Heritage breed turkeys are just different–way different–than standard store-bought varieties. The elongated shape, white to dark meat ratio, smaller size and fat content of a heritage breed calls for a cooking method that’s different than the old stand-bys. In other words, the typical 15-20 minutes per pound method of cooking doesn’t really apply; neither does a final internal cook temp of 160 degrees. In fact, if you follow a recipe for a Butterball, you’ll likely end up with a bird that is tasty, but dry.
Although some cooks will tell you that heritage breed turkeys ought to be cooked at lower temps for longer, we’ve found that the opposite is true, and cooking at a higher temp for less time yields the best results. There is no one size fits all approach, but, from our experience, we’ve put together a list of tips that seem to work every time.
1) Follow a recipe specifically for heritage turkey. Most other recipes are created for standard turkeys that have over-sized breasts and have been injected with a solution of water/salt/flavor. Our turkeys have no added water or flavor (they’re flavorful enough!) and less white meat, which dramatically affects the way they cook.
2) Rinse and dry thawed turkey and let it sit under foil for 1.5 to 2 hours before cooking so it has time to come to room temperature. This will reduce the amount of cook time and ensure a more even cook.
3) Gently separate the skin from the breast with your fingertips and massage the turkey (under the skin) with softened unsalted butter. This will make the skin golden and crisp and keep the breast moist. Add a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper to the outside of the bird and inside the cavity.
4) Cook on a roasting pan fitted with a grill rack so the turkey is not sitting in the juices.
5) Rather than stuffing the turkey with dressing, stuff the cavity with aromatics, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, onions and apples.
6) Bake un-tented for the first 20 minutes or so to crisp up the skin, then tent for the remaining cook time.
6) Cook at a high temperature (450-475 degrees F) for less time than a regular turkey. Most heritage turkeys will be cooked through in fewer than 3 hours.
7) Baste only once, about halfway through cooking (or when you take the turkey out to tent with foil or parchment paper) to avoid heat loss in your oven. The butter rub under the skin should impart enough “moisture” to keep it from drying out.
8) Invest in a thermometer with a cord (like this one from Amazon) so you don’t have to open the oven to check the internal temperature.
9) After the first hour and a half of cooking, check the temperature regularly to avoid overcooking–which can happen quickly! Cook until the internal temperature in the meatiest part of the thigh registers about 145-150 degrees F, then remove from the oven and allow the bird to rest about 30 minutes. The internal temp should raise to the “safe” temp of 155 degrees F during that time.
Recipes:
Our favorite recipe by far, which has consistently yielded excellent results, is this one by Martha Stewart.
Here are a few more we’ve found that sound yummy.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-cook-heritage-turkey-pasture-raised_n_5beaf261e4b044bbb1a95b36
https://williamrubel.com/how-to-roast-a-heritage-turkey/
https://www.localharvest.org/features/cooking-turkeys.jsp
http://nashsorganicproduce.com/recipes/roasted-heritage-turkey/