Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: jjdavis2222 on April 23, 2010, 11:11:43 AM

Title: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: jjdavis2222 on April 23, 2010, 11:11:43 AM: Never turkey hunted before but all this turkey talk has got me interested.

How does a wild turkey taste compared to a store bought demestic?
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: NRA4LIFE on April 23, 2010, 11:16:33 AM: Taste is very similar to store bought, just a little drier. The big toms can be a little on the tough side and a little gamier. A big tom I shot in the fall in Missouri had his crop full of grasshoppers and walking sticks and he tasted like $hit.
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: jackelope on April 23, 2010, 11:29:13 AM: mostly dark meat...I wouldn't bother trying to eat the legs or maybe just use them for stew. Really good deep fried. Ithink thats probably the best way to do it and keep them juicy. They actually use their muscles to fly and what-not so they don't have the big fat juicy meat like a yard bird has.
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: NWTFhunter on April 23, 2010, 11:33:32 AM: I really do not know why people say wild turkey taste bad ?? I have had only 1 that turned out poorly, and that was because I over cooked it !!!! As with any game meat, you have to take the care not to over cook, or dry it out from lack of moisture.
I just cooked up half a breast of my tom that I shot monday, and my girlfriend loved it. It does not taste like a store bird at all !
I marinated mine in worchester, garlic, and crushed red pepper overnight in a ziplock. Peeled carrots, potatoes and added onion, and red pepper in an ovenbag. Cooked for 1.5 hours on 300 and it was soooooooooooo moist and tastey !
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: jackelope on April 23, 2010, 11:39:23 AM: the oven bag and the low temp for a longer period of time is what helped you out there...the oven bag mainly.
:twocents:
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: boneaddict on April 23, 2010, 11:42:22 AM: Not bad as long as you drink a fifth of the other wild turkey before hand. :)
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: NWTFhunter on April 23, 2010, 11:53:16 AM: Yes the oven bag is the secret ! You have to remember, wild turkeys are not pumped full of juice like domestic store birds before being sent to the market.

Bone, your a nut ! And you would have loved my recipe !!
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: chrisb on April 23, 2010, 12:12:37 PM: ANything you harvest will tasty exactly the same..... like victory
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: boneaddict on April 23, 2010, 12:16:16 PM: I'm sure I would love it. I've had horrible and I have had finger lickin good, so I'd imagine its just like Venison. 60% prep, 20% what they eat, and %20 how you cook it. Throw that fifth of wild turkey in there and its 100% who gives a damn. :)
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: Jekemi on April 23, 2010, 12:54:23 PM: Short answer: Wild Turkey is delicious. if you braise the leg/thigh in the pan that the breast and wings cook in they will be tender. Remove the leg/thigh from the turkey body using a very sharp knife. Season & brown the legs lightly in a large saute pan. Place them in the large roasting pan with the rest of the turkey body. Add a few cups of chicken stock to the pan so that the leg/thigh are almost summerged.
By the time the breast meat is cooked the leg/thigh will be tender, falling off the bone, and very flavorful. Wild turkey can be a little gammier but if you brine the bird overnight it removes most of the game taste. Make sure you take all that delicious turkey stock and make gravy out of it. It's the best part.
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: Austrian Hunter on April 23, 2010, 12:59:28 PM: Quote from: NWTFhunter on April 23, 2010, 11:33:32 AM
I really do not know why people say wild turkey taste bad ?? I have had only 1 that turned out poorly, and that was because I over cooked it !!!! As with any game meat, you have to take the care not to over cook, or dry it out from lack of moisture.
I just cooked up half a breast of my tom that I shot monday, and my girlfriend loved it. It does not taste like a store bird at all !
I marinated mine in worchester, garlic, and crushed red pepper overnight in a ziplock. Peeled carrots, potatoes and added onion, and red pepper in an ovenbag. Cooked for 1.5 hours on 300 and it was soooooooooooo moist and tastey !

Thanks, I have to try this, hopefully next week!!
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: NRA4LIFE on April 23, 2010, 01:02:04 PM: I cook the legs in a slow cooker with some chicken stock, onions and garlic. Very tasty.
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: NWTFhunter on April 23, 2010, 01:04:41 PM: No problem A.H. Just use plenty of fluid such as worchester so that it is swimming in marinade. You can also use cran juice, white grape, or chicken stock. Basically any liquid with a low citrus.
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: Pathfinder101 on April 23, 2010, 01:12:19 PM: Another vote for Oven Bags. Except for the legs, they taste like store-bought birds.
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: NWTFhunter on April 23, 2010, 01:15:46 PM: Another great way is to use a pressure cooker. But I have not played with one at all, nor know anyone who has. So knowing how long would be the key ! You would lose NO moisture that way though.
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: KimberRich on April 23, 2010, 01:17:48 PM: I eat it because I shoot it and that's the right thing to do in my opinion but it's not my favorite. I've tried deep fried, baked, broiled, bbq'd, and most every way and they are ok. Would never say delicious.. But like everyone said they do not have a ton of extra moisture in them so slow cooking and adding broth or cooking in an oven bag is a must to keep from drying out.. If you don't it can easily get tough as a leather. :twocents:
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: Curly on April 23, 2010, 01:20:45 PM: I hear they taste like bald eagle......
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: KimberRich on April 23, 2010, 01:42:52 PM: Quote from: Curly on April 23, 2010, 01:20:45 PM
I hear they taste like bald eagle......

More like Spotted Owl actually.. :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: bow4elk on April 23, 2010, 04:36:32 PM: Tastes Great! I marinated 1/2 this bird in each gallon ziplock so we'd have two separate meals ready to go. One bag went in the freezer, one marinated for 16 hours in zesty italian salad dressing, then was transfered to a vented oven roasting bag with a 1/4 cup of butter and 1 cup water. Baked for 1 hour with a thermometer - perfect!

They don't come with much fat as you can see. You need to keep moisture in while cooking, and a roasting bag helps dramatically.

(last pic was prior to adding the gravy!)
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: NWTFhunter on April 23, 2010, 05:02:02 PM: Hope those feathers in the first pic didnt make it into the last..... :chuckle:
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: WCTaxidermy on April 23, 2010, 05:03:18 PM: OK bowe4elk, i'm really hungry now. That looked good. I take the breasts and marinate them for 6-8 hours in a brine of cold water, 1/2 cup brown sugar and a seasoning of your likings like, Johnny's, all season etc.

Then right before your ready to cook them, inject the breast with a mixture of melted butter, garlic powder, and chicken/turkey broth mixed well. Be sure to inject them very liberally. Then wrap the breast with a wet cooking cheese cloth and put on your traeger BBQ. Marinate every 10 minutes with the remaining injection fluid. Take the breast out and enjoy when it reaches 180 degrees.

John
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: bow4elk on April 23, 2010, 05:06:42 PM: Quote from: NWTFhunter on April 23, 2010, 05:02:02 PM
Hope those feathers in the first pic didnt make it into the last..... :chuckle:

I knew I'd catch hell for that! No, I rinsed it VERY well and picked off anything that wasn't meat ;)
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: NWTFhunter on April 23, 2010, 05:14:31 PM: :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:

WTC, yours sounds good as well and I will have to try that !
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: turkeydancer on April 24, 2010, 04:56:24 PM: You have to remember that the domestic was a wild subspecies captured in Mexico and taken back to Europe and domesticated (now extinct in the wild).

I inject marinade, sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and deep fat fry ... never had a bad one nor can taste any appreciable difference. Turkey is turkey ...
:twocents:
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: EastWaViking on April 24, 2010, 05:13:29 PM: Two words....Turkey burgers!
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: NWTFhunter on April 24, 2010, 06:09:03 PM: I hear you EastWaViking ! Kim just ground up what was left of 1/2 breast I cooked and made a sandwich spread out of it. Was good !
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: bearpaw on April 24, 2010, 06:33:48 PM: Really depends on who you talk to, it is definitely stronger flavored (especially the darker meat) and not for everyone. I personally like it, but can understand why some do not like it.

I really like cutting into small pieces like turkey McNuggests... :chuckle: Then fry with lots of season salt.
Title: Re: How does wild turkey taste?
Post by: carpsniperg2 on April 24, 2010, 06:58:57 PM: a little on the strong side but still tasty :drool: