Before You Carve That Turkey, Make Sure You Pick Up This

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Turkey is the default Thanksgiving food, but it's worth enjoying year round — if you have the right tools. It's a large protein, and it can be a real hassle to cook and serve it properly. Slicing the turkey with a carving knife set takes out the guesswork, and it delivers on presentation, serving size, and safety.

There are countless kitchen knives on the market, but a carving knife has a long, sharp blade that allows it to cut through the skin and dense meat of a turkey. The blade is thin for precise positioning on the bird, and it has a pointed tip that helps for cleaner slicing, especially around more difficult areas like bones and cartilage (which means you'll nail the presentation at this year's dinner table). Plus, evenly sliced turkey pieces are important when trying to account for how much each guest might eat. Look for a knife made with high-carbon stainless steel – this durable, hard material creates a sharp, clean blade that is still thin enough to easily guide through the meat.

In a pinch, you can get away with a large, sturdy fork to help guide the knife and hold the meat, but nothing works as well as a carving fork. For safety reasons and to avoid hurting yourself, you should have this proper tool to ensure the meat doesn't shift while you cut it. A carving fork has two long, sharp prongs that allow it to securely hold the meat while you slice and plate it.

Carving knife and fork sets range in price, so if you're only using the set once per year around the holidays, you don't need to spend a fortune. The Asety carving knife set is well-priced and has excellent reviews, plus it's made with high-carbon stainless steel. If you'll be using the set frequently, however, you want something that lasts. The Cutluxe turkey-carving knife set is made with high-carbon stainless steel and comes with a lifetime warranty, making it a better option and worth the costlier investment. Perfecting your turkey recipe is one thing, but it always helps to go the extra mile by presenting and safely slicing it.