The big surprise in our turkey taste test is not the winner (Butterball, who would have guessed?), but that the organic and natural birds fared so poorly against the rest of the frozen flock.

This is probably because those supermarket turkeys come enhanced with salt, chicken or turkey stock and other flavorings. They are, in effect, brined, which is what cookbooks and TV shows will tell you to do with the natural ones, which just don’t carry as much fat as the bred- for-Thanksgiving varieties.

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“If you want a no-nonsense, minimally processed (by you) turkey, or if this is your first Thanksgiving and you’re tying to impress your in-laws, go with the safe bet (the prebrined bird),” says Jorge de la Torre, dean of culinary education at Johnson & Wales University, who oversaw our test test.

But, if you are up for a challenge — you want to brine it yourself — or if you value old-fashioned, unenhanced flavor, then the Diestel, or a free- range local variety is the bird for you. (For more info on heritage turkeys, go to marczykfinefoods.com and click on “Calendar” for an excellent explanation.)

“If you’re looking for a turkey that is organic or if you’re looking for a turkey that you want to add a special flavor — citrus or maple, or special spices — these (the Diestel and the Heidi’s Hens organic) would do fine,” says de la Torre.

While not organic, the Diestels are raised on a vegetarian diet with no added growth stimulants or antibiotics. They have a neutral turkey taste that’s a perfect canvas for whatever brine, rub or glaze you want to add.

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But don’t be misled by the labels that say turkeys are hormone-free. The government has not approved hormones or growth stimulants for use in poultry. They have been bred to grow fast and form the huge breasts with the white meat Americans prefer.

Antibiotics, on the other hand, are allowed by the Food and Drug Administration, but the animal must go through a withdrawal period so that there is no antibiotic residue above regulated levels before slaughter.

A prebasted, prebrined turkey needs little more than a sturdy roasting pan (don’t use the flimsy foil ones unless you want your masterpiece to slip onto the floor), a seasoned rub (herbs, garlic, whatever you like) and time.

We turned to de la Torre for the rest of the Thanksgiving lesson:

• Thawing: This is where many students go wrong. Leave plenty of time for the bird to thaw in the fridge — four or five days, says the dean. “It’s gonna cook better if it’s fully defrosted.”
• Brining: For birds that don’t have any added salt solution. Use sugar and salt to balance each other’s flavor. “It’s a vehicle to get moisture inside the meat and the spices get attracted in. These turkeys are bred for their breasts but the white meat has the lowest fat content, so that is going to help with the breast.”
• Trussing: Not necessary, unless you want a picture-perfect bird. “I’m all about the crispy skin,” says de la Torre. “If you leave it untrussed everything’s exposed to the heat and getting crispy.”
• How to get the crispest skin: After brining, or after thawing a pre-brined bird, remove turkey from its wrapping and pat dry. Allow to sit 24 hours in the fridge, uncovered on a platter, so that the skin dries out. “The drier the skin, the crispier you’re gonna get,” says de la Torre.
• Basting: “Necessary, because it’ll help throughout to keep it moist. But you’re making the skin less crispy because you’re re-wetting the skin,” de la Torre warns. “I always jam a ton of cut-up butter between the skin and the breast — about one stick per breast.”
• Oven temperature: 350 degrees. For the taste test, we roasted them all to 170 degrees to be sure they were completely cooked, but de la Torre prefers to cook until a thermometer reads 160 degrees, as it will rise to 165 while resting.

A test for the birds: how we cooked 6 turkeys at the same time

First came the idea. Dining critic Tucker Shaw suggested we do a blind tasting of various birds to see if there were any differences between supermarket brands and the more expensive natural varieties. We considered getting a locally grown bird and even a wild turkey, but decided to limit the test to easy-to-find brands sold at local supermarkets.

Next challenge: How are we going to cook six birds at the same time? Who has six ovens?!

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Aha! Johnson & Wales University does. So we asked dean of culinary education Jorge de la Torre for help. He recruited students Yuliya Avrukina and Garrett Aman (our cover model) to thaw and cook the turkeys on a Friday in October.

The judges: We wanted a variety of palates. Dining critic Tucker Shaw. Staff writer Doug Brown, interested in eating locally. Me and my parents, John and Sue Henderson. Features editor Dana Coffield. Avrukina. (Aman knew which was which, so he didn’t judge.) Business writers with an interest in food, Kimberly Johnson and Kelly Yamanouchi. Post page designer and food contributor Jacqueline Feldman. Denver food writer Eliza Cross. Fruition chef/owner Alex Seidel and his wife, KBCO account exec Melissa Seidel. And accomplished home cook Norm Names.

The turkeys: Butterball, Jennie- O Oven Ready, King Soopers Private Selection, Honeysuckle White, Heidi’s Hens and Diestel, all around 13 pounds. Aman and Avrukina seasoned the skin with salt and pepper, cooked the turkeys simultaneously at 350 degrees in regular ovens until they reached an internal temperature of 170 degrees. You might argue that was an unfair advantage for the enhanced birds, but we felt it was the most level competition.

The test: The turkeys, numbered 1 to 6, were presented whole so that judges could assess skin color, plumpness and shape. The judges filled out sheets for each turkey, rating it from 1 to 5 on looks, flavor and the texture and moistness of the meat. They took their time, sniffing, poking, and finally, tasting skin, white and dark meat from each bird.

I asked each judge to pick a favorite, and then we unveiled which was which. There were some surprises. People who thought they had sophisticated tastes found they liked the inexpensive Honeysuckle White best. My mom liked the Butterball. My favorite was the Diestel. Almost nobody liked the Heidi’s Hen, which turned a funny pinkish color just under the skin.

The results: Back at the office, we added up the scores for each category. And then we checked the math. The rest is on the page (and headed for your table).

— Kristen Browning-Blas

Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHICH