Budget Series: 3 Ways to Use a Whole Chicken (Part 3)

What to do with those turkey giblets…

If you’re like me, you didn’t grow up eating animal organs like heart or liver. Maybe you’re a little grossed out by the idea. I completely understand the feeling! But I’m here to tell you they’re not as gross as they’ve been made out to be! What are Giblets? First off, what are turkey giblets? They are the heart, liver, and gizzard. If you purchased a Whiffletree whole turkey, you found all three of those in the cavity of the turkey. Health Benefits Poultry organs (and all animal organs) have amazing health benefits. They’re very high in protein, which is essential for our bodies to get enough of for everyday functions. You’ll also get the benefits of vitamins A and B, iron, and CoQ10. In a nutshell, giblets are a health powerhouse! Flavor What about the flavor, you may ask? I personally don’t love the flavor of organs alone, but once you add in garlic and butter, they taste amazing! So, here’s how to make a delicious, nutrient-dense giblet gravy. Nutrient-Dense Giblet Gravy Recipe What you’ll need: Turkey neck3.5 cups waterTurkey giblets  2 garlic cloves, minced⅓ c. flourDrippings from roasted turkey6 Tbsp butterSalt to taste If you’re looking at the giblet gravy recipe from one of our previous blog posts, you’ll notice the way I do it here is a little bit different. Both are great ways of making it, so it’s up to you which way you prefer! You’ll also notice the recipe says to sear the neck along with the giblets. If you already have chicken or turkey bone broth made and on hand, definitely go ahead and do that! I didn’t have any already handy, so here’s what I did. I reserved the turkey neck from my whole turkey and put it in a medium saucepan with 3.5 cups of water and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. I brought it to a boil over medium high heat before turning to low, letting it simmer for about an hour. (Or you can put all this in a small crock pot and cook it overnight before making the gravy, but maybe add a little more water so too much doesn’t simmer away. You want to end up with 3 cups of broth). Once the turkey broth was complete, I melted 2 Tbsp butter in another saucepan over medium heat, and then I added the turkey giblets, searing for a few minutes on each side before adding in the turkey broth. I brought the broth to a boil before turning the heat down to low and letting it simmer for about 30-40 minutes. After simmering, I drained the broth into a bowl and took out the giblets and finely diced them, removing any gristle. Next, I melted 4 Tbsp of butter over medium low heat, then tossed in the minced garlic and cooked until fragrant. Then I added in the ⅓ cup of flour and whisked to make a roux. I let that cook until browned for a couple minutes, constantly stirring, then slowly poured in the broth and reserved roasted turkey drippings, whisking the entire time to keep any clumps from forming. I reduced the heat to low and stirred for a few minutes while it thickened to my desired consistency. I took it immediately off the heat, added in salt to taste, and stirred in the diced giblets. And there you have it! A delicious giblet gravy. Trust me, no one will complain about the fact that there are chopped up giblets in there! It tastes amazing and adds so much flavor to the roasted turkey. And you can feel good that you’re getting a bunch of amazing nutrition into your loved ones! If you missed the original recipe from one of our previous blog posts, click HERE to see it. Click HERE to browse turkeys for Farm Store pick up! Click HERE to browse turkeys for Neighborhood Delivery! Click HERE to browse our store! How do you like to make your gravy? Do you love giblets, or are you new to it? We want to hear from you! Comment below and tell us what you do! Cheers to you and your health! ~Bethany

Read more

To Brine, or Not to Brine?

That is a common question we get here at Whiffletree Farm. And especially since it’s a pasture-raised turkey, people wonder what the best way to prepare it is. The answer is… BOTH are good methods! Our turkeys are moist and flavorful as they are, so many people skip the brining and go straight to roasting. And they say it still tastes great and has amazing moisture - even the white meat! (But it is critical to use a meat thermometer and monitor it closely so that you don’t overcook– 165 F is the highest you need to go.) Personally, I do like brining. I like that extra bit of flavor and moisture it gives to the turkey, and I love that you can get creative with it! Want more of an herbal flavor? Add rosemary, thyme, sage, bay leaves…you name it. Want a fruity flavor? Add apple cider or orange slices with some cloves to the brine. Yum! In the video included in this blog post, I did an herbal brine. Watch the video above, or keep reading to find out how to brine your turkey! Want to try this out for yourself? Learn how to get one of our pasture-raised turkeys HERE and let us know what you think! What you’ll need: 2 gallons water1 1/2 cups kosher salt3 Tbsp. peppercorn3-4 sprigs rosemary5 sprigs thyme8 cloves crushed garlic First, I brought one gallon of water to a boil, then added in the salt and let it dissolve in the hot water. Turn the heat off and add in the peppercorn, rosemary, thyme, and crushed garlic. Let everything sit until it comes to room temperature to allow those flavors to infuse into the brine. Once it’s room temp, add in another gallon of cold water. Now, take your turkey and put it in a container (or turkey brine bag) big enough to cover it with the brine. (Make sure to remove and save your giblets first!) Pour brine and herbs into the container. If your turkey isn’t completely submerged, that’s fine - just flip it periodically so everything gets brined evenly. Let the turkey sit in the brine for about 16-24 hours, but no longer than 24 hours so it doesn’t get too salty! *Pro tip - I would usually use a small cooler to brine my turkey in. I would use about a half gallon less of water, and after the brine completely cooled I’d add in a couple quarts of ice. My turkey would go directly into the cooler and I’d pour the brine and ice over top. This helps keep the turkey cold and insulated so you don’t have to find room for it in your fridge! Just make sure to add some ice every now and then to keep it cold. After the brining time is done, drain off the brine but save the herbs - you can put them into the cavity of the turkey while it roasts for some aromatics! Then rinse the turkey, and let it sit for about a half hour to 45 minutes to dry off (because no one likes mushy turkey skin!). Next up, we’ll be releasing another blog post on roasting your Thanksgiving turkey! We want to hear from you! Do you like brining your turkey, or do you love it as it is? Let us know! Cheers to you and your health, ~Bethany Click HERE to browse turkeys for Farm Store pick up! Click HERE to browse turkeys for Neighborhood Delivery! Click HERE to browse our store!

Read more

No More Dry Turkey

Did you know… Pasture-raised turkeys forage for about 40% of their diet from the pasture? I love going out to the turkey’s paddock and watching them scour the pasture, literally eating blades of grass like spaghetti. This reality about turkeys means that pasture-raised turkeys are one of the most nutrient-dense poultry options. They metabolize all the minerals and vitamins from the pasture and turn it into a form that we humans are able to digest and absorb.  The bonus? Pasture-raised turkeys are rich, flavorful, moist and tender. Even the breast meat is juicy and full of flavor (I’ve had people look at packages of our turkey breasts in the store and think they are dark meat because they are colored so richly!). No more dry, tasteless Thanksgiving turkeys! So this week, we’ll be sharing a very easy way to roast a Thanksgiving turkey plus an example timeline to help you as you plan your holiday! What you’ll need: 1 turkey (brined or not brined) Salt Seasonings of your choice (optional) Onions, carrots, and celery cut into large chunks (optional) Roasting pan 4 Tbsp. butter Meat thermometer For a quick run-down on the steps, from frozen to roast: TUESDAY: pulled turkey out of the freezer to thawWEDNESDAY: thawed turkey the rest of the way in cold water (you can use a five gallon bucket or a small cooler)THURSDAY: brined the turkeyFRIDAY:8:00am -- Pulled the turkey from the fridge, drained the brine juices, placed into roasting pan8:15am -- Let the turkey sit out for half hour to let it dry off a bit, set oven to 325F8:30am -- Melted the butter in a saucepan, brushed the butter onto the turkey skin, and sprinkled salt and/or seasonings on the turkey and inside its cavity9:00am -- Popped the turkey into the preheated oven9:30am, 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am -- Basted turkey with juices11:30am -- Stuck thermometer into breast and leg to ensure it was at 165F, removed the turkey from the oven, and let it cool12:15pm -- We ate the turkey Put your turkey into a roasting pan and pat it dry with paper towels. This step helps dry everything off so you get a nice, crispy skin. Let it sit for about a half hour to let it dry off a bit.While the turkey is drying, set your oven to 325F. Melt the butter, then use a pastry brush to coat the skin with it. This will help your turkey develop that nice, golden tone as it roasts (plus it tastes really good!) Sprinkle any seasonings your heart desires all over the turkey and inside the cavity. I like to use salt, garlic and onion powder, pepper, and smoked paprika. Note: if you brined the turkey, you will want to go easy on sprinkling any salt on the turkey, possibly even skip it. The turkey will already have absorbed the saltiness from the brine, so you won’t need much! Place any herbs or veggies (carrots, onions, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme, etc.) inside the cavity, then put into the oven.While the turkey is roasting, use your pastry brush to baste the turkey skin about every half hour or so. Otherwise, you are free to work on your other dinner prep!A rule of thumb is to roast for about 8 minutes per lb. But always use a thermometer! Sometimes the turkey will cook faster or slower, so go by the temperature of the meat rather than time. You’ll want both the breast and leg to reach 165F. You may find your breast meat reaches 165 before the leg - you can carve off the legs and leave in the oven to keep roasting without overcooking the rest of your turkey.Once it is finished cooking, take the turkey out of the oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes before carving. This helps all the juices to redistribute through the meat rather than spilling out once you cut it open.Reserve your drippings from the turkey to make a delicious, rich gravy (recipe coming soon on the blog!).Enjoy a flavorful, moist, and nutritious turkey! Want to try this out for yourself? Grab one of our pasture-raised turkeys HERE for the best Thanksgiving turkey you’ve ever had! Cheers to you and your health! ~Bethany

Read more