Meaty’s Turkey Tips
How to ace Thanksgiving, from sourcing to carving
Let’s be honest, the turkey is the highest stakes part of Thanksgiving. Your pies are probably going to be ok. The mashed potatoes can always get some more butter and no one will notice the lumps. Even the gravy is a relatively low stress proposition.
With the turkey however, you have to cook it correctly and THEN you have to carve it into beautiful slices. Here at Meaty, we’ve made most of the turkey mistakes possible and still came out the other side, so we’ve decided to let you in on some of our top tricks for having the best bird this Thanksgiving.
Source locally and source well. Find a farmer raising turkeys near you, in a way you feel good about. Seek out a turkey that has been raised outdoors on pasture. Not only will it be better for the environment, but the meat itself will taste better. The more exercise the bird gets and the more it is able to forage for seeds and insects, the richer the flavor. If you like dark meat, consider buying a heritage breed bird.
Get to know your turkey. Before you cook the turkey, take a minute to explore it’s anatomy. Locate the joints where the wings and legs connect to the back bone. When you are carving the turkey it will be very hot and more challenging to feel around for joints.
Use a sharp knife. The saying that dull knives are more dangerous than sharp ones is especially true when you are dealing with a large, hot, slippery object like a roasted turkey. A sharp knife is more likely to cut straight through the bird’s skin and muscles which will lead to cleaner slices and a safer experience.
Know what you can and cannot cut through. You can cut through skin, muscles, and tendons. You cannot cut through bone. The joints at the wings and thighs need to be cut around because they are ball and socket joints which can’t be cut through. The joint between the drumstick and the thigh is a hinge joint and can be cut through.
Gravity is your friend. Cut the wings off first because the rest of the body weight will hold the turkey in place. Then remove the legs and finally the breasts. Take large pieces off the bird and then cut them into slices on the cutting board.
Though turkey can seem intimidating, with these tips and tricks we are sure that you will ace your Thanksgiving dinner.
If you are in the Boston area, here are few (non-comprehensive) Meaty recommendations of places to source your turkey from this year:
Stillman Quality Meats - Kate Stillman raises traditional broad breasted turkeys 100% on pasture and offers them in sizes ranging from 10 - 28 pounds.
Lilac Hedge Farm - Lilac Hedge Farm raises both traditional broad breasted and heritage breed turkeys on pasture. They offer both home delivery and multiple pickup locations.
Walden Local Meat - Walden Local Meat sources pasture-raised turkeys from multiple New England farmers and will deliver them straight to your door as part of a Thanksgiving share. This is an excellent opportunity to try out Walden’s meat share model.
