From thawing to leftovers, Chef Tom helps us with food safety for the holidays. Here's a transcript of his conversation with KC Counts.
KC Counts:
It's Thanksgiving morning. It's 6.45 a.m. What are you doing, Chef Tom?
Chef Tom:
I'm on my second mimosa. [laughter]
KC Counts:
Well, we want to talk about food safety. So you probably should limit that so that, you know, you don't make any mistakes while you're preparing that huge meal for all your guests. And there's a lot to know. And, you know, truth be told, we kind of missed the very first part of it. which if you haven't already safely thawed your turkey, then you might want to pay extra close attention, right?
Chef Tom:
That's correct. It takes about 24 hours for five pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. So if you haven't already purchased it and had it thawing, you can run it under cold water, change the water about every 30 minutes. I just let it run, but in saving water, we want to make sure that we're not just wasting it. So I prefer to put all my birds in the refrigerator. In fact, we got three this year.
KC Counts:
You have room for all that?
Chef Tom:
Yeah, being a chef, I've got 1, 2, 3 refrigerators and two freezers.
KC Counts:
Yeah, well, I certainly have caught myself a few years having to do the sink method there. So let's skip forward past that part of it and now talk about preparation and how to really, you know, stay safe during the preparation time. We're not supposed to actually rinse our turkey, right?
Chef Tom:
No, that spreads bacteria. What I do is I will drain it. Of course, you want to reach in and make sure that you're pulling the neck and the gizzard packet, gizzard and liver packet, out. And then I tilt mine to pour the juices out and then I dry it with a paper towel. outside. The way I cook my turkey is I dry brine it, which means that I'll pat it dry, rub it with olive oil so my seasonings stick to it, and I do that the night before. So then when it comes time, I'll pull it out of the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then pop it into the oven. I blast mine until it's golden brown in the oven at 500 degrees, and then I reduce the heat to about 300, 325, depending on how hot your oven runs, and then I do it until it gets to temperature.
KC Counts:
So let's talk about “to temperature” because I feel like I haven't really truly figured out how to properly use a meat thermometer, honestly.
Chef Tom:
I have a digital one, so it's an instant read, and it gives me exactly at the tip. Now, some thermometers will have a dimple in the side of it if they're the dial type, and you actually have to get that dimple within the meat to take the temperature. So the instant read digital ones record the temperature right at the tip of the probe. So I go in to the breast, close to the bone. Of course, I don't stuff mine because it speeds things up if there's air going into the cavity instead of stuffing, so I avoid stuffing it also because in order to bring the stuffing to a safe temperature, because it's going to absorb the juices from the bird, you have to bring the stuffing to 165 degrees, which then by then your turkey flesh has already dried out. So I leave mine empty and so I don't take the temperature right against the carcass. I go about halfway through the breast. Or you can take it in the thigh area. And if you're taking it in the thigh, I like to take it about 172, 174, pull it out of the oven and let it rest. I cover mine with plastic wrap and then in a nice thick towel to keep it warm for about 45 minutes to let the juices reabsorb within the meat, and then it's just super juicy.
KC Counts:
Now, we think of the turkey as being the most common offender, but is it?
Chef Tom:
No, actually, leftovers can be. As far as food safety, mashed potatoes are a big one. Stuffing, if you're not cooling them properly before you store them, it can actually carry a lot of bacteria.
KC Counts:
Wait a minute, wait a minute, Chef Tom. You're saying that we have to let the stuffing cool “properly” before we refrigerate it?
Chef Tom:
Yes. Anything that has a lot of what we call thermal mass, the density of it, can also drop the temperature or raise the temperature of the refrigerator. So if you're throwing stuff right in the refrigerator, I like to cool mine in shallow pans, and you can pop those in the refrigerator because it's, you know, maybe an inch to two inches thick. Anything that's solid, I like to put into a... water bath and stir it till it's nice and cool, about 70 degrees. So if I'm taking something hot right off of the buffet and throwing it in the refrigerator, it's going to raise the temperature and then affect everything else that's in the refrigerator, your eggs and.
KC Counts:
I have never done any of that. Now, what I do is just, because it sits out on the counter for hours, right? While everyone's kind of coming and going. That's probably not the best idea either, is it?
Chef Tom:
No, we like to go the two-minute rules. There are some that say you can go up to - four -not two-minute, two HOUR rule. There's some that say 4 hours, but anything what we call the danger zone, 40 degrees to 140 degrees is the perfect growing zone for bacteria. And it will actually, the cells split and they double geometrically progressing so they can get you sick within two hours. There'll be enough bacteria. Now you're not going to be able to see it. So you're just going to want to monitor that. What I do is I do smaller portions on my buffet. So about every two hours I'm taking things off. And if there's something I want to save, my goal is to feed 40 people and not have any leftovers or if they're going to take them, they can take them. You know, we put them in smaller portions for them and so they'll cool faster and then they're able to take them home and enjoy them.
KC Counts:
Gosh, Chef Tom, I'm lucky to be alive. Now, how long should we really plan on having those leftovers available after Thanksgiving?
Chef Tom:
Two to four days, rule of thumb. And I'm not saying you have to throw them out, but I would freeze them within two days if you're not going to eat them. I know that I like to take leftover turkey, especially one of my Black Friday purchases is the fresh loaf of Wonder Bread. So make that leftover turkey sandwich that sticks to the roof of your mouth. And any turkey that's leftover after lunch, I'll freeze and then I'll use it as the weather gets colder, pull it back out and make turkey pot pies or something. But if you're going to keep it refrigerated, I would keep it no more than three, four days.
KC Counts:
All right.
Chef Tom:
And then make sure that you're reheating it to at least 165 degrees to kill any bacteria that may have formed.
KC Counts:
So once you've carved your turkey, can you throw the carcass right in the soup pan?
Chef Tom:
Of course.
KC Counts:
Okay, we're still clear for that.
Chef Tom:
Yes, yeah, And what I like to do is I cover mine with cold water so it stays a little bit clearer as it's extrapolating the, and save your vegetable trims. If you're doing maple glazed carrots, save all your trimmings so you can use all your vegetables, onions and celery and carrots in your stock to make your soup.
KC Counts:
Anything else that you think we've missed that's a really important safety tip for cooking and serving this holiday season.
Chef Tom:
Well, we want to make sure that we avoid cross-contamination. If you have a raw turkey in your refrigerator, don't put it on the top shelf, put it on the bottom shelf. So if it happens to leak, I always put mine on a drip tray because invariably, just me banging around, getting it in and out of the car and into the freezer, I rip a little hole. So as it thaws, it'll start dripping. So I always put a drip tray underneath the bird itself and put it on the bottom shelf. So you have to think of a turkey like a chicken. It can have salmonella, and so we want to avoid that cross-contamination in the refrigerator as well as on your cutting board. If you're working with it or you have it in the sink, make sure you sanitize your sink, hot soapy water, and then I use a quaternary sanitizer spray and let it sit for about 10, 15 seconds to kill any bacteria. And then I always wash my cutting board between tasks. if I'm cutting vegetables, I'll wash it and then I'll go and prep my hand and put that in the pan and then I wash my cutting board and sanitize it. And of course, you can't forgive your hands. You got to make sure that your hands in the surrounding areas on your workspace are clean.
KC Counts:
Not only am I lucky to be alive, I guess my family's pretty lucky too. [laughter]
Chef Tom:
But we grew up drinking water from a garden hose, so.
KC Counts:
And maybe a horse trough a time or two. I won't lie.
Chef Tom:
Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
KC Counts:
Chef Tom, thank you so much for helping us stay safe this Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to you and enjoy your party.
Chef Tom:
Happy Thanksgiving to you and thank you for having me.
Follow these tips for food safety:
1. Turkey Purchasing & Thawing
- Buy early—frozen turkeys take time to thaw safely.
- Thaw in the refrigerator only (never on the counter).
- 24 hours per 4–5 lbs of turkey.
- For faster thawing: use cold-water method, changing water every 30 minutes.
2. Preventing Cross-Contamination
- Keep raw turkey and juices away from produce, cooked foods, and ready-to-eat items.
- Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw poultry.
- Sanitize surfaces after handling raw turkey (hot, soapy water + sanitizer).
3. Cooking Temperatures
- 165°F (74°C) is the key safety number.
- Turkey—test in the thickest part of breast, thigh, and stuffing if applicable.
- Stuffing must reach 165°F; cook it separately if possible for safety.
- Use a calibrated food thermometer—don’t cook by color or time alone.
4. Hot Holding & Serving
- Keep hot foods above 135°F.
- Keep cold foods below 41°F.
- Discard any perishable food left out for more than 2 hours.
5. Cooling Leftovers Safely
- Cool quickly:
- Divide large portions into shallow pans.
- Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking.
- Follow the 2–4 day rule:
- Eat or freeze leftovers within 4 days.
- Reheat leftovers to 165°F.
6. Clean Hands & Workspaces
- Wash hands for 20 seconds before and after handling food.
- Use single-use towels or sanitized cloths for wiping up raw meat juices.
- Keep high-touch items (handles, knobs, faucets) sanitized throughout prep.
7. Special Notes
- Never rinse raw turkey—this spreads bacteria.
- Use a timer when cooking multiple dishes to avoid forgetfulness in busy kitchens.
- For large events: maintain a time/temperature log for all hot-held and cold-held foods.
