It’s all about the knife you use.
Key Points
- Skip the electric carving knife—it can leave an unwanted texture on your turkey meat.
- A carving knife and fork are simple, accessible tools for carving your Thanksgiving turkey.
- According to a turkey farmer, a boning knife is ideal for precise cuts, especially around the turkey’s joints.
Thanksgiving is coming up. In just a few weeks, you’ll be carving your turkey and serving it to family and friends around the dinner table. But the knife you use may make a huge difference.
I attended a virtual turkey prep class led by fourth-generation turkey farmer Heidi Diestel of Diestel Family Ranch. The expert answered questions as she seasoned, carved and served the bird. When someone asked a question about her thoughts on electric carving knives, I thought nothing of it—until she expressed a visceral response.
“I don’t know that I’m a fan,” Diestel shares, and she has an entirely valid reason as to why. “The reason why I’m not a fan is that I feel like the electric carving knives create a texture. They leave a texture on the meat itself because it’s oscillating as you’re carving it.”
I never thought about an electric knife leaving a texture on the turkey meat, but it makes sense. Not to mention you’re literally navigating a mini chainsaw as you cut through the bird. Instead of risking unwanted texture—and cutting off a finger—Diestel suggests two other types of manual knives that can help make carving a breeze, no plug-in required.
First, you likely have a normal carving knife and fork on hand. Diestel says this is all you need to carve your turkey. She describes it as “nifty” and an accessible option for most households.
But if you have a boning knife, featuring a narrow, curved blade with a sharp point, that might be worth whipping out this season.
“If you have a boning knife, the boning knife works much better,” Diestel says. “Carving a turkey really comes down to the joints, quite frankly. You’re making sure, as you’re doing your cutting, you’re popping in between the joints.” The tip and curve of the boning knife is made that way to wiggle through the crevices of the joints—that’s why it’s called a “boning” knife; it helps debone the meat.
TLDR: Use a manual knife instead of an electric carving knife. A carving knife should work well, but if you already own a boning knife, it’d be best to utilize that to carve your turkey. And while Diestel wouldn’t use an electric knife personally, if you can’t let go of your oscillating blade, the farmer isn’t judging.
“I won’t hold it against you if you like them,” she notes. “They sometimes make it feel like it’s a bit easier to carve the bird.”