Best place to buy Thanksgiving turkey

[ManhattanLawyer]

Hi,

I am responsible for preparing Thanksgiving dinner this year. Does anyone have any recommendations on where the best place to buy a Thanksgiving turkey is? Price doesn't matter, we just want the tastiest.

Thanks!!

[Luckylies]

ooh good question. If you're baking it America's test kitchen always rates butterball highest. I know it seems low class but something worth considering. As for me I need a non-injected turkey, as it will be heading into the deep fryer.

[tim]

Actually---

Cook's Illustrated's most recent two tests had the following results:

Last test-11/05 First: American Bronze Heritage from Peaceful Patures in Tennessee

-----------------The other heritages ranged from awful to OK

-----------------Second: Plainville Farms, a local, natural, minimally processed local bird.

Prior test-11/04 First: Local, natural, minimally processed, brine yourself.

----------------------------Plainville farms.

The frozen butterball was the highest rated in 2000 but that test did not include brining the turkeys. My read is that brining made the Butterball the better tasting turkey.

A fresh natural turkey also benefits from brining.

Tim

[raji]

I've had really good luck with kosher butchers - plus it will arrive pre-brined for you, brining is a pain, what NYer has room for that?

Plus the turkey tends to be of very good quality - "we answer to a higher authority"

[Luckylies]

America's test kitchen always rates butterball highest.

←

Actually---

Cook's Illustrated's most recent two tests had the following results:

←

Not the same, right?

[robyn]

Hi,

I am responsible for preparing Thanksgiving dinner this year. Does anyone have any recommendations on where the best place to buy a Thanksgiving turkey is? Price doesn't matter, we just want the tastiest.

Thanks!!

←

I've always cooked Butterball turkeys - and they always turn out fine. I started to investigate something a little fancier this year after reading today's article in the New York Times about turkeys. After reading quite a bit - I came to the conclusion that although there may be turkeys that taste somewhat better *when cooked perfectly* - the odds of cooking them perfectly aren't terrific (especially in terms of getting a perfectly done breast without raw thighs/legs). With a Butterball - the whole turkey is always perfect. I figured - why pay $100 for a turkey which is basically a crapshoot?

By the way - one thing I am thinking of doing this year to simplify the meal/cleanup (because it's basically dinner for 3-4) is to cook a breast and several legs separately. Here's a recipe for this kind of preparation. By the way - you don't want to brine a Butterball turkey because it's been injected with a solution that contains salt. Robyn

[tim]

America's test kitchen always rates butterball highest.

←

Actually---

Cook's Illustrated's most recent two tests had the following results:

←

Not the same, right?

←

Lucky,

They are the same!

Tim

[Luckylies]

yup, you clued me in and randomly today it ws confirmed by one of my associates. doi. I should'a just googled it. It's now called Cook's right?...they dropped the illustrated....

[slkinsey]

You can pre-order from among several kinds of turkey ("regular," free-roaming, organic, wild, heritage, etc.) at Citarella. That's where I usually get mine.

Word to the wise: pick it up on Tuesday, not Wednesday.

[juuceman]

You can pre-order from among several kinds of turkey ("regular," free-roaming, organic, wild, heritage, etc.) at Citarella.  That's where I usually get mine.

Word to the wise:  pick it up on Tuesday, not Wednesday.

←

they deliver on Wednesday..

learned this a few years ago, although I've picked up on the UES for the past few years on Wednesday afternoon, and other than the women picking up complete dinners, there was less than a 10 minute line every time..

[Rocklobster]

If I may make a suggestion... I work for Sprout Creek Farm in Poughkeepsie, NY. (check us out on Mr. Google) and we have raised a hand full of Turkeys since they were pups. We've got some lovely birds and if any of you are in the area I highly recommend venturing out and picking up a turkey and some cheese while your out there. Happy Thanksgiving.

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