Roast Pasture-Raised Turkey & Gravy

How to Thaw Your Turkey

Your turkey will benefit from a gentle thaw in the refrigerator that will allow the meat to age and tenderize significantly. Plan to thaw your turkey 1 day per every 4-5 pounds in the refrigerator to ensure tenderness and a reasonable cooking time. 

Remove giblets before cooking!

Your turkey includes the giblets (heart, liver, and neck), which are a nutritious way to add value to your pasture-raised bird. They are inside the body cavity in a plastic bag. Be sure to remove the bag before cooking the bird!

Optional pre-salting method ("Dry Brine")

Pre-salting the turkey improves the texture and moisture content of our turkeys. Simply spread 1/4 cup of coarse salt inside the body cavity 2 days prior to cooking. You can get really fancy by adding herbs, etc, but it's mostly the salt that changes the texture of the meat, helps retain moisture during cooking, and of course makes the meat itself taste salty, not just the outer crust created by basting. That said... MOST years I do not take the trouble to do this step, and the turkey is still delicious, so don't worry if you don't get to it! :-)

Basic Roast Turkey Recipe.

Preheat oven to 325F. Remove giblets if not already done. Place thawed turkey (with giblets removed) into large roasting pan, breast side up. Rub MSG-free Poultry Seasoning or coarse sea salt and pepper under skin on breast and legs, loosening skin carefully to prevent tearing. (If you tear the skin, you may stitch it back together with a toothpick or butcher's twine.) Insert 1 quartered onion, 2 sticks each of coarsely chopped carrots and celery, and fresh herbs (sage, basil, oregano, rosemary and/or parsley) into body cavity.  Rub outside of skin with melted lard, butter, or coconut oil. Alternatively, you could lay strips of sliced bacon or pork belly across the surface of the turkey to create a “self-basting” bird.

For unstuffed, fully-thawed turkey: Roast for about 8-10 minutes per pound until the internal thigh temperature is 180 and the juices run clear and have slowed down when you prick the skin. Baste frequently (if not using bacon), about every 10-15 minutes. You may use melted lard, butter, coconut oil, or pan drippings. The more often you baste, the more crisp and tender the skin will be. If you do not baste the bird, the skin may turn out tough. Let the bird rest for at least 10 minutes prior to carving. Use pan drippings for giblet gravy. When everyone is done eating turkey, pick off the last of the meat and use the bones and leftover veggies from the body cavity to make broth.

Please note that cook time may be increased if your turkey is stuffed, or still partially frozen, or you are cooking additional items in the oven at the same time.

For smaller turkeys, cook time may be reduced. For very large turkeys, cook time may be increased.

How to tell when your turkey is done cooking

We find that the most reliable means of testing whether your turkey is done is to observe the juices. They should go from clear and bursting from the skin when pricked to slowing down and barely dribbling out. This is when you know it’s done. A thermometer will read about 170-185. Another great method to test doneness is to wiggle the drumstick. If it actually wiggles and is no longer stiff, the bird should be done. Pasture-raised turkeys cook FASTER than conventional turkeys, so keep that in mind and watch those juices and the temperature while cooking. It can speed things along if you tilt the bird and let any juices drain out from the body cavity. It's also lovely if you can manage to flip the bird over to roast the lower half, but this is very difficult with a large bird, so proceed with caution--it is not an imperative step. After roasting, let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil, for about 15 minutes prior to carving.

Giblet Gravy Recipe (Adapted from Joy of Cooking)

Rinse and pat dry the neck, heart, and gizzard. Reserve the liver in the fridge. Sauté neck, heart, and gizzard in cooking fat over medium heat with 1 cup of chopped onions. Brown well, about 5-10 minutes for each side. Add 4 cups broth, 1/2 cup white wine, 1/4 cup chopped carrots, 1/4 cup chopped celery, parsley, a bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp thyme. Cover and simmer gently until meat is tender, about 1-1.5 hours.

Add liver and simmer until firm, about 5 minutes. Strain the liquid and add enough water to make 4 cups. Debone the neck and finely chop the meat along with the liver, gizzard, and heart. Return meat to stock. Discard veggies. Reserve the bones for future broth.

Heat 4 Tbs. butter in large saucepan until foaming. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour, cooking for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the stock. Bring to simmer over medium and cook for 1 minute. When turkey is done, pour pan drippings into gravy 1/2 cup at a time to make sure the gravy does not become too salty. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo credit: https://freefoodphotos.com/ (Sorry. Of all the years I have been cooking turkey, I have never taken time to do a proper photo of one that I cooked! I guess we're always too excited to get started eating!! :-) )