Brian Quinn is ready to talk turkey.
He’ll cut right to it.
Quinn, a Culinary Arts instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College, is featured in a new series available on MATC’s YouTube channel. In the series, called “Pro Tip,” MATC’s expert instructors explain simple yet important life tasks, helping viewers increase their knowledge and perhaps consider taking courses at MATC.
In the first video, Quinn, a full-time MATC instructor since August 2022, shows you how to carve and present a Thanksgiving turkey that will dazzle all your guests.
“You will hear the oohs and aahs of your friends and loved ones,” Quinn promises.
Before carving, Quinn offers a few tips on cooking and preparation:
- Mix olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and any other herbs and spread on the turkey before cooking.
- Consider cooking the turkey upside down in the oven: The fatty parts of the dark meat will flow down to the breast meat and baste them.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with hot water and soap, and dry thoroughly.
- Make sure turkey is fully cooked to at least 165 degrees.
- Assemble the right tools: a sharp chef’s knife (or electric knife) and kitchen tongs.
- Use a large cutting board if you are carving in the kitchen and place a towel under the cutting board to catch any stray juices.
- Use a large platter if you are carving at the table.
Let’s get to the carving:
- Remove the legs. Use your knife to sever the leg joints and place legs on your platter.
- Remove the thighs. Use your knife and tongs to push back the thigh, slice through the joint and separate from the turkey, and then place on your platter.
- Slice the breast. Use your knife to find the middle of the turkey at the top. Cut down the left side until the knife stops cutting easily.
- Cut slices from the right side breast, keeping the knife parallel to the carving platter. If tableside, place slices on your serving tray as you cut them.
To catch Quinn in action and watch the entire video, go to YouTube and subscribe to MATC’s YouTube channel.
Return to the site to see more videos featuring MATC’s experts helping you through life.
Like what you’ve seen? Take the next steps toward a life-changing, family-sustaining degree, diploma, certificate, credential or career. Or maybe just take our Mise en Place/Culinary Fundamentals class.
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ABOUT MATC: Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. Nearly 28,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs; and transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.