One step to never skip when you’re cooking a turkey is to check inside the turkey after thawing it. Do you know what’s inside your turkey and how to use it?
As Thanksgiving approaches, turkeys take center stage. This iconic bird is a staple on the holiday table, but do you really know what’s inside it? In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at turkey anatomy so you can better appreciate this fascinating creature.
A Brief History of Turkeys
Before diving into turkey anatomy, let’s go over some turkey history. Turkeys are native to North America and Mexico. The indigenous peoples of these regions first domesticated the birds over 2000 years ago. When Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s, they brought turkeys back to Europe where they became popular farmyard animals. From Europe, turkeys spread globally. They were bred into different varieties like the Broad Breasted White turkey, the breed most common in North America today.
Fun fact – contrary to popular belief, there’s no evidence that turkey was served at the first Thanksgiving in 1621. The Wampanoag people hunted wild turkeys, however duck or goose were more likely centerpieces. Turkey didn’t become the iconic Thanksgiving main course until the mid-late 1800s when domesticated turkeys were more accessible.
External Anatomy
Let’s start by looking at a turkey’s external body parts. Adult turkeys have colorful feathers covering their bodies. Their heads sport fleshy protrusions called caruncles and snoods. The males (toms) have more impressive caruncles and snoods than the females (hens).
Turkeys are built for life on the ground Their strong legs end in four-toed feet with sharp claws used for scratching and defense. Their wings are adapted for short bursts of powerful flight.
Inside the Body Cavities
A turkey’s interior is divided into two main cavities – the body cavity and the abdominal cavity, The body cavity contains vital organs while the abdominal cavity houses the intestines,
Body Cavity
When you cut into a turkey’s body cavity, you first see the wishbone. This bone structure facilitates flight. Underneath lie the vital organs:
- Heart – pumps blood
- Lungs – facilitate oxygen exchange
- Liver – filters toxins from blood
- Gizzard – part of stomach, grinds food
- Kidneys – filter blood
Abdominal Cavity
Further back in the abdominal cavity lies the gastrointestinal tract including:
- Stomach
- Small intestine
- Large intestine
- Cloaca – posterior opening for waste elimination
Common Turkey Cuts
Only certain turkey parts are typically eaten. These include:
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Breast – two large, boneless white meat breasts make up 29% of a turkey’s weight. This mild, lean meat is low in fat.
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Legs – the dark meat legs account for 28% of total weight. Legs contain more fat, connective tissue, and myoglobin making the meat darker with a richer flavor.
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Wings – the wings make up about 10% of the weight. This dark meat has a high fat content giving it a robust flavor.
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Giblets – turkey organs including the gizzard, heart, liver, and neck are called giblets. They are full of nutrients and great for gravies.
Nutrition & Health Benefits
Let’s wrap-up with a look at turkey nutrition and health benefits. Turkey is packed with nutrients while being lower in fat than most meats.
A 3 oz. serving of turkey breast meat contains:
- 25g protein – builds muscle and repairs tissue
- Vitamin B6 & niacin – supports metabolism
- Selenium – boosts immune system & metabolism
- Zinc – keeps immune system strong
- 137 calories and 1 g fat
Replacing red meat with white turkey meat can lower cholesterol levels. The protein keeps you feeling fuller longer aiding weight loss.
So next time you sit down to a turkey feast, you can appreciate this healthy bird in a whole new way. From its history and anatomy to its nutrition, the iconic turkey is truly a fascinating creature!
What’s That Stuff Inside My Turkey?
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Roasting a beautiful turkey can actually be pretty fun! It does take a little bit of planning ahead to get your bird thawed in time, but once that frozen solid turkey is thawed out, the fun part starts! You can’t just unwrap your thawed turkey and toss him in the brine solution. You need to do a little bit of prep work first… you need to get that “stuff” inside your turkey out.
Hopefully, if you’ve ever cooked a whole turkey or a whole chicken before, you know that you need to check inside the turkey. It’s sort of like a Mr. Potato Head… there are extra “parts” stored inside! Be sure to check inside the body cavity, near the legs.
And here’s a little secret, there’s another hidden compartment! Once you get the stuff out of the back of the turkey, turn him around, lift up the neck skin between the wings, and take out whatever is inside there.
Want to know a secret?
The first time I roasted a turkey I forgot to check the front compartment. And I left that paper-wrapped package of giblets inside. Yep. All through the brining and roasting. Luckily, John was the one to carve the turkey and he found it. And I haven’t told anyone who was there that day… until right now!
So now that you’ve got all the Mr. Potato Head parts taken out of the turkey, what the heck are they? These parts are called the giblets. There should be four of them, and they each have their own name.
In the back compartment of the turkey, you should have found the neck. You may also have found a gravy or sauce packet. Do yourself a favor, and throw that away. Make this giblet gravy instead. (Yes, using the giblets you just “discovered” inside your turkey!) And if you brine your turkey before you roast it, it will be so juicy, you won’t need some weird sauce.
In the front compartment of the turkey should be a paper-wrapped package. Inside that package is the gizzard, the heart, and the liver. The gizzard is part of the bird’s stomach. It is very muscular, and has lots of folds on the inside. Because birds don’t have teeth, their gizzard does all the “chewing” work. Turkeys (and chickens, and ducks, and other birds) swallow small pebbles or sand. This “grit” stays inside the gizzard and works with the muscle contractions to grind the bird’s food up into smaller pieces that they can digest. The gizzard is sort of like the reticulum and abomasum in a cow. Some people like to fry these and eat them. I’m not one of those people. (If you are, go for it!)
Keep these goodies inside a Ziploc bag or a sealed container in your refrigerator. You’ll want them to make giblet gravy! If you’re making soup, the neck is great to toss in your stock pot with the rest of the bones. (You can also add the heart and gizzard, but the liver will give too much “liver flavor” to your turkey broth.) I don’t use the liver for anything, so it gets thrown out at my house.
Don’t let those Mr. Potato Head pieces inside your turkey scare you! Dig in, roast your perfect turkey, and put the giblets to good use!
Take the Fear Out of Turkey
Do you want even more tips about turkey? Check out these Top 10 Turkey Tips and never be afraid of cooking turkey again!
What’s Inside a Turkey? | Christmas Turkey Dissection | We The Curious
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