Ground Turkey?

[Aesha]

I think someone posted a message here (or maybe I got it from the mag) for something called Beirocks, and I was thinking about making them. They call for ground turkey, which I've never had. Does it taste like turkey? Beef? I'm curious because I don't really like beef... and my mom said she thought they might taste similar. Otheerwise I may use boca crumbles, but I don't know if they would work the same. Thanks a lot for the help,

Aesha

[Gail]

In my opinion, ground turkey tastes neither like turkey nor like beef. The consistency will be like a drier version of ground beef, because of its leanness, but it's pretty bland stuff. The success of a ground turkey dish-- like tofu-- is kind of dependent upon the other flavorings you use with it.

Can't give you feedback as to which might work better, since I'm not familiar with the recipe mentioned.

[Chocolate Rose]

I posted the recipe for the Bierocks from the J/F 2004 issue. It had ground turkey as an ingredient. We haven't eaten beef in about 15 years and I usually substitute ground turkey for ground beef in any recipe. We liked the CL recipe but felt it was a bit on the bland side. Next time I make it I will definitely spice it up.

I think that the taste of ground turkey depends on the brand that you buy. I can't remember which brand it is, but one of them definitely smells like turkey when I cook it.:) I don't necessarily think it tastes like what we normally think of as turkey. It's not that roast turkey flavor. And, I don't necessarily think it tastes like beef but it definitely works as a substitute. Give it a try and see what you think.

[Dyanne]

You'll find that there are a couple different ground turkey options in your grocery store. First there's the frozen v. fresh option, and that one should be obvious. I used to use the frozen kind, but when the fresh became more widely available I switched over to it exclusively.

That said, there are also a couple options for the TYPE of fresh turkey you choose. Some stores gring their own, and as clean as the store may be, I just can't bring myself to buy it from there. After the "Food Lion scandal" a few years ago, and seeing how poorly a lot of stores clean their butcher facilities, well, I just can't get over it. The other option is the pre-packaged Jennie-O or Louis Rich ground turkey. If it's shrink-wrapped tightly, it's probably from the store, and if it's got some space between the turkey and the wrap, it's probably direct from a turkey processing plant.

The last decision is what quality turkey you choose. Some people buy the ground breast. It sounds good in theory, but this is the driest, blandest stuff you've EVER tasted! Fortunately there are a few recipes to jazz it up, some here on the BB, but for the most part, it's a poor beef substitute.

Less lean ground turkey, usually labeled "93% fat-free" or something akin to that, is what I choose. Certainly, it's not the ultra-low-fat option that the turkey breast offers. But it's much more edible and because of its higher fat content, it's more reliable as a ground beef substitute.

I do not eat any mammals, so for me the sub is a no-brainer. If I didn't have a no-mammal stance, though, I would not bother with ground turkey. I would go for the leanest ground beef I could find, which would probably be about the same fat content as the fattiest ground turkey I can buy. So for you, the choice might be much more complicated.

I can tell you without hesitation that ground turkey can make an excellent substitute in something where the meat is not front and center, but rather combined with other savory stuff. Meatloaf can be scrumptious (try Barefoot Contessa's turkey meatloaf if you doubt it), and would most definitely fool any beef eater.

Dyanne