A great cook is only as good as their ingredients. With so many people to impress over the festive season, finding the best turkey for your table is an important task. So it’s time to get organised. After all, you don’t want to be choosing from the leftovers on Christmas Eve.
Dave Lang, project and development manager with the Craft Butchers of Ireland, says: “If you only order the day before Christmas Eve, you may find your choice is very limited. The butcher needs to place orders with his suppliers, so to make sure you get the weights you want, it is advised that you give a good few days notice.
Size
So what weight should you be looking for? Dave says: “The trend now is to opt for a smaller bird. A few years ago, turkeys that ranged from 20lbs to 25lbs (9kg to 11kg) were the norm. However, many don’t want to be eating turkey right through to the new year, and families are smaller now, so a 12lbs to 16lbs (5kg to 7kg) is average.”
However, be aware that it is more cost-effective to buy a bigger bird as the meat-to-bone ratio is higher. In other words, the carcass for a 12lbs (5kg) turkey will only be marginally smaller than a 16lbs (7kg) turkey, but you’re getting a lot more meat with the bigger bird. While you might not opt to go too big, Dave also advises not to go too small. A turkey that’s only 8lbs or 9lbs (3kg to 4kg) doesn’t tend to have a good meat-to-bone ratio.
Boned and Rolled
The traditional bird is seeing a small dip in popularity as options such as boned and rolled turkeys become more attractive, especially for small families.
“The cost is the over-riding factor for many, as boned and rolled are cheaper to buy than a full turkey. But remember that the price per kilo is more expensive. It can save a bit of work in the carving though, which is especially convenient for those who aren’t too fond of the job.”
When it comes to price, frozen turkeys are certainly cheaper. However, be aware that they are this price for a reason. Most are imported from abroad. In Lidl, the Glenfell Oven Ready Frozen Turkey (4.2kg/9lbs), which costs €10.99, is French.
Furthermore, the €12.99 Three Bird Roast which consists of chicken, turkey and duck (1.58kg/3lbs), states that it is produced in the UK using EU chicken, duck and pork, and EU and Brazilian turkey. Similarly, the Turkey Crown (1.8kg-2.kg/ 4 pounds) in Aldi, which cost €10.99, is produced and packed in Chile, while their Norland frozen turkey, which start at €9.99 (3kg/6lbs), is French.
However, not all frozen turkeys come from abroad. Tesco’s Grove Farm frozen turkeys are sourced from Co Monaghan.
Although we also checked SuperValu and Superquinn for frozen turkeys, neither were in stock and the SuperValu we visited said they would only be selling fresh Irish turkeys this Christmas.
In fact, all the supermarkets we visited stocked fresh Irish turkeys. Dave says: “Given that it’s one of the most important meals of the year, it’s important to buy quality. Don’t be afraid to ask your butcher questions about who he buys his turkeys from and how long the shop has been dealing with that supplier. Your butcher knows how important this purchase is and he will want to keep your custom the whole year.”
Buying the Ham
Of course, in many households, the turkey isn’t complete without its partner in crime – the ham. This is a different purchase because there is such variety. Also, as many come vacuum packed, it’s something you can buy a bit more in advance. For example, when we hit the shops on 3 December, we found vacuum-packed hams in Tesco that had a use by date of 27 December.
There is a huge amount of variety from a full ham on the bone to a fillet or boned and rolled. However, for the Irish consumer, the fillet of ham is still the most popular option on the Christmas table.
If you’re looking not to spend too much on your ham this Christmas, then the shank end is a good option. It’s not the prime part of the animal and you’ve got the hock, but if you give it a good amount of time to cook, it can be a very nice addition to your Christmas dinner. Twenty minutes per pound is ideal. CL
THE PERFECT BUY
the Perfect Turkey
• Look for a bird with a good bit of fat as it helps produce juices and naturally bastes it.• Your turkey shouldn’t be too blue in colour. A blueish tinge indicates that it doesn’t have much fat.• Look at the breast bone to make sure it is not too pronounced. A breast bone with two patches of fat on either side will indicate that you’ve found a bird with a bit of meat on its bones.• Make sure it’s not bruised.• Stick to buying your turkey from the butchers and shops that you know and trust. You don’t want to take a chance on one of most important meals of the year.the Perfect Ham
• Look for a nice pinkish meat.• Avoid a very pale ham, it indicates that there was a lot of salt added for preservation. You want a salty taste, but not too salty.• Make sure that it’s that nice pink colour throughout as it indicates that it was cured the whole way through.PRICES
Are you paying the right price for your turkey?
Here are the average prices for Christmas 2013:
•Free-range turkeys: €8.95 per kg
•Ham fillet: €8.75 per kg
•Full hams: €5.75 per kg
•For a family of six, the ideal size for a turkey would be about 11lbs or 12lbs (4kg or 5kg) for Christmas day. If you’re looking to get your Stephen’s day dinner out of it as well, a 16lbs (7kg) bird is advised.
A great cook is only as good as their ingredients. With so many people to impress over the festive season, finding the best turkey for your table is an important task. So it’s time to get organised. After all, you don’t want to be choosing from the leftovers on Christmas Eve.
Dave Lang, project and development manager with the Craft Butchers of Ireland, says: “If you only order the day before Christmas Eve, you may find your choice is very limited. The butcher needs to place orders with his suppliers, so to make sure you get the weights you want, it is advised that you give a good few days notice.
Size
So what weight should you be looking for? Dave says: “The trend now is to opt for a smaller bird. A few years ago, turkeys that ranged from 20lbs to 25lbs (9kg to 11kg) were the norm. However, many don’t want to be eating turkey right through to the new year, and families are smaller now, so a 12lbs to 16lbs (5kg to 7kg) is average.”
However, be aware that it is more cost-effective to buy a bigger bird as the meat-to-bone ratio is higher. In other words, the carcass for a 12lbs (5kg) turkey will only be marginally smaller than a 16lbs (7kg) turkey, but you’re getting a lot more meat with the bigger bird. While you might not opt to go too big, Dave also advises not to go too small. A turkey that’s only 8lbs or 9lbs (3kg to 4kg) doesn’t tend to have a good meat-to-bone ratio.
Boned and Rolled
The traditional bird is seeing a small dip in popularity as options such as boned and rolled turkeys become more attractive, especially for small families.
“The cost is the over-riding factor for many, as boned and rolled are cheaper to buy than a full turkey. But remember that the price per kilo is more expensive. It can save a bit of work in the carving though, which is especially convenient for those who aren’t too fond of the job.”
When it comes to price, frozen turkeys are certainly cheaper. However, be aware that they are this price for a reason. Most are imported from abroad. In Lidl, the Glenfell Oven Ready Frozen Turkey (4.2kg/9lbs), which costs €10.99, is French.
Furthermore, the €12.99 Three Bird Roast which consists of chicken, turkey and duck (1.58kg/3lbs), states that it is produced in the UK using EU chicken, duck and pork, and EU and Brazilian turkey. Similarly, the Turkey Crown (1.8kg-2.kg/ 4 pounds) in Aldi, which cost €10.99, is produced and packed in Chile, while their Norland frozen turkey, which start at €9.99 (3kg/6lbs), is French.
However, not all frozen turkeys come from abroad. Tesco’s Grove Farm frozen turkeys are sourced from Co Monaghan.
Although we also checked SuperValu and Superquinn for frozen turkeys, neither were in stock and the SuperValu we visited said they would only be selling fresh Irish turkeys this Christmas.
In fact, all the supermarkets we visited stocked fresh Irish turkeys. Dave says: “Given that it’s one of the most important meals of the year, it’s important to buy quality. Don’t be afraid to ask your butcher questions about who he buys his turkeys from and how long the shop has been dealing with that supplier. Your butcher knows how important this purchase is and he will want to keep your custom the whole year.”
Buying the Ham
Of course, in many households, the turkey isn’t complete without its partner in crime – the ham. This is a different purchase because there is such variety. Also, as many come vacuum packed, it’s something you can buy a bit more in advance. For example, when we hit the shops on 3 December, we found vacuum-packed hams in Tesco that had a use by date of 27 December.
There is a huge amount of variety from a full ham on the bone to a fillet or boned and rolled. However, for the Irish consumer, the fillet of ham is still the most popular option on the Christmas table.
If you’re looking not to spend too much on your ham this Christmas, then the shank end is a good option. It’s not the prime part of the animal and you’ve got the hock, but if you give it a good amount of time to cook, it can be a very nice addition to your Christmas dinner. Twenty minutes per pound is ideal. CL
THE PERFECT BUY
the Perfect Turkey
• Look for a bird with a good bit of fat as it helps produce juices and naturally bastes it.• Your turkey shouldn’t be too blue in colour. A blueish tinge indicates that it doesn’t have much fat.• Look at the breast bone to make sure it is not too pronounced. A breast bone with two patches of fat on either side will indicate that you’ve found a bird with a bit of meat on its bones.• Make sure it’s not bruised.• Stick to buying your turkey from the butchers and shops that you know and trust. You don’t want to take a chance on one of most important meals of the year.the Perfect Ham
• Look for a nice pinkish meat.• Avoid a very pale ham, it indicates that there was a lot of salt added for preservation. You want a salty taste, but not too salty.• Make sure that it’s that nice pink colour throughout as it indicates that it was cured the whole way through.PRICES
Are you paying the right price for your turkey?
Here are the average prices for Christmas 2013:
•Free-range turkeys: €8.95 per kg
•Ham fillet: €8.75 per kg
•Full hams: €5.75 per kg
•For a family of six, the ideal size for a turkey would be about 11lbs or 12lbs (4kg or 5kg) for Christmas day. If you’re looking to get your Stephen’s day dinner out of it as well, a 16lbs (7kg) bird is advised.
SHARING OPTIONS