Turkey Neck Delivery or Pickup

Eating turkey has been a Thanksgiving tradition in the United States ever since Thanksgiving Day became a national holiday in 1863. As native North American birds that were plentiful in the wild and could be raised as domestic fowl, turkeys caught the imagination of the entire nation.

Nowadays, turkeys are also consumed throughout the year. Many people tend to gravitate towards the turkey breasts, wings, legs, and giblets and overlook the necks when purchasing turkey meat. If you haven't tried them yet, you should. Turkey necks are excellent and delicious comfort food that you can cook and serve on their own or with rice, enchiladas, tacos, and many other dishes. Their dark meat is similar in flavor to chicken necks, but much juicier and meatier.  A 3.5 ounce serving of turkey neck contains:

Turkey necks are also a source of selenium and Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, E, and D.

You need to cook turkey necks carefully to avoid them becoming tough. It helps to season and simmer them in hot water for a couple of hours before cooking them. If you are braising turkey necks in the oven, sear them on both sides in oil first to ensure they cook evenly. The ways in which you can prepare a turkey neck include making them into soup or stew, roasting them in the oven at low heat, stir-frying them in oil, barbecuing them on a grill, or even adding them to gravies.

If you buy smoked turkey necks, you can chop them up and add them to chilies, mustard greens, collard greens, or beans or top them with sauce or gravy and serve them with rice or mashed potatoes.

You can use turkey necks to make tasty turkey stock. Simmer the turkey necks in water with carrots, onions, garlic, celery, parsley, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme, and salt. To add color to the turkey stock, add the onions with their skins intact. With the stock, you can make soups and gravies.

To store any leftover cooked turkey necks, put them in a vacuum-sealed bag or an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator. They will last for up to three days. When you want to reuse them, heat them for about 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

To add flavor to the turkey necks, rub them with salt, minced garlic, ground pepper, garlic powder, clove powder, dried thyme, and any other seasoning of your choice, and let them marinate for at least an hour.

If possible, use a deep fryer to fry the turkey necks as it is safer than frying them in boiling oil on a stove.

When using frozen turkey necks, check the texture of the meat before you cook them. If the skin is slimy and there is a sulfurous smell, discard the turkey neck.