this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2023
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Unpopular Opinion

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I’ve had turkey just about every possible way it can be cooked, and it just isn’t that good.

Doesn’t matter how juicy or dry and it doesn’t matter what herbs or spices are used, it just not that tasty.

Give me a brisket or a standing rib roast or just about anything that isn’t turkey for thanksgiving.

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[–] [email protected] 54 points 11 months ago (4 children)

Thought you were talking about the country at first

[–] [email protected] 24 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 11 months ago

But have you been to Istanbul with rosemary in your pockets!?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago

All hungarians were hungry to see this comment

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

Glad I’m not the only one

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Since Erdoğan is there, it s been a shit show. Waiting for better times to enjoy it

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 11 months ago (5 children)

Because everyone only eats it once, maybe twice a year, nobody knows how to properly cook a turkey. Combine that with the only turkeys being butterballs from a grocery store and it’s no wonder you don’t like it.

A properly cooked, quality turkey is incredibly good and is one of my favorite meats. Definitely prefer it over chicken or other poultry

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah grocery store turkeys are the blandest factory farmed things on earth lol. There’s a reason why you can get them on sale for like 80¢/lb.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's actually because it's a loss leader. Most consumers aren't just going to buy a turkey. They're getting all of those other fixins that go with it, and those prices are pretty minimal and steady no matter the store. Even cheaper by the pound, it's probably gonna be the most expensive thing you buy for a Thanksgiving meal. But most people are going to need one. People know all of this, so they shop for the best deal on turkey. That gets them in the door and since they're already buying, they go ahead and buy all the other things they need to prepare. They almost definitely lose money on those turkeys by themselves but make more money overall by selling them cheap. And for chain stores, the individual store isn't eating those costs. Those losses get written off and corporate eats the loss.

And sure, there are better quality turkeys, but you're gonna pay through the ass because those farms aren't producing at the same scale and can't sell to the stores for less, and there definitely wouldn't be enough to go around for all the people buying turkey every year. But if more people buy from those small farms, they can't upscale that same process to cover all those turkeys, so they'll resort to factory farming as well to keep up with the demand. It's very much a similar problem as complaining about traffic when you are also traffic. The only solution is to opt out but we live in a society and opting out can have consequences.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (3 children)

I'd be happy to find some way that turkey could be prepared that I would be amazed with. Really, I would. But I've been disappointed time after time. And it's not like it was 'bad' turkey or whatever, other people would seem to be really enjoying it. So, I felt like somehow I just 'didn't get it'.

There's plenty of ways I like chicken and duck, but for me beef or lamb are what really satisfies me.

I'll have it again I'm sure, but I'd never request it or make it for myself.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

I did a lot of research before hosting a decade ago, and have now had to host all future thanksgivings since I am apparently the only one in the family who can make a decent turkey. Read on at your own risk:

  1. Turkey bag or a covered roasting pan is a must. Turkey gets very dry easily.
  2. Carefully lifting the skin away from the meat (without ripping it!) will allow you to put an entire stick of herb butter between the meat and the skin.
  3. Flavor injectors are another essential. Just a salty mix of basically Worcestershire sauce and vegetable oil and garlic and pepper. About a half cup total injected all the way in the meat every few inches. Back the injector out partway and push back in on a new path a few times for adequate coverage.
  4. Inside the bag or roasting pan should have some veggies. These cook down to help make a better gravy but I think also just provide more steam to keep the turkey moist.
  5. Sliced apple in the neck might be a myth but I do it anyways haha.
  6. Meat thermometer to make sure you don't overcook it. Should be slid into the meat like a millimeter away from the inside cavity in the thickest part of the turkey.
  7. Let the turkey "rest" in the pan or bag for an hour after you pull it out of the oven, otherwise the very hot juices will just evaporated away when you start carving.
  8. Carving direction matters. YouTube it. Basically, you remove half of the entire breast in one go and put that on a cutting board and cut it like a bread loaf.

Seriously I used to hate turkey but with all the above I actually look forward to it.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 11 months ago

Turkey is cheap, and can be cooked a variety of ways. It's an amazing food source. Last year I brined a turkey breast for Thanksgiving, this year I'm doing a lemon-herb butter rub.

Before cooking my own turkey, it was just whatever my grandparents or inlaws made for thanksgiving, and it was usually dry and bland. You can do better and you should do better. That bird died for you, and you have a duty to make it delicious.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 11 months ago (2 children)

It is called Türkiye - Turkish people are quite adamant about it by now… I consider it silly though …

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 months ago (4 children)

Tell me you've only ever had overcooked turkey without saying you've only had overcooked turkey. Moistness is not a certain sign of properly cooked.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's just impossible that he has a preference? What a stupid take.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Nah fam this is like the "I don't like vegetables" crowd who've only had boiled or steamed vegetables and thinks that's the only way they taste

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Agreed. Turkey was a fine meal for settlers. Better things to eat nowadays. “But…but… it’s tradition!” they say. Well, so is the Running of the Bulls in Spain and most people wouldn’t do that!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Comparing eating turkey to running with a bunch of bulls is hilarious

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago

I'm going to agree with you. Turkey is just not that great.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I shared your opinion until I recently had a properly smoked turkey for the first time. It was juicy and smokey and incredibly flavorful.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Because of the smoke. But while I don't have as strong a feeling as op on this since it's very much a first world problem, turkey really has a bland, inoffensive taste while I could smoke a rat to be delicious.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Hey you the guy selling smoked rats?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

[Whips open one side of long coat revealing a display of smokey smelling rats]

Mesquite, hickory or applewood?

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

That’s probably because they’re domesticated and bred for breast size and not flavor. The same thing happened to pork.

You can fix this by brining the turkey and adding aromatics to the chest cavity before roasting if you don’t have a smoker.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I liked how the original sub had food as a banned topic because everyone's taste buds are different

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I never had turkey (it simply is not a thing here), but I guess with a dish that is a) only made once per year and b) size-wise far out of the ordinary daily cooking experience, this will lead to a lot of below average experiences.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

I like it outside of the holidays. Turkey is my preferred sandwich.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

Smoked turkey legs 🍗 ftw

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

i felt this way and then my aunt tried seasoning the turkey in a new way and -oh man- does it taste FANTASTIC.

can't wait for tonight!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Goose is the better turkey.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Absolutely.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

Turkey is one of those meats that are good to experiment with.

I haven't done it in a while but I would often buy a whole turkey and carve the bird as I prefer at home.

Thighs are good for slow roasting, with peppers and rosemary. The drums get drown in an onion and cloves based sauce and cooked for several hours until the meat falls off the bone, pulled, allowed to chill and then turned into sandwich meat. The breasts are sliced into very thin stakes, for grilling or frying or make into schnitzel. Small pieces are turned into stroganoff, with mushroom sauce. The bones are good for making meat stock.

It is a very versatile ingredient but it does require some degree of finesse to cook.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Turkey Club Sandwich is good, but bacon is pulling all the flavor weight on that one. Turkey meat is generally healthier than chicken meat though, so it’s got that going for it.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Most Thanksgiving food isn't that good. If it was, we'd eat it more than once a year.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

What, like mashed potatoes, gravy, or brussel sprouts?

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

so true. They think they're so cool just because they're a part of the EU, but they are like, the worst countryin the EU club, and mostly seem to have wanted in so they could keep everyone else out.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

They are not part of the EU.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I'm with you. It's the most boring meat around.

I have heard that wild turkey tastes much better, but I've never tried it, as I'm not a hunter.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

There’s a reason we only eat it once a year. It’s so bland.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Deli turkey is an extremely common year round food.

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