Butcher shares common turkey carving mistakes that cause ‘dry meat’

Despite basting the turkey, adding endless chunks of butter underneath the skin, cooking it too long, or carving it incorrectly can result in the meat being tough and dry. To avoid this from happening this Christmas, Express.co.uk spoke to Swaledale Butchers who shared their tops tips to ensure the meat remains tender and moist. 

To avoid a dry turkey, the butchers said the type of bird purchased makes a difference. 

“Our free-range bronze turkey produces a higher natural fat content between the muscle fibres. This creates a firmer texture and bastes the meat as it cooks, making it reliably juicy, dense, and complex in flavour.

“Using butter and steaky bacon to protect the breasts is also a great and tasty way to protect the natural moisture and flavour.” 

When it comes to resting a turkey, they said: “Rest the turkey for a similar time to the bird’s roasting time. 

“For example, a 5kg turkey can be covered lightly in foil and rested for two and a half hours, enabling you to cook all the other items for your Christmas feast.” 

READ MORE: The best party food you can buy in supermarkets this Christmas

How to carve a turkey: 

“You can carve the turkey two ways, one at the table and the second in the engine room of the kitchen,” the butchers explained. “We prefer doing the process in the kitchen, dividing the bird first into prime cuts and then carving these down.” 

1. Remove the wings and the legs.
2. Cut along the turkey backbone and slice down the side to remove the whole breast.
3. Put the breasts on a chopping board.
4. Separate the leg and thigh meat from the bone. You can leave the drumsticks whole for the Fred Flintstones in the family, or if all your guests would like a little brown meat, then carve the meat from the bone once you have removed the leg from the carcass.
5. Carve the breasts to your desired thickness.
6. Place all the meat on a large serving plate.
7. Pour some gravy over the carved turkey and serve at the table. Enjoy.

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Swaledale Online Butchers is a strictly whole-carcass, nose-to-tail butchers based in Yorkshire. Their passion, expertise and dedication is in supplying the native, livestock breeds of Britain to homes and businesses throughout the UK.

Their pursuit of this leaves no stone unturned; breed, age of animal, feed, length of time ageing, butchery techniques – these are constantly being considered and refined.