Food Thoughts on Turkey? What kind will you be buying?

hellokatiegirl

hellokatiegirl

Treat Yo Self!
O.G.
Sep 22, 2009
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5
#1
I know various threads exist already on Thanksgiving recipes and menus, but I was wondering specifically about the type of turkey you will be purchasing for Thanksgiving. I am curious about "Heirloom" turkeys. While I am not going to buy one this year, I was thinking about trying one in the future. They are pretty pricey. I was wondering if anyone has tried them? Here is one website that I found through Bon Appetit magazine that sells these types of turkeys: http://www.heritagefoodsusa.com/

In general, what type of turkeys do you buy for the Holidays? Fresh, frozen, wild etc. and what cooking techniques do you use?
 
#2
After buying and trying a variety of turkeys over the years, I have found that the turkey itself is not as important as the method....

if you brine your turkey (google it, tons of info)...you will be so glad you did.
 
#3
i've never cooked turkey before (my family always stuck to chicken for thanksgiving), but this year i'm going to buy a fresh turkey breast and try to roast it myself. no idea what recipe i'll be using though lol.

i saw a food network thanksgiving special the other day where chris cosentino put duck fat under his turkey's skin. it sounds gross, but i bet it tasted amazing lol. i don't think i'll be able to find duck fat anywhere though!
 
#5
twinkle.tink said:
After buying and trying a variety of turkeys over the years, I have found that the turkey itself is not as important as the method....

if you brine your turkey (google it, tons of info)...you will be so glad you did.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was hopping to brine the turkey. I have never made turkey before but I found some good recipes on Martha Stewart's website for this. Does this really add a lot to the flavor?
 
#6
We usually just do a plain old supermarket turkey, but I think this year we're going to go heritage turkey. My understanding is that they tend to have more dark meat, and a slightly gamier flavor.

We never brine. I've brined chickens before, but never tried it on a turkey. We have yet to serve a dry Thanksgiving bird! I use Martha Stewart's Turkey 101 with the cheesecloth & butter/white wine basting method, and the turkey always comes out uber moist.

Another key point to remember is NOT to cut into the turkey as soon as you remove it from the oven. Let it rest for 30 minutes or so, covered with foil. This allows for the juices to settle back into the meat, rather than just running out when you cut into it (like what you see on supermarket ads - juice running out when you slice is a bad thing!)
 
#7
I always buy a market turkey..(Butterball or whatever) I was thinking of getting them from TJ's or Whole foods instead this year but would have to buy too because they are lots smaller.
I have for years....cooked my turkey in the roasting bag..and its always great! Tender..the color is amazing..everything.
I'm interesting in brining too and was kind of looking into it.
 
#10
We're getting a fresh organic, free range "commodity" turkey. I considered an heirloom, but I'm not super confident in my ability to cook one well. This year I'm brining, last year I made the grill a smoker and smoked it (it was amazing, just trying something different!)
 
#12
For those of you who brine the turkeys yourself, do you find that they come out too salty? The Martha Stewart recipe I looked up calls for 3 cups of salt in the brine which seems excessive. I am thinking about cutting it down to a cup.
 
#15
hellokatiegirl said:
For those of you who brine the turkeys yourself, do you find that they come out too salty? The Martha Stewart recipe I looked up calls for 3 cups of salt in the brine which seems excessive. I am thinking about cutting it down to a cup.
Click to expand...

I keep the salt at about 1 cup for heart health reasons, and it is still flavorful and delicious!
 
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