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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: 14mpg on March 12, 2014, 01:39:00 AM

Title: Turkey butchering
Post by: 14mpg on March 12, 2014, 01:39:00 AM
@Rolltidehunter posted a video earlier about upcoming turkey season. It got me thinking... Who takes the time to pluck these tasty critters with the reward of the skin versus those who don't want to wait and skin the thing.

Me, I just skin 'em
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: tracker12 on March 12, 2014, 06:56:00 AM
Pretty overwhelming results.
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: KAZ on March 12, 2014, 07:17:00 AM
I usually breast them and skin out the legs as a rule. However, if I'm gonna deep fry one I go through the pain of plucking....
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: dhaverstick on March 12, 2014, 08:03:00 AM
I can't imagine wanting to spend any more time cleaning one of those stinking things than I had to!

I did have a friend who plucked one for some special recipe he had. He laid his plucked bird in the sink and went back outside to clean up the mess. When he came back in, his wife told him she had cleaned his bird the rest of the way and put it in the freezer. Yep, that's right, she went ahead and skinned it! He was not happy.

Darren
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: chall on March 12, 2014, 08:19:00 AM
dhaverstick, now that's funny.
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: zipper bowss on March 12, 2014, 08:56:00 AM
Quote
Originally posted by dhaverstick:
I can't imagine wanting to spend any more time cleaning one of those stinking things than I had to!

I did have a friend who plucked one for some special recipe he had. He laid his plucked bird in the sink and went back outside to clean up the mess. When he came back in, his wife told him she had cleaned his bird the rest of the way and put it in the freezer. Yep, that's right, she went ahead and skinned it! He was not happy.

Darren
:biglaugh:
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: RAU on March 12, 2014, 01:12:00 PM
I have plucked a few and its a job. If i ever do it again I will scald it first. The only reason to pluck one in my opinion is for the presentation at thanksgiving or some other gathering. The breast cooks completly different from the rest of the bird. Unless I want a whole bird to serve I skin and cook the breast seperate from the rest. The rest of the bird is delicious but needs loow slow braising to break it down. If I try to chew on a leg of an old gobbler thats only been roasted til breast meat is cooked I'd prob lose teeth.  This past thanksgiving i tried something new with a little hen. I saw pics of it online so cant take credit for it but let me tell you it was a beautifull thing! I skinned the bird, brined it, then wrapped the bird in a lattice bacon weave. By far the best whole roasted wild turkey i ever did!

  (http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t113/RAU_2007/IMG_8197.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/user/RAU_2007/media/IMG_8197.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: Sockrsblur on March 12, 2014, 01:37:00 PM
I tried to pluck my first bird and not one since!

Small bird last fall. She made a few nice meals at camp.
  (http://i.imgur.com/0LUEwQp.jpg)
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: rwbowman on March 12, 2014, 02:36:00 PM
Rau, brings a new meaning to Turkey Bacon!!
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: Orion on March 12, 2014, 03:05:00 PM
I've plucked one or two, but usually skin them.  Nice, clean job Sockrs.   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: Yellow Dog on March 12, 2014, 09:00:00 PM
I do the bacon thing too, just not as pretty as Rau. Pork sausage stuffing and cover it with bacon and pop it in a cooking bag. Tried plucking one once, never seen so many feathers on a bird. To make a long story short I was in the garage plucking. As I was 3/4 done and armpit deep in feathers and my wife rolled into the driveway and hit the garage door opener. It was pretty windy that day and before I knew it I had feathers everywhere. That one got skinned too!

   :)
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: rolltidehunter on March 12, 2014, 09:49:00 PM
I plucked one... Only one. It was the last time I did that. I filet the breast and I will boil the thighs for soup stock
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: colav on March 12, 2014, 10:33:00 PM
I plucked my first bird...pin feathers were a pain in the rear.  Now I just breast 'em out, and use the legs/thighs for soups and stews.
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: Ray Lyon on March 13, 2014, 05:20:00 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Yellow Dog:
. To make a long story short I was in the garage plucking. As I was 3/4 done and armpit deep in feathers and my wife rolled into the driveway and hit the garage door opener. It was pretty windy that day and before I knew it I had feathers everywhere. That one got skinned too!

    :)  
Does 'that one' refer to you or the bird?  

I skin my birds.
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: meathead on March 13, 2014, 07:20:00 AM
We skin all of the toms but the little fall hens get plucked and put on the smoker.  Plucking those hens just takes a few minutes.
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: acolobowhunter on March 13, 2014, 12:10:00 PM
I bone all the meat, except the legs and thighs.  They go in a pot to boil and make "Turkey Soup" add veg, etc.  This year, I am going to boil the bones and make a broth.  

Now try this - bone the breast and cut into small pieces (golf ball size).  Marinate in Roasted Garlic sauce.  This sauce us usually used to inject into a bird. I get it at any Pro Bass shop.  Marinate overnight - wrap each piece with 1/2 slice of bacon and put a slice of jalipino on each end - poke a tooth pick through the entire thing to hold together.  Cook on grill or wrap a bunch in foil and put in oven for at least 1 hr. at 350 degrees.  Wow, they are really good.  Cooking on the outdoor grill is a lot quicker, just keep turning - cook for about 10 minutes till done.
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: riverrat 2 on March 13, 2014, 02:55:00 PM
I don't mind plucking them. BUT I do get a big washtub,and pour/soak the bird in very hot water for a few minutes first. Some say this is not good for the meat. I've never had an issue with any ill effects myself. Just water hot enough you can barely keep your hands in it. Them feathers come off better then. Oven bag here as well. I like the bacon idea. Been a bad,bad winter here. Hopeful them turkeys didn't get hit to bad. I've only seen a few so far.    :pray:   rat'
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: bigbadjon on March 13, 2014, 04:19:00 PM
I like the skin so if I have time to get ice and a big enough cooler I take them home to pluck them. If I field clean them I skin it, debone it, and make fryer chunks. I also always feel bad about discarding the liver... I may try to make patte next time.
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: mjh on March 13, 2014, 10:29:00 PM
Well the one tom I have gotten I plucked, but I ended up skinning it then anyways, had four great meals with that bird, most likely skin the next, don't mind plucking,  done it plenty with other birds, as I think how I will use the bird for food I will decide how to process....
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: Mamba on March 15, 2014, 06:23:00 AM
i normally skin mine, but we wanted to deep fry one so i plucked it.  It was very fast.  I  heated a vey big pot of water outside on a propane grill.  When the water was boiling I dipped the bird 3 times.  After that I rubbed the bird with my palm and the feathers came off like nothing.  Very fast and easy.
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: shedhunta on March 16, 2014, 12:03:00 PM
Skin, grind, tacos and stuffed peppers!!!!!
Title: Re: Turkey butchering
Post by: Pete McMiller on March 16, 2014, 03:05:00 PM
I skin most other birds but do pluck most turkeys.  A clean garbage can half full of water, a fish/tukey fryer burner and a rope over a limb.  Take the wings & tail off first but don't gut the bird, then lower the bird in almost boiling water a few minutes and the feathers slip right off.  Repeat if they all don't come off after the first dip.  It all goes pretty fast and the skin does protect the meat from excessive drying out during cooking.