Pasture Raised Turkey

Tips and Tricks for Cooking Pasture-Raised Thanksgiving Turkey

We thought about writing out a recipe for cooking your F3 Thanksgiving Turkey, but we understand that everyone has their different traditions and preferred tastes. This year, more than ever, we are looking for food to make us feel at home, no matter where you are. We don’t want to change your grandma’s secret turkey herbs or your dad’s signature fried turkey. So instead, we decided to share a few tips on making your Thanksgiving turkey as flavorful and moist as possible, and still tastes like the traditional holiday dinner you love.

The process to get your local, pasture raised turkey to your dinner table started a few months ago, when we received the day old baby turkeys. Since then, they have lived a stress free life, the way nature intended. Our turkeys spend their days roaming pastures, scratching in the soil, and enjoying the Florida sunshine. Due to this lifestyle, pasture raised turkeys are learner than conventional ones. We did plenty of reading and researching, then taste testing (obviously), to put together these tips and tricks! Enjoy and Happy Turkey Day!!

Step 1: Thaw. Make sure you give yourself 3-4 days to slowly thaw your turkey in the refrigerator. We recommend aiming to have your bird thawed the day before your dinner. Leave the turkey in the original packaging and place it on a pan or in a bowl to catch any extra liquid as it defrosts. After the turkey thaws, remove the bag of giblets and neck.

Step 2: Prep. We like to season the day before cooking, it allows the flavor to penetrate the meat. Start with patting off all the extra moisture (inside and out) with a paper towel.  Mix up a compound butter full of herbs, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Loosen the skin with your hands and rub the mixture over the whole turkey, under and over the skin, and inside the body cavity.  Return to fridge (uncovered or loosely covered) to allow the cold air to continue to dry the skin overnight.

Step 3: Cook. Remove your turkey from the fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pasture raised turkeys cook faster than your grocery store, and typically require about 8-10 minutes per pound (depending on your oven and roasting style).  Be cautious about stuffing the turkey, you may have to cook for a bit of extra time which could lead to dry meat. Remove the bird from the oven once the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 160 degrees.  The bird will continue to cook outside of the oven, let it rest for about 10 minutes then make sure it’s up to 165.

Step 4: Rest. This might be the most difficult part. After your beautiful bird is out of the oven, focus on making gravy for the next 20-30 minutes while the turkey rests. This step is essential for the juices to redistribute and keep the meat exceptionally moist and flavorful. Carve and enjoy!