Many of this tips apply to standard turkeys as well as our heritage birds, so no matter what you’re serving this holiday, these tips are sure to save the day!
A Few Cooking Tips:
- Make sure your bird is fully thawed before you cook it. Generally, birds takes 24 hours to thaw per every 4-5 lbs of bird (in a 40 degree refrigerator). For our heritage birds, this equates to 48 hours (2 days) for a hen and 72-96 hours (3-4 days) for a tom to be fully thawed.
- Take it out of the refrigerator and let it come up to room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour before you begin cooking it.
- Don’t overcook your bird!
- Our heritage birds have not been injected with whatever gross flavor concoction the conventional grocery store birds have been, so be sure to season appropriately (salt, pepper, garlic, whatever floats your gravy boat).
- The USDA recommends cooking your bird until the internal temperature (the meat in the inner thigh) reaches 165 degrees. However, many chefs recommend cooking your Heritage Turkey until it reaches 150 degrees. Be sure to calibrate your thermometer in boiling water before you measure your bird’s temperature, or the reading may be off.
- When you take your bird out of the oven, let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes before you carve it. This allows for all of the moisture and juices to seep back into the meat instead of being released as steam.
- Don’t cook the stuffing inside the bird. Because heritage birds cook quicker, the stuffing might make the bird cook unevenly. You can still add aromatics like part of an onion, apple, or carrot to the cavity to add moisture and flavor.
- If you are cooking it at a higher temperature, you might want to skip basting the bird. This is because constantly opening the oven door lowers the temperature and might make the bird cook unevenly.
- Heritage Turkeys do not need to be brined (they have their own delicious flavor). Some chefs say that brining enhances the flavor and others say that it is unnecessary and simply extra work.
- Don’t forget to save your bones! Simmer them in a crock pot with water for hours to make a stock or broth. These birds were raised naturally on pasture and their bones, tendons, and joints will make a delicious and nutritious broth!