The
Bird Is The Word: The Right Bird For The Job!
“Why
spend a lot of money on a turkey? All turkeys are the same…”
Nope!
They’re not, really! But then again you don’t need to break the bank buying the
turkey. Some turkeys are better than others, here’s a quick buying guide from
the American Turkey Council to help you make the right decision…
The following
passage was reprinted from the American Turkey Council
Turkey,
as well as all other poultry, is described and classified using a number of
different criteria:
Kind: describes if the poultry is turkeys, chickens, ducks,
etc.
Class: describes how the poultry is categorized, such as a
fryer or roaster.
Grade: describes the quality of the bird based on USDA
guidelines. Common grades for poultry are A, B, and C, with A being the best
quality.
Style: describes the bird as being whole, cut into
sections, (halves, quarters, etc.), or cut into individual parts, (breast, leg,
thigh, etc.).
Size or Weight: turkeys are specified by individual weight.
Type: describes a turkey as being fresh, frozen,
hard-chilled, etc.
Packaging: specifies how the turkey is packaged at the
processing company. Most turkeys are individually wrapped and may be shipped
several to a container.
Temperature: describes the ideal temperature for fresh,
frozen, or hard-chilled turkeys for processing, shipping, and storing.
Breed: quality, flavor, size, and the ratio of meat to bone
can be affected by the breed of the turkey. White Holland is the breed that is
most often raised for commercial purposes.
FRESH
TURKEYS:
Any
turkey labeled "fresh" in a food store has never been cooled to a
temperature lower than 26°F, which is the point that turkey meat begins to
freeze. A fresh turkey should be cooked no later than 2 days after it is
purchased or by the "use by date" on the label, otherwise it must be frozen
until it is ready to use. Some turkey processors label their fresh turkeys as
"refrigerated" rather than fresh in order to prevent confusion with
the consumer. Fresh turkeys that are chilled to 26°F may seem a bit stiff on
the surface, as though they have been frozen when they actually have not. The
cost of a fresh turkey may be a bit higher than a frozen turkey because of
special handling requirements. The processor must ensure that the turkey
remains at a temperature of 26°F from the factory to the market and the market
must ensure that their refrigerated case does not climb above 38°F to 40°F.
FROZEN
TURKEYS:
Although
turkey meat begins to freeze at 26°F, in order to be considered
"frozen", a turkey must be cooled to a temperature of 0°F or below.
Commercial processing companies use a flash freezing process that quickly cools
turkeys to 0°F or below. This ensures that when the turkey is defrosted, the
meat will be at the same level of freshness as the day it was originally
frozen. There is no difference in the quality of turkey that is fresh or
commercially frozen, but fresh turkey that is placed in a home freezer may
deteriorate more quickly than turkey that has been flash frozen in commercial
equipment. This is because home freezers are not able to cool the meat as
quickly as commercial freezers.
Listed
below are several other important points to consider when using a frozen
turkey.
A
frozen turkey may be safely prepared up to a year after it was originally
frozen.
A
frozen turkey that has been thawed should not be refrozen until after it is
cooked.
A
turkey that has been defrosted before it is sold must be labeled
"previously frozen".
Listed
below are additional types of frozen turkeys that are available in most food
stores:
Prestuffed: Prestuffed frozen turkeys can be purchased
with a variety of stuffing flavors and in a large selection of sizes.
Prestuffing and freezing a turkey at home can be dangerous. Home freezers
cannot freeze as quickly as commercial freezing processes. The stuffing increases
the growth rate of harmful bacteria, which may multiply rapidly before the
turkey has a chance to freeze properly.
Self-Basting: A self-basting turkey is injected with
various ingredients, such as oil, juices, and seasonings, before it is frozen.
When the turkey is roasted, the added ingredients keep the meat moist and
tender as well as provide extra flavor.
Boneless Turkey Roast: Whole turkeys are available
that have been deboned and packaged. The preparation, cooking, and carving are
much more convenient. Another type of turkey roast consists of pieces of white
or dark meat or both, that are removed from the bones, placed in a foil pan,
and frozen to be cooked when needed.
Hard
Chilled: Turkeys
that are hard-chilled are cooled to temperatures between 0°F and 26°F. They are
not considered fresh or frozen and so they are not labeled as such. Since they
are not considered frozen, the turkeys must be handled as though they are fresh
to ensure proper food safety.
SPECIALTY
TURKEYS:
Smoked: Smoked turkeys are ready to eat because the smoking
process cures and cooks the meat with indirect heat. They are available in a
wide range of flavors depending on the type of fuel used for the smoking
process.
Free-Range: A turkey known as "free-range"
indicates that the bird was allowed to roam outdoors, which may have a positive
affect on the flavor of the meat, especially if the roaming area was not too
crowded. The amount of space that a turkey is given to roam, regardless if it
is indoors or out, actually affects the quality to a greater degree than if the
bird is simply allowed to be outdoors.
Organic: An organic turkey refers to a bird that is allowed
to eat only organic feed and is allowed to roam outdoors (free-range). In order
to be classified as organic, the turkey can never receive any antibiotics.
Growth hormones are also prohibited, which is the case for all commercially
raised poultry.
Natural: This refers to turkeys that have limited
processing with no artificial ingredients or coloring added. The term
"natural" does indicate that a turkey is free-range. The meat is also
be a bit drier than other types of turkeys that have had additional processing.
Kosher: A kosher turkey must be raised and processed with
strict guidelines under rabbinical supervision. The turkeys are free-range
birds that are fed only grain, are never given any antibiotics, and are
individually inspected. When they are processed, the turkeys are soaked in a
salty brine solution to provide maximum tenderness and to give the meat a unique
flavor.
Heritage Turkeys: Before turkeys were raised
in large commercial sites and mass marketed, most people ate a variety of
breeds raised on small farms. Today these various breeds are known collectively
as "Heritage Turkeys", which are making a comeback. Heritage turkeys
are free-range birds and include breeds such as Jersey Buff, Bourbon Red, Black
Spanish, and Narragansett. The various breeds generally have a longer body,
smaller breast muscles, and are bit leaner than commercially raised birds. Heritage
turkeys require an additional 2 to 3 months to grow to the proper size for
processing. This makes the turkeys more expensive than commercially raised
birds, but most people feel the extra expense is justified because of the
excellent flavor and the texture and tenderness of the meat. Most heritage
turkeys are raised on small farms where they can be directly purchased or they
can be conveniently purchased from a number of online sites and shipped
directly to the consumer.
Choose
Your Bird, Sir! Take ten paces and turn!
Okay,
so which ones do we buy? Well, last year we splurged and got a kosher bird from
Trader Joe’s. Since it is pre-brined and not exorbitantly expensive it makes
for one of the best choices! Moist white meat, succulent dark meat and no added
fillers or water, broth or oils it is more than worth the extra money. There is
some talk about both Kosher and Pre-brined turkeys make for lousy gravy. The
salt level is so high that using the drippings from the roasting pan will ruin
the finished gravy. Fresh is better, but more expensive than frozen and you
should plan on thawing the bird in the fridge for up to 3 days before the day
of the Thanksgiving dinner. Currently, Sprouts has fresh free-range turkeys for
$1.49 per pound available today through Thanksgiving! Though I have not had a
lot of Heritage turkeys I am told they are special, with a “gamy” flavor and
stringy dry white meat and slightly more greasy than their larger commercial
turkeys! Also, because they are not your typical Broad-Breasted White like the
Butterbal that most families serve at Turkey Day they take a lot less time to
cook in your oven – an added plus! Unfortunately, every American citizen has
grown up with the Franken-birds the commercial poultry farmers raise. The turkeys
are so pumped-up on hormones their breasts get to be so huge the turkey can
barely walk upright!
I tend to stay away from the pre-stuffed
birds and look to avoid any bird that claims to be “Pre-Basted” since these are
pumped up with all kinds of ingredients designed to keep the white meat moist.
Oils, broths and other liquids are injected into the meat to keep it from
drying out during roasting, and it just strikes me as weird science!
“Pre-Stuffed” is another concept I don’t
care for and can lead to some food borne illness issues during the Big Thaw.
Most experts agree that you should have some control on what goes into, and
onto your bird before it gets roasted. Letting someone else decide what to
stuff into the bird seems a little too lazy!
“Natural” and “Free-Range” tend to be
terms that go hand-in-hand and some explanation is in order. Natural means just
that, only natural feed is given to the bird and no artificial ingredients are
fed to the bird to increase breast growth or make for a moist bird. And free
range? Well, that just means the birds are not kept locked up in the coop for
their entire lives. However, certain states have basic rules governing the
labeling of a piece of poultry as free range. In some states just letting the
birds out of their cage for one hour a day is enough! I don’t go in for these
birds and tend to avoid them, completely.
There seems to be a new emphasis every
year on “organic” everything and turkeys are no exception. Food purists say you
will get a better tasting turkey by shelling out three times the price for one
of these birds. Mostly, as the information states above, organic refers to what
kind of grain the bird is fed and in my mind that may not be enough of a reason
to pay the difference. Other people swear by the rule, “Organic/Free Range” and
claim the added expense is worth it. The jury is still out on this one for me,
I’m afraid!
There
is much to be said about getting the bird frozen or fresh. Last year we got a
frozen Kosher bird and left it in the refer for 3 days. Still, it wasn’t enough
time to completely thaw and the bird was soaked in cold water for a few hours
to completely thaw before being put into the oven. There is much to be said
getting the bird out of the fridge and up to room temperature before stuffing
it, trussing and sticking it into the oven. Any roast or hunk of meat benefits
from this essential trick – and frozen turkeys need extra care.
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