“Giblet” (usually referred to in the plural) is the collective term for the heart, liver, gizzard and neck. When buying a whole bird, the giblets are often stuffed inside the cavity. These are pulled out before the uncut bird is cooked. In many Asian countries, chicken soups and stews can include the giblets.
What the heart, liver and neck are is self-explanatory. And most people (you included, I hope) know what they look like and what their biological functions are. What about the gizzard? What is it exactly?
Now, things get interesting. Birds don’t have teeth, right? So, how do they chew their food? The answer is: they don’t. Chickens, quails, ducks, turkeys, pheasants and other gallinaceous birds have stomachs that consist of two parts: the glandular stomach and the muscular stomach.
The Thanksgiving turkey is a staple main course on many holiday tables. We’re all familiar with the classic turkey leg and juicy breast meat. But when you pull back the skin on your bird, you may uncover a mysterious bag tucked inside the cavity – the turkey giblets. These typically include the liver, heart, and the peculiar turkey gizzard.
If you’ve puzzled over what to do with the turkey gizzard, you’re not alone. This odd piece of anatomy is often discarded, but it can be a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving spread when prepared properly. Let’s unpack exactly what the turkey gizzard is, why turkeys need it, and how to cook it for your holiday feast.
What Is the Turkey Gizzard?
The turkey gizzard is an organ that plays a crucial role in a bird’s digestive system. Located near the stomach the gizzard functions like teeth to break down food since birds don’t have teeth. It’s a thick muscular sack designed to grind up food into smaller pieces using small stones and grit the bird swallows. These stones, called gastroliths, along with the powerful contractions of the gizzard muscle, pulverize food into an easily digestible mash.
So while it may look unappealing at first glance, the gizzard allows birds like turkeys to process whole seeds, nuts, and insects efficiently. It’s a key reason birds can thrive on diverse diets. The gizzard is sometimes referred to as the gastric mill or hen’s teeth due to this teeth-like grinding action.
Why Do Turkeys Have Gizzards?
As mentioned above, turkeys have gizzards to aid digestion since they can’t chew food. Birds lack teeth and jaw structures to thoroughly mash up foods like mammals can. So the gizzard provides a mechanical solution, using swallowed pebbles and powerful muscles to grind hard-to-digest foods. This allows turkeys to derive nutrition fromwhole grains, nuts, seeds, and tough plant materials other animals may struggle to digest.
Additionally, the gizzard plays a helpful role in food storage. It helps compact food to make room for more food in a bird’s stomach. This comes in handy for turkeys that may go extended periods without eating during activities like nesting. Having a gizzard allows them to process and store more food when they do eat to tide them over later.
How to Cook and Eat Turkey Gizzards
Now that we understand what the turkey gizzard is, let’s explore how to cook and enjoy this unique organ meat Here are some tasty ways to prepare gizzards
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Fried gizzards – Breaded and fried gizzards become a crispy flavorful snack. Marinate them first for extra flavor. Fry just like chicken for a delicious appetizer.
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Grilled gizzards – Alternately, grill whole gizzards over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until nicely charred outside and cooked through. Season them well and enjoy this simple preparation.
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Gizzard gravy – Simmer chopped gizzards in turkey drippings and broth to impart deep flavor to gravy. Strain before serving for rich, velvety gravy.
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Giblet stuffing – Chopped gizzards add meaty texture when sautéed and mixed into stuffing or dressing along with other giblets.
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Giblet stock – Simmer the gizzard in water with other turkey parts like bones and the neck to make an ultra-flavored holiday stock.
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Gizzard stew – Braise gizzards low and slow in liquid like wine or broth until falling-apart tender. Use in hearty turkey stew with veggies.
Pro tip: Gently simmer gizzards in liquid for 1-2 hours until tender before cooking. This softens their rubbery texture. Allow to cool in the liquid before using in recipes.
With their mild liver-like, slightly iron-rich taste, turkey gizzards are delicious when prepared properly. Don’t toss them this Thanksgiving – try these creative ways to cook and savor the hard-working turkey gizzard instead! It may become your new favorite part.
The gizzard is the muscular stomach of birds
While chicken in coops are fed commercial poultry feed, left on their own to hunt for food, chickens eat insects, whole berries, seeds, worms and even mice. In fact, pretty much anything they can pop inside their beaks.
When food is swallowed, it goes into the “crop” where it is first stored. From there, it goes to the glandular stomach where enzymes are excreted to begin the digestion process. From the glandular stomach, the food passes to the gizzard where it is smashed with the help of bits of stone or gravel stored in it.
Stone? Gravel?Really?Ah, yes. If you’ve seen free-roaming chickens pecking and swallowing small pieces of stones, sand or gravel, and wondering if they will die because of it, well, the stones, sand or pieces of gravel—commercially sold as “grit”—are simply stored in the gizzard to act as grinder so that the food can be digested.
When the stones or gravel become too smooth to serve their purpose, they are excreted. The gizzard, however, is never without its grinders because the bird continuously collects material quite intuitively. So, the gizzard is tough it’s because it has to be. The muscles must be tough enough to allow the grit to grind the food without causing damage to the walls of the gizzard.
How To Process A Gizzard
FAQ
Should you eat turkey gizzards?
Are gizzards and giblets the same thing?
Do all turkeys have gizzards inside?
What the heck is a gizzard?