What kind of turkey?

[phoebe]

What kind of turkey are you folks getting for home use? Organic? Free Range? Butterball? Heritage? Hen? Tom? And why?
And are you brining or not?

[phatch]

I usually get an uninjected frozen one. Tom or Hen depending on my size needs. I personally lean to toms.

Yes, I will be brining.

Phil

[Peachcreek]

Since we don't have to feed a bunch of people, I usually get a smaller fresh free-ranger. No need to brine. Oven roast or sometimes do it low and slow on the bbq.

[Jock]

I get a locally grown, organic, free range bird about 12-14#. It cost more than the average supermaket turkey (usually $1.60 to $1.90/lb) but I can't get passed the idea of the junk that goes into a processed turkey. Sometimes I brine it with pickling spices to give the meat more flavor but for texture it works out either way.
Julia made a good point once on the question of fresh vs frozen. She pointed out that of the millions of birds sold at this time of year, farmers couldn't possible slaughter and butcher all the "fresh" birds in one day and the liklihood is that even the fresh ones have spent some time in the fridge or freezer.

Jock

[phatch]

Fresh, as applied to poultry only means that it hasn't been stored below 26 degrees F. Frozen means below 0.

So yes, it has been frozen if you mean subjected to temps below 32.

Phil

[panini]

What ever one my venders bring me. It really doesn't really matter, we will cajun fry it anyhow

[Mezzaluna]

My brother in law is getting a fresh-frozen natural turkey, about 20 pounder. I sent him the issue of Cook's Illustrated that dealt with turkey roasting and lent him my All-Clad roasting pan with v-shaped rack, which Cook's recommends. I'm hoping he'll do it as Cook's recommends, as his earlier efforts have been dry from overbasting with apple cider.

When I do it myself I get an unpumped, fresh-frozen bird which I don't brine. I just stuff it with apples, onions and celery to keep it moist. I lightly oil the outside, then season well with sage and rosemary. I roast it low and slow, tenting it with foil when thie breast is browned. I don't baste much, so the skin stays crispy. The heavy All-Clad pan is great for deglazing the pan, so I get some good gravy while the bird rests. Easy-peazy!

[phatch]

I ended up with a "fresh" bird at 26 degrees. 24 pounds. It will take a few days for him to finish thawing at which point I introduce him to the brine on Wednesday night.

Phil

[Mezzaluna]

Happy soaking, Phil.

[IveyLeaguer]

My first turkey, several years ago, was a recipe I got from Epicurious, nothing fancy, just oranges, red onions, and bay leaves. And I used a straight kosher salt/water brine. I have to say it was the best turkey anyone had ever had, even the kids loved it.

So I've been brining ever since.

[KeeperOfTheGood]

Hey oh


My full bird turkey days a far behind me. I last did a full bird so long back that I don't know when. We just do thighs. I usually apportion two thighs per person (family of four) and that works well for us. I do stuffing seperatly. Depending on how I do the thighs will affect the rest of the dinner. I like to debone them and stuff them with re-fryed beans and wrap and poach them. Breadless buritos is what we call them then.

You know, I just realised that we don't do any birds whole anymore. I will buy whole chickens, but I parts them all down to brests legs wings and stock chuncks. The wing tips go through the grinder for making consume rafts (yes they work well even being all skin), and the livers and the like I freeze into a block that I then shave for use in rissotos.