Page 100 - Turkey Book from Meathead

e recommend you cook most poultry at 325°F.
Regular readers know that we love low and slow, and many of our recipes recommend cooking at 225°F. That's a great temperature for gently melting tough collagen-based connective tissues without getting their protein panties in a bunch and squeezing out moisture (see this article on meat science).
But turkey doesn't have the same composition as pork ribs or beef brisket, so we don't need to worry about melting a lot of tough collagens. Turkey can handle higher temps, and higher temps are needed to render the fats in the skin in order to crisp it. The higher temp helps brown the skin in the short cooking time allotted.
We want brown skin because when cooking, brown means deep rich, complex taste. Browning is the result of a process called the Maillard reaction and, although it starts at low temps, it really kicks in at about 310°F when amino acids and sugars form scores of scrumptious new compounds. This
W KOOCREVO T’NOD ,TAEHREVO T’NOD