Butchering and Making ready a Wild Turkey
What’s gained whenever you harvest a wild turkey? Senses of pleasure and accomplishment are first, adopted by lasting reminiscences and a narrative to inform, however most likely my favourite factor to achieve from a profitable turkey hunt is wild, scrumptious meat. Wild turkey is among the finest recreation meat in existence. It’s lean, flavorful, and absent of a conventional “gamey” style. And in contrast to large recreation animals, it’s pretty straightforward to course of by yourself!
I’ve had the pleasure of processing a couple of turkeys this yr and felt it might be acceptable to supply some fundamental butchering ideas and my favourite turkey breast recipe.
Fundamental Wild Turkey Butchering Suggestions
First, it’s all the time vital to organize your instruments earlier than you dive in. This contains gathering numerous bowls to position meat in and sharpening your knife. A pointy knife is as vital a device as any throughout this course of.
I like to begin by slitting the pores and skin on the breast bone for my preliminary entry. Attempt to reduce solely pores and skin, as feathers will boring a knife rapidly. When you get a small entry reduce, you should use your arms and knife to drag all of the pores and skin away from the breasts. Make sure that the breast is totally uncovered all the best way round earlier than you try and take away them.
Now you’ll want to take away the breasts and tenderloins. The most effective recommendation I can provide right here is take it gradual and hug the bone. It will be certain that you don’t hack your tenderloins to items. Simply comply with the perimeters of muscle separation and also you’ll be effective.
Eradicating the legs and thighs could be a little trickier. First begin by skinning the leg and thigh to show all the meat. Subsequent, take the knife and release as a lot meat on the prime of thigh from the rest of the carcass as attainable. After getting achieved that, use some energy and twist the joint out of socket. Now you’ll be able to end chopping the ultimate ligaments to release the thigh.
After getting all of your items separated, wash nicely and reduce away any hemorrhages or pellets that you simply would possibly discover.
When freezing meat for storage, use a vacuum sealer if accessible. I’ve not too long ago purchased one and it’s been a whole recreation changer!
My Go-To Wild Turkey Recipe
After I harvest a turkey, there isn’t any doubt in my thoughts how I’ll put together the primary meal, and that’s fried buffalo turkey strips! I began making these a pair years in the past and haven’t been in a position to get sufficient of them. It takes all one of the best qualities of fried turkey nuggets and boneless hen wings and combines them. Right here is how I prefer to make it:
Begin by chopping your turkey breast into lengthy, skinny strips. Minimize them much less then ½ inch thick and slice them about 4-5 inches lengthy. It will guarantee a crispy fry.
Subsequent, dredge the strips in egg wash or mustard (any breading binder will work), and place in your seasoned flour. I prefer to season my flour with salt, pepper, and a little bit cayenne or cajun seasoning.
As soon as coated with flour, drop into your sizzling grease (deep fry or shallow skillet fry work). Flip the strips a couple of instances till they’re crispy golden after which take away.
Whereas the strips are cooling, I like to organize my buffalo sauce. Frank’s Pink Sizzling Wing Sauce is my go-to. Pour one bottle of sauce right into a pot with a half stick of butter and let it simmer.
As soon as your sauce is blended, place your strips on a plate and pour the sauce over them. Lastly, I prefer to garnish with a couple of pickles and dig in!
That is my favourite approach to cook dinner wild turkey, so give it a do that yr!
Printed April twenty fifth by Will Bowen, Okayest Hunter Contributor
