- Joined
- Jan 3, 2014
- Location
- Detroit...
Toms are castrated, so taste like a hen.
Basically, if you want a smaller bird, you're stuck with a hen. Larger birds are castrated toms.
I would prefer to cook 2 small birds over a larger one
Toms are castrated, so taste like a hen.
Basically, if you want a smaller bird, you're stuck with a hen. Larger birds are castrated toms.
Interesting. That is what I've been told by many different people. I should have known better, since I knew the testes are internal in birds.They do not "castrate" male turkeys or chickens normally for the retail market. The testes in the birds are internal and a surgical procedure would be cost prohibitive. Since they're processed at such an early age it isn't necessary. My choice would be a hen but they will be in general lighter in weight. Even in cattle which the males are I'd still prefer a heifer for meat quality.
Thanks. I thought that, generally speaking, the Hens are preferred as long as it's big enough.They do not "castrate" male turkeys or chickens normally for the retail market. The testes in the birds are internal and a surgical procedure would be cost prohibitive. Since they're processed at such an early age it isn't necessary. My choice would be a hen but they will be in general lighter in weight. Even in cattle which the males are I'd still prefer a heifer for meat quality.
IMHO this is a mistake.
For the brine period (2-3 hours per pound for dry brine), you want to keep all the moisture that the salt pulls out of the bird, close to the skin so it gets pulled back in.
Try wrapping tightly in plastic wrap for brine period and then air dry for a few hours (this is plenty of time to dry skin) before smoking
You will find you get a significantly juicer (20% based on our tests) product keeping it wrapped tight during the brine.
ok - let me move my questions to here:
1 - Smoking on the weber summit - use the low position and the diffuser or use the indirect method?
2 - Weber recipes have the bird sit in liquid - I've done this before and wonder why they dont use a rack - as you would in the over?
ok - let me move my questions to here:
1 - Smoking on the weber summit - use the low position and the diffuser or use the indirect method?
2 - Weber recipes have the bird sit in liquid - I've done this before and wonder why they dont use a rack - as you would in the over?
Just finished doing the dry brine on my turkey, which I will never do again. I think maybe 2/3 of the brine remained on the turkey when I started to wrap it in plastic wrap. Hopefully the 3 days in the fridge will still do the job. Plastic wrap and I have never gotten along, and I made a mess of that, too. Next time will just be the old standard wet brine, even if this does end up being my best turkey ever.
Pruning shears, well scrubbed, work great.Just spatchcocked my first turkey. No kitchen shears.. What a P.I.T.A. Coat of Harvest Brine and into the fridge.