Turkey time!

11/17/2009

You buy 1 turkey a year. Make it the best!

Willie Bird turkeys have a big turkey taste.
Willie Birds are all natural and truly free-range. (Go to http://www.williebird.com/  to see them out under the California oaks.) These broad-breasted whites are the conventional breed you all know, but raised naturally without the use of any antibiotics or growth hormones.  A high quality 100% vegetarian diet contributes to the flavor and tenderness of these birds. Williams Sonoma loves them. We do too! Available from 10-24 pounds, $3.49/lb.
We also have a few smoked Willie Birds, so call really soon if you need a smoked bird.

Colorado Heritage Turkeys, with their richly flavored meat, are similar to a wild turkey.
These unique turkeys come from two rare breeds indigenous to the Americas known as Blue Slate and American Bronzes. We were lucky to find a Bennett farmer who could raise 50 for us. Like the Willie Birds, absolutely no antibiotics or growth hormones used ever. Available from 10-15 pounds, $5.99/lb.  Remember, these birds are on the small side.

Operators are standing by to take your turkey order! Call us at 303 894-9499.
Thanksgiving Hours:
Wednesday, November 26: 8:00AM-8:00PM
Thanksgiving Day: CLOSED
Friday, November 28: 8:00AM-8:00PM

Marczyk Sides - Made with Love by People Who Care.
You can have it all: a leisurely cooking day and delicious food. Stop by Marczyk’s and pick up these prepared sides:
World’s Best mashed potatoes.
Sweet potatoes with pecans.
Haricot verts with brown butter and almonds.
Classic moist herb stuffing with onions, celery, and fresh herbs.
Real turkey stock.
Turkey gravy (no lumps) made here with real turkey stock.
But wait, there’s more:
Fresh New England oysters for your stuffing.
Marczyk’s market-made famous country style sausage for your stuffing.
Fresh packed chestnuts for your stuffing.
Our fresh-baked Parker House rolls.
Morning Fresh Dairy Whipping Cream and Eggnog. Now is the time to try this cream, it is actually sweet, like cream used to be. Outstanding.
Made-from-scratch pumpkin, apple, and pecan pie. Also, Sweet Trolley pumpkin ice cream. (We like to pour bourbon over ours, but hey, that’s just us.)

Turkey confit and roast breast of turkey
“The breast is dried out, and the thighs aren’t cooked through”.  Sound familiar? With Pete’s method, you’ll never hear this again. 
You will need:
A turkey with the legs removed and the back cut out.  (Your butcher can do this for you. Actually, I don’t know if your butcher can do it. Ours can). This will leave you with a perfect breast to roast and two legs to confit.
Salt and pepper
Herbs such as marjoram, thyme, rosemary, sage, bay etc.
Enough oil, duck fat preferred, to cover the legs
For the turkey leg confit:
The day before Thanksgiving, dry-rub the legs all over with salt, pepper, and herbs.  Cover and return to refrigeration. Let stand at least overnight.  (This process can take place up to a few days before Turkey day).  After 12-24 hours, rinse the legs under cold running water to remove the brine.  Submerge legs in a large pan filled with oil.  Put the legs in the oven at 225 degrees and cook for 5 hours.  If you are cooking on Thanksgiving day, the legs can be returned to the oven in which you are roasting the breast until warmed through and the skin is brown.  Also, the legs will keep in the refrigerator for a few days if you like. 
For the turkey roast breast. 
Rub all over with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper.  I like to “temper” my roasts before putting them in the oven.  An hour or so is good for turkey.  This helps the meat to cook more evenly.  I cook turkey breast at 400 degrees.  I arrange the roast so that there is good air-flow around the breast.  Depending on the size, the breast will take approximately an hour and a half to cook, but you can rest it for up to an hour in a warm spot.
Baste the meat with drippings frequently to help develop a nice brown skin.  You will remove the breast from the oven when an accurate thermometer reads 145 at the center of the breast.  Rest the meat loosely covered for at least 15 minutes before carving.
Reserve all pan drippings for a simple rich gravy.

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.