When it comes to demonstrating cooking techniques — and helping pupils understand the science behind them — there is no better teacher than Alton Brown. So to prep for Thanksgiving, we're tuning in to Alton's top turkey tips to guarantee we turn out a perfectly cooked, flavorful, nicely browned bird.

Not convinced you need to brine? Alton brings in reinforcements to explain the weird science behind brining's effectiveness, and shares his flavorful brine recipe.

You'll need to spend time prepping your bird for superb end results. Alton shares his prepping secrets — including which surprising aromatics he stuffs inside the bird.

No one wants a turkey with its legs flayed out. Alton shows you how to truss the turkey — which guarantees even cooking and simple carving.

Now it's time to actually cook the bird. Want yours to look like this? Alton shares how by starting the bird at a super-high temp and then covering the breast in foil for the remainder of the cooking cycle, you'll end up with an evenly cooked, juicy bird with browned, crispy skin.