It’s much easier to keep a salted turkey in the fridge rather than having to figure out where to store a bird covered in liquid.īut it’s for you to decide. Instead I prefer seasoning the bird all over with a salt rub - technically, a dry brine - and letting it sit for a few days, or even hours, before roasting. Wet brining - the process of submerging a turkey in a salt-and-aromatic solution - is the messiest and least convenient way to ensure moist and evenly seasoned meat, which is the whole point. To brine or not to brine? For me, the answer is no - at least, not a wet brine. If you see anything other than “turkey,” chances are it is a self-basting bird.
Self-basted turkeys are sometimes not labeled as such, so make sure to check the ingredients list. Self-basting: These turkeys have been injected with a solution generally consisting of butter or oil and salt, and sometimes herbs, spices and preservatives.
To procure a truly wild turkey you will need to either shoot one yourself or befriend a hunter. Wild Turkey: It is illegal in the United States to sell a truly wild turkey that’s been shot by a hunter, thus most “wild” turkeys on the market are pasture-raised - often free-range heritage birds. Breeds include Narragansett, Jersey Buff, Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red and White Holland. They have a richer, more distinct flavor, more like a game bird, and have a greater proportion of dark meat. Heritage: Heritage turkeys are old-fashioned varieties of birds that were common in America until the 1920s. And use an open hand when it comes to seasonings, since the turkey won’t offer much flavor of its own. A conventional turkey should be brined it will noticeably improve the texture. The variety is the Broad Breasted White, which was bred to have a plumper, broader breast. (Don’t brine a kosher bird.)Ĭonventional: This is the standard supermarket turkey. They also undergo a salting process after slaughter that gives the meat a juicy texture. Kosher: Turkeys with the “kosher” label have been farmed and slaughtered according to Jewish dietary customs, with rabbinical supervision. You must read on to find out if the bird is antibiotic-free, free-range and/or raised on a vegetarian diet. But there is no government guarantee to back up the word “natural” on a label. Natural: Natural turkeys are generally less expensive than organic, and are often of a comparable quality. requires that all turkeys sold as organic must be raised free-range, without the use of antibiotics, and fed an organic and vegetarian diet that has not been treated with pesticides.
NYTIMES GIFT GUIDE FREE
Free-range: This is a bird that is not raised in a cage and is free to graze on any grasses or grains it can find in its pen, which is generally considered a more humane and healthy poultry farming process.
0 kommentar(er)
