Turkey for Thanksgiving

[border_humper]

We don’t like to cook a whole bird. It’s too much work to pick it clean. I like to get a whole breast, then some additional parts for dark meat like 2 thighs, a leg, and roast those separately. But where I live, that’s seemingly impossible, unless you want the butterball breast in a box. Costco only had whole turkeys. Even ground turkey is hard to find. This is the case around Thanksgiving but also the rest of the year.

My question: in the States, turkey breasts and various parts are widely available in grocery stores. Is this just a Prairies issue? In Canada is turkey under supply management and that's why you can only buy a whole bird?

 

[dagthegnome]

Turkey is overrated. I prefer duck if I can get my hands on it. Otherwise, I'll do a ham, or a rack of lamb. Maybe just a beef or pork roast. All of those are easier and less work than a turkey, and they all taste better.

 

[Hirudinea]

Duck is tasty, but I do a Turkey for tradition. Lamb on Easter, yum!

 

[CaptainTrouble]

We don’t like to cook a whole bird. It’s too much work to pick it clean

Huh? I don't think I understand what you mean? Are you like killing the turkey yourself and plucking the feathers? Or do you mean, it takes too long to eat a whole turkey and you don't want turkey sandwiches and turkey soup for weeks lol.

Where I live, West Coast, Safeway carries all sorts of different turkey cuts, including turkey breasts, all year round.

 

[border_humper]

A turkey carcass, once roasted, has lots of meat and fat that can be picked off it.

 

[the_pamplemoose]

I see turkey breasts and wings for sale in Safeway all the time.

 

[brutana_dilewski]

I would rather just cook a couple chickens. Turkey dark meat is good but I get pretty sick of it quick.

 

[adragons]

GROK says:

1. Supply management means producers plan supply around seasonal demand.
2. Canadian industry is less vertically integrated, so not able to ramp up production (even if they were allowed.)
3. Turkey parts are available sometimes/some places. Turkey breast are often sold as roasts, legs are less desired and often exported to the US.

 

[ChevChelios]

I've always found it annoying that delicious smoked turkey legs are easily available in grocery stores in Ontario but practically non-existent here on the east coast -- and it is odd, because I'd assume that the British-Irish people most interested in such a thing would be far more numerous down here as a percentage of the population

 

[Hirudinea]

That I didn't know.

 

[kramer]

First time I did a turkey this year and it was pretty easy. It was always my parents or inlaws before who did it. I made a mistake though and bought a frozen turkey with no time to unfreeze it. So then I had to go back to the store and get a fresh one. Turned out great.