WHAT DOES TURKEY TASTE LIKE
What does turkey taste like? Many people have asked me this question. But since I have never cooked it or tasted it, I have avoided answering that question. Yes, it is a bit embarrassing to admit how long it took me to roast a turkey for the first time. I always wanted to roast a fully grown and naked turkey in all its glory. But somehow I’ve always avoided it, for one reason or another.
But let me answer the question first before I get into the details.
Turkey meat tastes like chicken. This is the common reaction of people all over the world. In fact, chicken flavor is a phrase we often use to refer to exotic meats, and one might think that because it is a bird, it could also refer to turkey meat. But according to scientific research, this is completely wrong. In fact, the meat that most closely resembles turkey in taste is pork. Yes, believe it or not, it is a fact!
Are you a turkey newbie too? Or are you just watching from the sidelines? Let me bring you into the game. A turkey may be big, but it’s no big deal.
That’s what I learned after many years of avoiding turkey service on Thanksgiving. Why avoid turkeys? This bird makes me nervous. Every year before Thanksgiving there is a big fuss about it. Can you make it? Can you make a turkey? The tips and problem solving in cooking magazines and TV shows always made me nervous instead of boosting my confidence!
For years, I got away with telling my friends and guests that I had an aversion to turkey. I didn’t have a big enough pot. My mother, my father (yes, both of them), my grandmother, and even my younger sister make better turkeys than I do. Consequently, I never thought of competing with them. Why would I get into an ego battle within the family?
Well, I have parts of the turkey prepared – breast and thighs and legs cut separately for a fabulous uncooked Thanksgiving dinner. But never a whole turkey. Really, I had never dragged a whole turkey home and put it to the test.
That finally changed a year or two ago when I had to test roast turkey for my own cookbook. I frowned throughout the process of buying and thawing the turkey, scraping the giblets out of the middle, and putting it in the oven.
And then, three hours later, I took the turkey out of the oven and muttered to myself, “What was the big deal?
So, let me confess, I was stupid to avoid it for so long. It’s just an overgrown chicken, folks. There’s no need to be afraid of cooking turkey!
This may seem like the height of obviousness to most of you. A turkey is shaped like a chicken, after all, and those are the ones most of us have dealt with. But the size, weight, and unfamiliarity (not to mention the annual rituals of thawing, curing, and cooking) can give us the impression that a turkey is more than it really is.
Turkeys Are Just Like Chicken, But Only Bigger
Now, before you start nitpicking with me, yes, of course turkey and chicken are two different birds. They are not the same. Turkey has a richer, darker taste than chicken, and it makes even more wonderful stock and broth. After that, though, the differences are few. Let’s weigh them up:
A turkey is bigger than a chicken: You’ll need a bigger pan.
A turkey needs more seasoning: Because it’s bigger than a chicken.
A turkey needs to brine for longer: Because it’s bigger.
A turkey needs to roast a little longer than a chicken: Because, again, it’s bigger. This also leads to a little more delicacy about making sure the breast doesn’t overcook; the mismatch in size between the breast and legs is greater in a turkey, but it’s not that big a deal.
All you really need to do with a turkey is bang it in the oven, the way you would a whole chicken, and let it roast until it’s golden and succulent, then pour lots of gravy on top. Can you tweak and improve and apply bits of family lore all over the process of roasting a turkey, like so many ephemeral notes passed down through the generations? Of course, to your heart’s delight.
But just don’t forget: this is just a really, really big chicken. You’ve got to understand this.
Is turkey better than chicken?
This means that fattier cuts of meat contain more calories than leaner cuts. Dark pieces of chicken have slightly more fat and calories than dark pieces of turkey. The same is true for the white meat of both types of poultry, since turkey is slightly leaner and contains fewer calories than chicken.
So, which tastes better– turkey or chicken?
Turkey has a richer and darker flavor than chicken and makes an even more wonderful broth. After that, however, there is little difference. Turkey is bigger than chicken: you need a bigger pot. The turkey needs more seasoning: Because it’s bigger than chicken.
Second, some people wrongly ask: Does turkey have fewer hormones than chicken? In fact, all turkeys and poultry are raised without hormones, as required by federal law. The use of hormones in poultry production has been banned since the middle of the 1950s. It is absolutely illegal in the United States to feed hormones to poultry. So, the question does not arise.
So is turkey better for dogs than chicken?
Like chicken, turkey provides a lean, white meat that helps dogs to build muscle. Turkey meal is made through a rendering process and has a greater protein content and less water than fresh turkey. If you choose to feed your dog a freshly cooked turkey, make sure the skin has been removed and no spices or salt have been added.
Which is fattier, chicken or turkey?
Chicken breast without skin contains similar calories to turkey, but less protein (48 g per 150 g serving) and more fat per serving (3-4 g). The macronutrient content of chicken compared to turkey is not very different.
Wrapping up
Hopefully, this post gives an answer to your question: what does turkey taste like? You can cook turkey at home at your leisure without any difficulty. You can enjoy roasting or cooking a turkey just like you prepare a chicken dish. So, get going and see how easy it can be!