You may get asked to carve the bird this Thanksgiving. And unless you know what you're doing - standing there, knife in hand, hungry family staring up at you - it can be a nerve-wracking experience.

There's no one right way to carve a turkey, as you'll see from the following videos, but there are some things to keep in mind, should the carving knife land in your hand.

1 - Make sure the knife is sharp. A dull knife will rip the tender meat apart, rather than slice cleanly through it.

2 - Let the turkey rest for about 20 minutes once it comes out of the oven. It'll cut better that way.

3 - Decide where the bird is going to be sliced. You can do it either on the table, in front of everyone, in which case you'll need to be fairly neat, or back in the kitchen, where a less refined technique, and some hands on assistance with separating bones, will work.

4 - Cutting and removing the legs (drumsticks), first makes the breasts more accessible.
5 - Breasts can be removed from the frame by cutting around the bones, then sliced on a cutting board. Or, once the legs are out of the way, sliced right on the turkey.

For more visual guidance, here are links to three videos, all with good carving techniques.

The first is from VideoJug.com and shows step by step how to get the most meat off your bird. This method is best suited for carving in the kitchen. You can view the video here.

The next video is from Cooking.com and can be modified to use tableside, should your family require a show. Check it out here.

And finally, no how-to would be complete without an entry from Martha. In this video she shows how to remove the meat from the bird and arrange it beautifully on a platter.

Pick any technique that suits your situation, and carve with confidence.