Poultry
Wild Turkey
A tier
Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is the lean, athletic ancestor of all domestic table turkeys, with dark, intensely flavoured meat and very little fat under the skin. Breast is tighter and more fibrous than farmed birds; legs are powerfully muscled and excel in moist-heat cooking rather than quick roasting alone. Prefer braising, confit-style legs, smoked whole birds with careful monitoring, or grinding tougher portions for chili and sausages. If roasting young birds, baste aggressively and do not chase supermarket doneness cues without a thermometer. This is game cookery: respect the leanness and the deep forest flavour.
Also known as: Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo (wild)
Track this ingredient
Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and North America hunted and later domesticated wild turkeys.
Spanish contact carried domesticated and wild-derived stock toward Europe.
Overhunting collapsed many wild populations across the United States.
Restoration programmes returned wild turkeys to much of their historic range for hunting and limited table use.