Editing Turkey meat

{{Short description|Meat from a turkey}}

{{Redirect|Turkey dinner|the Dad's Army episode|Turkey Dinner}}

{{Original research|date=February 2015}}

[[File:Thanksgiving Turkey.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A roast turkey prepared for a traditional U.S. [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] meal. The white plastic object in the breast is a [[Meat thermometer|pop-up thermometer]].]]

'''Turkey meat''', commonly referred to as just '''turkey''', is the [[meat]] from [[Turkey (bird)|turkeys]], typically [[domesticated turkey]]s, but also [[wild turkey]]s. It is a popular [[poultry]] dish, especially in [[North America]] and the [[United Kingdom]], where it is traditionally consumed as part of culturally significant events such as [[Thanksgiving]] and [[Christmas]] respectively, as well as in standard cuisine.

Turkeys are sold sliced and ground, as well as "whole" in a manner similar to [[chicken]] with the head, feet, and feathers removed. Turkey "crowns" are the breast of the bird with its legs and wings removed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Slater |first1=Jack |title=What's the difference between turkey crowns, ballotines and bronze turkeys? |url=https://metro.co.uk/2022/12/18/what-is-a-turkey-crown-ballotine-and-other-types-of-christmas-turkey-17955081/ |access-date=23 December 2022 |work=Metro |date=18 December 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How to cook a turkey crown |url=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-to-cook-turkey-crown |website=BBC Good Food |access-date=23 December 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Frozen whole turkeys remain popular. Sliced turkey is frequently used as a [[sandwich]] meat or served as [[cold cuts]]; in some cases where recipes call for chicken, it can be used as a substitute. [[Ground turkey]] is sold, and frequently marketed as a healthy alternative to ground [[beef]]. Without careful preparation, cooked turkey is usually considered to end up less moist than other poultry meats such as [[chicken (meat)|chicken]] or [[duck (meat)|duck]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

A large amount of turkey meat is processed. It can be smoked, and as such, is sometimes sold as [[turkey ham]] or [[turkey bacon]], which is considered to be far healthier{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} than [[pork]] [[bacon]]. Twisted [[helix|helices]] of deep-fried turkey meat, sold as "[[Bernard Matthews Farms#Turkey Twizzlers|turkey twizzlers]]", came to prominence in the UK in 2004, when chef [[Jamie Oliver]] campaigned to have them and similar foods removed from [[school dinner]]s.<ref>{{cite web | first=Josh | last=Barrie | title=Turkey Twizzlers: A complete history of the controversial Bernard Matthews product – and what the new 'healthy' recipe tastes like | work=The i | date=17 August 2020 | url=https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/food-and-drink/turkey-twizzlers-bernard-matthews-history-banned-schools-jamie-oliver-new-recipe-taste-test-581342 | access-date=September 3, 2021 | archive-date=3 September 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903141650/https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/food-and-drink/turkey-twizzlers-bernard-matthews-history-banned-schools-jamie-oliver-new-recipe-taste-test-581342 | url-status=live }}</ref>

Unlike [[chicken eggs]], turkey eggs are not commonly sold as food due to the high demand for whole turkeys and lower output of eggs as compared with other fowl (not only chickens, but even ducks or quail). The value of a single turkey egg is estimated to be about [[USD|$]]3.50 on the open market.<ref>{{cite web | first=Cecil | last=Adams | title=Why can't you buy turkey eggs in stores? | work=The Straight Dope | date=6 March 1998 | url=http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1262/why-cant-you-buy-turkey-eggs-in-stores | access-date=November 25, 2010 | archive-date=11 August 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811223523/https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1262/why-cant-you-buy-turkey-eggs-in-stores/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author=Kasey-Dee Gardner | title=Why? Tell Me Why!: Turkey Eggs | work=DiscoveryNews | url=http://news.discovery.com/videos/why-tell-me-why-turkey-eggs.html | date=November 18, 2008 | access-date=November 25, 2010 | archive-date=November 27, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127222323/http://news.discovery.com/videos/why-tell-me-why-turkey-eggs.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Taiwanese turkey rice|Turkey rice]] is regarded as one of Taiwan's national dishes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey and rice a hit at borough chief's eatery|url=https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=18&post=24125 |accessdate=27 August 2022 |publisher=Taiwan Today |date=July 27, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author-link=Clarissa Wei|last1=Wei |first1=Clarissa |title=From roadside eatery to big city darling: How one Taiwanese turkey rice vendor made it big|url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/taiwan-turkey-rice-rou-bo/index.html |accessdate=27 August 2022 |publisher=CNN Travel |date=11 December 2020}}</ref>

Because the turkey is a [[New World]] bird, questions about its [[kosher]] status have been discussed for years. The majority of authorities and a long history of Jewish usage have regarded it as kosher, as other related fowl such as chicken, partridge, and pheasant are.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kashrut.com/articles/turk_part5/|website=kashrut.com|author=Rabbi Ari Z. Zivotofsky|title=Is turkey kosher?|accessdate=2023-06-13}}</ref>

{{Cookbook|turkey}}

{{nutritionalvalue | name=Turkey, breast, meat only, raw | kJ=465|water= 74 g | protein=24.6 g | fat=0.7 g | carbs=0 g | fiber=0 g | | sugars=0 g | iron_mg=1.2 | calcium_mg=10 | magnesium_mg=28 | phosphorus_mg=206 | potassium_mg=293 | sodium_mg=49 | zinc_mg=1.2 | vitC_mg=0 | pantothenic_mg=0.7 | vitB6_mg=0.6 | folate_ug=8 | thiamin_mg=0 | riboflavin_mg=0.1 | niacin_mg=6.6 | note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171098/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]}}

Turkeys are usually [[baking|baked]] or [[roasting|roasted]] in an oven for several hours, often while the cook prepares the remainder of the meal. Sometimes, a turkey is [[brining|brined]] before roasting to enhance flavor and moisture content. This is done because the dark meat requires a higher temperature to denature all of the myoglobin pigment than the white meat (very low in myoglobin), so that fully cooking the dark meat tends to dry out the breast. Brining makes it possible to fully cook the dark meat without drying the breast meat. Turkeys are sometimes decorated with turkey frills, [[paper]] frills or [[Manchette (cuisine)|"booties"]] that are placed on the end of drumsticks or bones of other cutlets.<ref>{{cite web|title=FAQs|url=http://www.eatturkey.com/faq/faq.cgi/2/#44|publisher=Eatturkey.com|access-date=18 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930151442/http://www.eatturkey.com/faq/faq.cgi/2/#44|archive-date=30 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://zidbits.com/2010/11/does-turkey-really-make-you-sleepy-after-eating/|title=Does Turkey Really Make You Sleepy After Eating? – Zidbits – Learn something new everyday!|access-date=2015-08-24|archive-date=2020-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201141445/https://zidbits.com/2010/11/does-turkey-really-make-you-sleepy-after-eating/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[file:RoastTurkey.jpg|thumb|A roast turkey, a traditional American Thanksgiving meal]]

A 100 gram amount of turkey breast contains 279&nbsp;mg of [[tryptophan]], a low content compared to other [[amino acid]]s in turkey breast meat.<ref>{{cite web|title=Turkey, fryer-roasters, breast, meat only, raw|url=http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/858/2|publisher=USDA Nutrient Database|access-date=2013-04-28|archive-date=2020-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924132628/https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/858/2|url-status=live}}</ref> There is no scientific evidence that this amount of tryptophan from turkey causes post-meal [[drowsy|drowsiness]].<ref name="korb">{{cite web |first1=Alex |last1=Korb |title=The Turkey-Tryptophan Myth |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/prefrontal-nudity/201111/the-turkey-tryptophan-myth |publisher=Psychology Today |access-date=30 January 2020 |date=21 November 2011}}</ref><ref name="sleepyturkey2">{{cite web | title=Researcher talks turkey on Thanksgiving dinner droop | work=Massachusetts Institute of Technology News Office | url=http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/thanksgiving.html | access-date=November 21, 2006 | archive-date=July 23, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723035525/http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/thanksgiving.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Cookbook|Whole, Roasted Turkey with Stuffing|l1=American-style Thanksgiving turkey}}

[[File:turkeyset.JPG|thumb|Roast turkey served with salad, sauces, sparkling apple juice, and Yule Log cake during a Christmas dinner feast]]

For [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] in the United States, turkey is traditionally served stuffed or with dressing (on the side), with [[cranberry sauce]] and [[gravy]]. Common complementary dishes include [[mashed potato]]es, [[corn on the cob]], [[green bean]]s, [[squash (vegetable)|squash]], and [[sweet potato]]es. [[Pie]] is the usual dessert, especially those made from [[pumpkin pie|pumpkins]], [[apple pie|apples]], or [[pecan pie|pecans]]. It can also be eaten at [[Christmas]] in the United States and North America.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

For [[Christmas]] in the United Kingdom, turkey is traditionally served with winter vegetables, including roast [[potato]]es, [[Brussels sprout]]s, and [[parsnip]]s. Cranberry sauce is the traditional condiment in the northern rural areas of the United Kingdom where wild cranberries grow. In the south and in urban areas, where cranberries until recently were difficult to obtain, [[bread sauce]] was used in its place, but the availability of commercial cranberry sauce has seen a rise in its popularity in these areas, too.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}} [[Pigs in blankets]], a dish consisting of small sausages (usually [[chipolata]]s) wrapped in [[bacon]] are a popular and traditional accompaniment.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Jeremy |date=26 November 2017 |title=The great Christmas taste test 2017 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/nov/26/christmas-taste-test-2017-chocolate-cheese-pies-cakes-puddings-salmon |access-date=4 January 2018}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-12-02 |title=Everything you want to know about pigs in blankets |url=https://erudus.com/editorial/the-food-agenda/everything-about-pigs-in-blankets |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=Erudus}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Rachel |date=2018-12-24 |title=I ate 100 different 'pigs in blankets' at a sausage party and it was painfully delicious |url=https://mashable.com/article/pigs-in-blanket-sausage-party |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Neild |first1=Barry |date=14 December 2013 |title=Turkey, pigs in blankets, even sprouts… but no Christmas pudding, thanks |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/dec/14/christmas-pudding-off-this-years-menu |access-date=4 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Classic pigs in blankets |url=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-pigs-blankets |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=BBC Good Food |language=en}}</ref>

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