Heritage Turkey


 
R

r benash

TVWBB Emerald Member
Anyone have information to share on your experience with heritage turkey's? Have one coming for a smaller at home cook since I'm not doing the big family version this season. Figured would be a good time to try one of these.

If you've cooked these a lot I'd bee interested in whether or not you brined, salted, compound buttered or other prep. Did you still try to slow down breast (they are smaller) on these? I.E. still recommend icing the breast to even out finish temp?

Cook temps? Understand they probably should be higher.

Interested in your experience what worked, didn't work etc.
 
Wow so I'm the only one that's planning on sacrificing a heritage bird. Guess I'll have to have at it and post my results :D

I'm thinking Kevin K. and a bunch of others have done this a bunch of times. Will let folks know how I make out.

For me - going to buttermilk brine regardless of the advice from the foodies that say not to brine these birds.

I'll follow the other recommendations I see elsewhere here an on line though regarding higher temp cooking, use of cloth or paper cover for basting, etc, etc.
 
I'm doing a 15 lb Heritage Turkey. I'm going with Meatheads recipe for smoked turkey. Basic Brine, Simon and Garfunkel rub. I plan to use Stubbs lump charcoal and peach wood for smoke.

I can't wait to try this out.
 
Would definitely brine. All the things that make cooking a "commercial" turkey to perfection are equal or compounded by the even more muscular and lean birds.
 
I did a maple brine and also seperated the skin and inserted a compound butter. Pulled the bird at 155-160 let set tented for 20 minutes or so. Roasted over celery, onion, herbs, garlic with some turkey stock. Set aside a paste of butter and flour. This kept things moist. I set strings under the rack during prep. Set the rack/bird on top tied on a sheet of oiled brown paper to keep things moist on top. Everything browned up nicely. The meat was excellent. Very flavorful. More dense flavor than the typical bird. I would definitely do the heritage bird again. I would first research local supplier so I wouldn't have to pay the $45 shipping charge next time. I think with the varoius co-op markets in my general area I might be able to find someone who can provide the turkey and I can pick it up. Need to look into a place at the Reading Terminal Market.

To me - definitely worth the higher price. The breasts of course were a lot smaller but the meat to me was much tastier and flavorful. Lots of dark meat which is my preference anyway.

Overall worth the effort and expense aside from the shipping fees.
 
Ray, Glad to hear it worked out! I'm sure you can source local (enough) to not deal with the shipping.
Bet it was nice to have a turkey that actually tasted like turkey!
 
Marc: It was. I brined for a couple days then air dried in the fridge for a day. Thyme compound buttter under the skin. Sat out for a good while to get to room temp. Preheated traditional sausage stuffing went into the cavity as it came out of the baking dish from the oven.

Very nice flavor.

BTW - got your info on Localharvest, etc. That's a great resource. Been using that as well. Pretty sure there's a stall at the Reading Terminal Market that sources from local providers. Going to check that out too. RTM is an easy trip as well and is a cool place in it's own right so like to go there anyway. Some of the locations I found on LH are out around my general area but would still be bit of travel but cool way to spend a day/drive. Some are probably only an hour or thereabouts. Would definitely rather spend the $45 on a country drive with my partner or on the "murdercycle". There's a couple I located that are in some of the areas I go while fishing or reasonably close to do a swing by.
 
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