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Turkey wired with temperature probes

PALO ALTO, California (CNN) -- Millions of Americans will sit down to their traditional Thanksgiving dinners Thursday, and more than a few of them will be forced to say polite things about the main course, which has left them disappointed.

Turkey troubles ranging from "too dry" to "still frozen on the inside" leave many diners wondering if there is any such thing as a gourmet gobbler.

But food writer Hal McGee has an answer: Turkey Technology.

He's abandoned time-tested homespun advice like basting, stuffing and cooking all night -- slow and low -- in favor of pure science.

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The turkey paradox? McGee explains:

"In order to get the leg meat cooked right, the breast meat gets overcooked. If you cook the turkey so the breast meat is cooked right, the leg meat is undercooked."

So McGee tried an experiment, creating an "implant of insulation" to separate skin from meat.

McGee stuffed pecans under the skin, to act as a sort of heat shield. On the other side of the bird, he applied an ice pack.

An industrial thermometer is used for precise temperature readings

"The idea is," McGee said, "you keep the breast cold, while the legs get to warm up at room temperature for a few hours."

McGee's scientific method got mixed results. Icing the breast worked as predicted: That side of the turkey came out at a juicy 145 degrees. The legs were a little hotter -- 171 -- but still juicy.

The heat shield didn't fare as well, though. The pecan-protected side soared above 190 degrees, an "abject failure," according to McGee.

So it's back to the drawing board for McGee.

The rest of us will probably stick with the low-tech traditions of basting, stuffing, and cooking all night. Slow and low.

Correspondent Don Knapp contributed to this report.