Turkey Stew Meat Delivery or Pickup

Turkey stew meat comes pre-cut into cubes, ready for cooking in your favorite stew recipe. The chunks will be approximately 1-inch thick. Most turkey stew meat comes from the thigh and leg portions of the bird. Turkey breast doesn't take well to stewing and enjoys much better success as a roast. 

Your grocer normally breaks down the bird into smaller cuts for sale. You'll find a whole or half turkey breast, turkey legs, thighs, and necks packaged neatly for sale. The breast may have the bone in, but you'll almost always find the remaining cuts come with the bone. You'll pay a little more for the pre-cut cubed turkey stew meat than you may for the legs, thighs, and neck, but the de-boning has been done for you. Grocers price the turkey stew meat by the pound and typically package them in 1-, 2-, or 3-pound increments.

More consumers are going green today than ever before. In the turkey realm, green means pasture-raised. If your grocer offers pasture-raised turkey stew meat, you should try it. Pasture-raised turkey is more humane, better for the environment, and many chefs believe it tastes better than your standard farm-raised turkey. Cooks agree that the pasture-raised turkey cooks faster and is healthier than its farmed counterpart. Plus, by purchasing a pasture-raised turkey, you are promoting biodiversity.

Pasture-raised turkey's health benefits stem from the omega-3 fatty acids the birds consume from the chloroplasts of green leaves and algae. The omega-3 is stored in their muscle meat, and scientists link it with a healthy brain and cardiovascular function. These fatty acids can also reduce inflammation and protect against heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.

Turkeys are actually omnivores, which means they eat plants and animals, like humans. While turkeys don't eat cows or pigs, they do eat bugs, worms, mice, and fruits that fall from trees. A turkey's varied diet provides a much more flavorful result when cooked, making those pasture-raised turkeys more desirable.

When preparing the pre-cut cubes of turkey stew meat, season them with a bit of salt and pepper before cooking. You can use your favorite recipe to make the stew, but add the pre-cut cubed turkey after you've created your base. Carrots, celery, and onion (mirepoix) should be sauteed in butter or oil until translucent and soft before adding chicken stock or water to the pot. You can add seasonings, like thyme, basil, and tarragon, which pair well with turkey and add aromatic flavor to any stew.

Root vegetables, like rutabaga, carrots, turnips, and potatoes, add flavor, and their starch content will help create a thick stew when finished. You should add the turkey stew meat with the root vegetables and let it simmer for 30 minutes or until done.

You can use the turkey thighs, legs, and neck to make a stew with only slight variations necessary from the above tips. The thigh makes the best stew meat and usually comes with the skin on. Season the skin with salt and pepper and sear it until crispy in the pot you plan on using to cook the stew. Remove the seared pieces and add them back later as described above. Cook until the turkey pulls easily off the bone and remove the bones from the stew before serving.

If you find your stew comes out thin, you can make a slurry of cornstarch and stock and add it to the stew. You can also add heavy cream with the stock for a rich and creamy stew.