Turkey Meat

[Kate]

Does anyone cook with Turkey meat in place of beef? I am going to attempt a turkeyloaf tonight for dinner. I've had a turkey burger before. It was good. What do you make with turkey besides a turkey burger?

[smalltowngal]

I buy the turkey cutlets sometimes...sorta look like pork chops. We grill them or bake them. Yummy stuff!!
As far as ground turkey, I have heard that spaghetti with turkey meat in the sauce is good...but I haven't had it.

[YellowRoseTex]

:wave: Kate,
I use turkey meat all the time! I made stuffed red peppers just yesterday using turkey meat. I diced up some zuchinni, carrots, garlic and added some spices. I poured a box of diced tomatoes over the tops, added some salt and fresh basil and baked at 325 for about 2 hours. Yummy!

I like to buy the turkey tenderloins. I take a kitchen shears and cut them in half so they are not quite so thick. Marinate in a bit of oil with rosemary, garlic and thyme. Than I throw them on the George Foreman grill. :yum:

I also buy the turkey breast rolls made by Butterball. I prefer the gold label as it's mostly white meat and not as much fat. I put that on the Baby George rotissiere for about 1-3/4 hours. :yum:

[jcme]

I've used ground turkey in place of beef in meatloaf and chili. Will probably do spaghetti sauce with it in the future (I never made spaghetti sauce before yesterday).

I find the texture different (less apparent in chili) and the meatloaf comes out moister. Some people will say they can't tell the difference in taste, but I can. The things made with turkey just taste lighter, but it is still good.

Let us know how your meatloaf comes out.

[Zoneey]

Tenderloins are great. I usually flour and brown them and then put in a mixture of 1 can of chicken broth, can of vermouth, mushrooms, carrots, garlic to taste, rosemary, and cook until vegetables are done. Take them out and make a gravy using cream and the left over juices.

I have heard of putting a little ground beef with the ground turkey to make it more moist. I make turkey tacos with the plain ground turkey and my family can't tell the difference.

[Marian Paroo]

It's very common here to cook with dark meat turkey instead of beef. It can be used for stews or ground for meatballs or Bolanese or stuffed veg (sp!).

It needs to be spiced up more than beef, and in meatballs it doesn't hurt to toss in a knob (as they say in England) of butter for a little enrichment.

[Mykhal Jaems]

I've used ground turkey for taco salad and had rave reviews. I was going out on a limb, I was making it for a get together for a friend whose mother used to make it all the time but couldn't be there. I used her recipe and they all said it tasted just like hers.

I've used it other times meatballs, meat loaf, hamburgers, anywhere that you would use ground beef. It is a bit finer ground, and if you want a beefy taste you should add some beef boulioun (sp?).

Let us know how it turns out!

[LuvMaui]

I find that when I use ground turkey in place of beef, I end up using a lot of oils to keep it from sticking during browning.

Any tips on how to prevent the sticking without all the oil?

[crunchies0313]

Turkey pepperoni and turkey bacon are wonderful!! I hate beef, so turkey is awesome and there are a lot of choices out there.

[YellowRoseTex]

Turkey pepperoni and turkey bacon are wonderful!!
Yummy! Yes, I make my own mini pizza's with turkey pepperoni. I also put it on crackers with a bit of cheese and salsa, than micro for a few seconds.

I use turkey bacon with my cabbage. I fry the bacon, cut it up in pieces, than chop some cabbage and red peppers and stir fry together in just a bit of oil. :yum:

I find that when I use ground turkey in place of beef, I end up using a lot of oils to keep it from sticking during browning.
Any tips on how to prevent the sticking without all the oil?
LuvMaui, I have never had a problem with my ground turkey sticking. Do you use a non stick pan? Maybe the heat is too high or you can try spraying with some PAM or you can try putting some oil on a paper towel and than wiping it on the bottom of the pan.

I have found that the leanest turkey isn't the best for browning as it tends to be dryer, but I don't think it's ever stuck to the pan. If you're using the leanest cut, you could try using one of the other cuts.

[jcme]

I find that when I use ground turkey in place of beef, I end up using a lot of oils to keep it from sticking during browning.

Any tips on how to prevent the sticking without all the oil?

I find ground turkey sticks more than browning...probably because it has less fat. I use a lower heat, put a little olive oil in the pan and leave it alone for a bit before trying to break it up.

[Kate]

I have found that the leanest turkey isn't the best for browning as it tends to be dryer, but I don't think it's ever stuck to the pan. If you're using the leanest cut, you could try using one of the other cuts.

Good to know. Except my reasoning for eating turkey is to cut back on fat vs. the leanest beef I buy (4%). I typically add a little bit of water when I brown my meat. I'll have to try that when I use the turkey. Some of the turkey cuts that I have checked out has more fat/calories than lean beef. :eek: But I saw that Jeanie-O has some extra lean turkey. I'm gonna have to try and find that.

What does everyone tend to buy?

[bkteller]

I use ground white turkey meat exclusivly now in staed of hamburger.I spray my pan with cooking spray and cook it a bit lower heat than I did with the hamburger.Ive not had any sticking problems.I make cheeseburgers,chili,burritos,taco salads,hamburger helper,tacos,and I also brown it & put it in those chow mein bipacks.You know ,the ones that have the sauce on top and the veggies on the bottom? I use to use HB that way,but tried the turkey & its just the same.I make meat loaf also.I always use the white meat kind cause it doesn't have that strong taste that dark meat has.

[Autumn Moon]

I roast a lot of turkey breasts (slip a sprig of rosemary and a teaspoon of BUTTER between the skin and meat) for the triptophen effects on a weekly basis.
Turkey roasts from the butcher are custom made with dark meat in the inside and white on the outside (a half a turkey).
Cutlets are great for making 'cordon bleu'.
ground turkey replaces beef in sauce and loaf.
Lasagna is made with a white sauce instead of tomato.
Try this link (www.allrecipes.com) and search turkey.
Happy eating,
Autumn

[jcme]

Good to know. Except my reasoning for eating turkey is to cut back on fat vs. the leanest beef I buy (4%). I typically add a little bit of water when I brown my meat. I'll have to try that when I use the turkey. Some of the turkey cuts that I have checked out has more fat/calories than lean beef. :eek: But I saw that Jeanie-O has some extra lean turkey. I'm gonna have to try and find that.

What does everyone tend to buy?

You need to check if it is ground turkey breast to make sure it is lower in fat. Ground turkey is still an option, but like Kate said it can be higher than the low fat beef.

I didn't realize there was two types when I went to Costco and bought what they had. I just thought it was so much cheaper than my meat market because it was Costco, but it turned out to be ground turkey and not turkey breast :duh:

For me, either is a good choice. I have problems just grabbing anything on the way home if I work late, so as long as I cook, I figure I'm eating healthier than dining out.

[Kate]

I found a 97% fat free of ground turkey. I made a turkey loaf...it was AWESOME! I used the normal recipe from foodtv.com and just replaced it with the ground turkey. It was so yummy. My boyfriend raved about it. I'll definitely use turkey again. I used the white honeysuckle brand, btw.

[Marian Paroo]

I find the white meat too dry for grinding, unless I add a few spoons of heavy cream, which tastes great but defeats the purpose of using turkey meat (IMHO).

I use white turkey meat cutlets instead of veal, though.

[YellowRoseTex]

I used the white honeysuckle brand, btw.

Kate,
I have found the white honeysuckle brand to be much better than some of the other brands out there. One of the grocery stores I use doesn't carry it, but the other does, so I usually buy my turkey stuff at the latter. I have found that when it comes to turkey, brand does make a difference.