Q: I've been on a turkey reading binge and the entire time I thought I would be cooking my heritage turkey just like the rest. But then I read completely contradicting information on cooking temp (high), time (fast), and internal temperature (140F). Now I'm freaking out. I need some input from people that have cooked a heritage turkey.
Sent by Jacqueline
Editor: Jacqueline, we've never cooked a heritage bird, so we don't have any specific advice. But you might want to check out the comments here:
• How Do I Cook a Wild Turkey?
Readers, any advice or experience in cooking a heritage turkey?
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Comments (8)
I've never cooked a "heritage" turkey but I have cooked wild turkey and home raised chicken. The thing that sticks out is since the birds aren't injected with tons of "broth", it doesn't take nearly as long for them to cook.
I just cooked a heritage turkey for the first time this past Saturday and it turned out beautifully. I used the recipe from this November's Martha Stewart Living magazine (recipe not found online). And it really worked. No brining was necessary and it had me bring the turkey to room temperature for 2 hours. I also used butter on the meat and the skin and it really kept it moist and flavorful. It also cooked way faster than I expected (since it is leaner and not pumped up with liquids). I did use a meat thermometer in the thigh and turned off the oven when it registered around 175. As the turkey rests the temp will reach 180, as recommended. I may have even left it in there too long, but with all the butter- it was still moist! Since it cooked fast, I ended up having to wait to carve it for a couple of hours. I just left it tented in the oven until I was ready for it and it was fine. It was still steaming when I brought it out. The crispy skin kept the juices in and kept it nice and hot. I hope this helps. Enjoy your turkey!
If you have near you the sort of used-book store that stocks books from the 1960s and before (and it's open today), get yourself the kind of "how to cook everything you'll ever want to cook" book from the 1940s-1960s. Maida Heater (sp?) had a 2-volume set that's usually about $4 a volume.
The turkey recipes there were meant for pre-Butterball birds.
I though this post from CHOW.com on how to cook a heritage turkey was helpful - I, too, am attempting a heritage bird for the first time this year: http://www.chow.com/food-news/65993/how-to-cook-heritage-turkey-and-grass-fed-beef-for-the-holidays/?tag=post-65993;h3-65993
martha stewart actually just talked about this on her show yesterday! here's the link: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/heritage-turkey-with-oyster-dressing
I've cooked a heritage turkey for the last 4 years and it's worked out beautifully using the same old Martha Stewart recipe that I've always used. It calls for covering the breast with cheesecloth, rubbing the skin with butter and basting with a mixture of butter and wine. (because, what wouldn't be moist and delicious with that treatment...) Also, I stuff the bird. I think that helps.
We cooked one last year, and if I could do it all differently what I would do is this: rotate it, or elevate it so that the legs could cook more. The breed that we had (Nargansett--I may have misspelled that) are tree roosters, and they had really sizable legs, and are not bred to have larger breasts--so the body had different requirements than turkeys that I am used to cooking.
"Heritage" doesn't actually mean anything specific, it only means non-hybrid breed. So wouldn't it depend on what the actual breed IS, rather than just giving recipes for "heritage" birds?