Beef, Pork, Chicken, and Turkey FAQ’s

“All natural” Beef

All natural refers to the meat after it has been processed. The USDA defines it as a product that does not “contain any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredient, or chemical preservative.”

Marczyk all natural beef: In addition to the USDA requirements, we require that animals are raised humanely and sustainably, never given hormones or antibiotics, and fed a vegetarian diet. And it tastes great! For more info: http://www.nimanranch.com/Index.aspx

“All Natural Pork”

All natural refers to the meat after it has been processed. The USDA defines it as a product that does not “contain any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredient, or chemical preservative.”

Marczyk all natural pork: In addition to the USDA requirements, we require that animals are raised humanely and sustainably, never given hormones or antibiotics, and fed a vegetarian diet. Our pork is raised outside and allowed to root and roam. It tastes like pork used to!

For more info: www.nimanranch.com.

“Free Range” Chicken

USDA definition: “Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.”

Marczyk free range chickens: We search for farmers who practice the highest definition of the law, and actually provide a natural outdoor space for the birds, not those who follows the letter of the law, and opens a door to a concrete patch so the birds can go outdoors.

Antibiotic free, all vegetarian feed.

First let’s clear up the hormone question: it is illegal to give pigs and chickens hormones in the US. Antibiotics are allowed, and plenty of them: “The proportion of antibiotics sold in the United States each year that go to animals…is 80 percent. 28.8 million pounds.” Maryln McKenna, Wired Science. Not good for you, or them. All vegetarian feed means the animals were not fed any animal by-products: beaks, bones, etc. This helps reduce the spread of disease.

Prarie foraged chickens.

From farmer Dallas Gilbert in Bennett, CO. They are outside and inside, pecking around in the dirt in addition to their feed. These chickens are a little smaller, and have a very meaty texture.

Turkey FAQ’s:

What’s the difference between Marczyk’s turkeys and conventional?

Annually, the U.S. produces 220 million conventional turkeys that are raised in dark and cramped conditions within high density confinement barns.  They are bred for large breasts and often grow so large in as little as 2 months that their legs buckle under the pressure of their own weight.  They are continuously fed a diet that has an added antibiotic designed to promote “health” within the flocks.  No growth hormones are allowed in the use of poultry production per USDA regulation; however, these added antibiotics can mimic the growth hormone function.  These turkeys are typically injected with water and sodium phosphates to provide flavor and enhance tenderness. Marczyk’s birds are none of the above.

Do they really taste differently?

We say the truth is in the taste, and these birds are no exception. You’ll find Marczyk’s all-natural classic turkeys to be free of the slightly chemically taste of supermarket birds. If you want to go one step further, you can brine the bird in a salt and sugar water mixture. The heritage birds have a rich, deep turkey flavor, not gamy like a wild bird, but “turkeyer”.

Do I need to cook the Heritage turkeys differently?

Yes. Heritage turkeys are leaner and smaller than broad-breasted whites, so cook them fast at higher temperatures. Heritage turkeys should be cooked at 425-450 degrees F until the internal temperature reaches 140-150 degrees F. Butter or oil can be added under the breast skin to add moisture during roasting. We have also had great success with confiting the legs and roasting the breast, which of course requires taking them apart.

You won’t need to cover the breast with foil to keep it from drying out while the rest of the bird cooks. The smaller breasts on the heritage birds create a better balance between the dark meat and white meat, which means roasting a bird to perfection is much easier since white meat cooks quicker than the dark meat.

What do those terms on the turkey label really mean?

Here’s a guide from Bon Appetit 2006.
Free-range A turkey with access to the outside. According to Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma, many free range birds do not take advantage of their outside opportunities. So does it really make a difference? We feel the general protocol of raising a free range bird vs. a confinement bird goes far beyond whether they step outside or not. The fact they have a chance says a lot about how that bird is being treated.
Fresh Technically, a turkey that’s never been kept below 26°F. Most Thanksgiving birds are processed in September and October but are still labeled fresh in November.

Frozen A bird that’s stored below 0°F.
Natural A bird that contains no artificial ingredients or added color and is minimally processed. Amazingly, this doesn’t mean it hasn’t been treated with antibiotics.
Organic A turkey that has been certified by a USDA-accredited agency. The term organic ensures that the bird was raised on organic feed, was free-range, and wasn’t treated with any antibiotics.

What if I don’t want turkey?  Marczyk’s offers a wide range of other birds: Pheasant, Quail, Duck, and Goose are all available by pre-order by calling 303 894-9499 to order.

Other things to consider:

• Do bring a nice bottle of wine to the host’s house. And if they do not use it that evening, don’t take it back with you. No lie a girl I know does this.
• Don’t eat the crispy turkey skin when you think no one is looking. A - Some one is always looking. B - Everyone else is doing it and you’ll end up with a bald bird.
• Do offer to clean up afterwards.
• Don’t call the host the night before with a list of your allergies unless it is an allergy that will kill you. If there is something you are suspect of (oysters in the stuffing?), spread it out on the plate and it looks like you ate some.
• If you are doing the cooking and you tell people dinner is at 4:00, then serve dinner at 4:00. If the wine continues to flow and there is no food, you may be looking at a holiday version of “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

   

   

  Day Do’s and Don’t:

   

   

   

   

   

   

Hidden soy in food

We got an email from a customer recently, asking about soy in food. Here was Pete’s reply: “Nearly all feeds contain some amount of soy.  We have some growers who may not include any soy in their feed, but I will have to verify.  I could check with one of our chicken growers as he pasture-raises his birds, but I think he may supplement at some point with commercial feed.  Much bison (our included) is finished on a ration which includes a small amount of soy, so ours is out of the question.   We purchase a couple whole grass-fed beef each year: this would be an option.  It is possible that our Heritage Turkeys have not received soy, but I will have to check.  And almost ALL lamb has been at very least supplemented with commercial feed.  For clarity, by commercial, I mean ‘produced by others–not the farmer’ these almost always have some percentage of soy in them.” Learn something new every day!

Turkey FAQ’s: Colorado heritage turkeys

Where do you get your heritage birds?

Marczyk Fine Foods gets heritage birds from Dallas Gilbert in Bennett, CO, about an hour east of Denver. Dallas raises Blue Slates, a turkey that was almost extinct 10 years ago. They live in giant pens out on the plains, with open air canvas tents to keep them out of the rain. They are fed an all vegetarian diet. They are about 6 months when they are processed. Marczyk Fine Foods is the only Colorado retail outlet for these birds.

Do I need to cook the Heritage turkeys differently?

Yes. Heritage turkeys are leaner and smaller than broad-breasted whites.Find a recipe for  Willie Birds and heritage birds here.

Are turkeys all that Dallas raises?

No, he brings us heritage chickens now, and will provide us with Christmas geese. Dallas runs a co-op, and supplies Colorado individuals and chefs with duck, goose, duck eggs, chicken and turkey sausages, livers, and other poultry products.

And here’s a crazy thing: Dallas uses donkeys to guard the turkeys from coyotes! Here they are:

For more images of the farm go to our photo fun page.

Turkey FAQ’s: all bird, no bull.

What’s the difference between Marczyk’s turkeys and conventional?
Annually, the U.S. produces 220 million conventional turkeys that are raised in dark and cramped conditions within high density confinement barns.  They are bred for large breasts and often grow so large in as little as 2 months that their legs buckle under the pressure of their own weight.  They are continuously fed a diet that has an added antibiotic designed to promote “health” within the flocks.  No growth hormones are allowed in the use of poultry production per USDA regulation; however, these added antibiotics can mimic the growth hormone function.  After slaughter, these turkeys are typically injected with water and sodium phosphates to provide flavor and enhance tenderness. Marczyk’s birds are none of the above.
Do they really taste differently?
We say the truth is in the taste, and these birds are no exception. You’ll find Marczyk’s all-natural free range broad breasted whites from Willie Bird to have a big turkey taste. If you want to go one step further, you can brine the bird in a salt and sugar water mixture.
The heritage birds have a rich, deep turkey flavor. We say they are the closest taste to a wild bird that you will find.
Do I need to cook the Heritage turkeys differently?
Yes. Heritage turkeys are leaner and smaller than broad-breasted whites, so cook them fast at higher temperatures. Heritage turkeys should be cooked at 425-450 degrees F until the internal temperature reaches 140-150 degrees F. Butter or oil can be added under the breast skin to add flavor and moisture during roasting. We have also had great success with confiting the legs and roasting the breast, which of course requires taking them apart.
You won’t need to cover the breast with foil to keep it from drying out while the rest of the bird cooks. The smaller breasts on the heritage birds create a better balance between the dark meat and white meat, which means roasting a bird to perfection is much easier since white meat cooks more quickly than the dark meat.
What do those terms on the turkey label really mean?
Here’s a guide from Bon Appetit 2006:
Free-range: A turkey with access to the outside. According to Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma, many free range birds do not take advantage of their outside opportunities. So does it really make a difference? We feel the general protocol of raising a free range bird vs. a confinement bird goes far beyond whether they step outside or not. The fact they have a chance says a lot about how that bird is being treated. You can see our Willie Birds out under the oaks at the website.
Fresh
Technically, a turkey that’s never been kept below 26°F. Most Thanksgiving birds are processed in September and October but are still labeled fresh in November.
Frozen
A bird that’s stored below 0°F.
Natural
A bird that contains no artificial ingredients or added color and is minimally processed. Amazingly, this doesn’t mean it hasn’t been treated with antibiotics.
Organic
A turkey that has been certified by a USDA-accredited agency. The term organic ensures that the bird was raised on organic feed, was free-range, and wasn’t treated with any antibiotics.
What if I don’t want turkey?
Marczyk’s offers a wide range of other birds: Pheasant, Quail, Duck, and Goose are all available by pre-order. Call 303 894-9499.