Are the turkeys we eat at Thanksgiving male turkeys, female turkeys, or both?
The turkey I eat on Thanksgiving is the same one I eat the rest of the year. Definitely male.
Mine’s a goose, a big goose.
Oh wait I thought you said Christmas
Goose? Isn’t that really greasy?
It says on the package whether it’s a hen or a tom. Toms are larger, hens are more tender, generally. Hens are often a little more expensive per pound.
I think someone said once they tried goose and it was sort of greasy.
Goose is dark meat and greasy. At least the one I ate was.
Both females and males are raised. True of all meat production.
Turkeys grow pretty quick and are sent to slaughter young, so don’t expect huge difference in meat quality or quantity between the sexes.
Goose is good, but as said, dark and greasier.
That reminds me: what’s the deal with “greazy” – I hear Alton Brown say that all the time and it drives me nuts. He’s so good at “TV English” that his southern accent sounds fake to me, but “greazy” instead of “greasy” ruins it all for me!
At the turkey farm where I’m picking up my hen, their birds range from 16 to 25 pounds for hens, and 25 pounds to 35 pounds for toms (pre-dress weight). They’re all 5.5-month old birds.
A related question: what’s the span of time between a “fresh” turkey’s slaughter and its date on the plate. Are next week’s turkeys still alive?
I’m supposed to pick up my turkey on Tuesday. They say they’ll dress it Monday. It’ll be served Thursday.
GOOSE.
It can be greasy but depends how you cook it.
You have to lay it on a grill in a roasting tin to allow the fat to drip through in much the same way as you do when roasting a duck.
Pour the fat off at regular intervals and keep turning the bird to ensure even roasting.
Before starting, rub the bird all over with a little olive oil and salt, the skin will be lovely and crispy.
I’ll expect you all around on Christmas day
I’ve been given a brace of pheasant I’ll have to dress out myself this weekend. It’s been cold this week so I’ve been happy letting them hang - chances are I’ll dish them up on New Year’s Eve, maybe in a casserole with some rabbit and a few venison sausages if I can get them.
Pheasant, unlike goose, is not greasy at all.
For those in the markets, it’s unlikely. Those ones are killed, cleaned, wrapped and frozen for shipment. Even the ‘fresh’ ones. Distribution on that scale takes time.
At a small producer/farm, they yes, it’s likely that the one you would get next week is still scratching around in the yard.
Slight nitpick:
Female turkey = Hen
Male turkey = Cock
In the UK anyway
Definitely “tom” in the States and Canada.
I have always wanted to try goose. Any chance you could furnish trans-Atlantic airfare?
Well I suppose I could but what if you didn’t like the goose?
You’d be so annoyed my goose could be cooked, so to speak
Both.
I’m sure he’d be fine as long as it wasn’t too greasy.