This Thanksgiving, let science help you roast a tastier turkey

I've got a kitchen confession: I don't do Thanksgiving turkey.

It's not because of dietary restrictions, although I do try to limit my meat consumption. It's more a matter of soul-crushing disappointment. Years ago, my family and I decided we weren't going to serve Thanksgiving turkey anymore because it kept turning out dry and flavorless.

What's the point of getting up super early and spending hours laboring and stressing in the kitchen if you're just going to end up with a bland bird?

I don't need that kind of holiday heartache.

And I am not alone in my turkey disdain. "It is one of the most boring and unflavorful pieces of meat," says cookbook author Nik Sharma. "And I think that's probably why everyone struggles every year with this bird."

But bad turkeys are a problem that science can actually solve. Which, and Kenji Lopez-Alt, a New York Times food columnist and author of