handed Tradition
Yet this mal-cooking of turkeys happens time and again in millions of households across the country every year come November. Why? Well, it has to do with a thing called tradition. Here is a story that Chef Wolfe told his students each year about tradition:
“How do traditions in cooking develop? Let me tell you a story. A young husband was seated at dinner and asked his wife why she cut off the ends of the ham. She replied, ‘Because my mother always did it that way’ When he next saw his mother-in-law, he asked her why she cut off the ends of the ham. She answered, ‘Because my mother always did it that way.’ Fortunately, the old grandmother was still alive, so the next time he saw her he asked, `Grandmother, why do you cut the ends off your ham?’ `So it would fit in the pan I had,’ she replied.”
The Method: Physics Over Folklore
Chef Wolfe taught his students that if you are willing to let go of a little tradition and take that unwieldy bird and cut it into relatively similarly-sized pieces, you will end up with a perfectly cooked, juicy turkey every single time.
Step 1: Disjointing
Divide the turkey into even-sized pieces (whole breast on the bone, drumsticks, and thighs). This allows the heat to circulate around the thickest parts instead of fighting through them.
Step 2: The Prep
Salt the flesh on the underside of the breast and legs while wet. Do this several hours before roasting to allow the salt to penetrate deeply.
Step 3: The Position
Position the trimmed breast neck-cavity side up in a low-rimmed pan. In this position, it becomes “self-basting” as the fat in the skin melts and flows over the meat.
Step 4: Temperature Control
Aim for 150° F internal temperature for the breast. Use a professional thermometer, searching for the lowest reading in the thickest part. Forget the pop-up timers.
Reassembling the Bird
Once cooked, you can reassemble the bird on a platter and garnish it. It will look like Grandma’s turkey, but it will taste like a professional Chef’s masterpiece. The white meat will be moist, and the dark meat will be rich and juicy.