Fw: Heritage Spices for Your Turkey

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Celia Browne

Monday, November 05, 2007 11:04 AM

Heritage Spices for Your Turkey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Heritage Foods USA Supporter,

Just in time for turkey day we are thrilled to offer dried and freshly ground chiles grown by the Romero family in Southwestern New Mexico, a distinctive terroir that imparts a bright, mellow, "sabroso" sweet flavor in chiles here. The desert soil, dry atmosphere and gentle wind of New Mexico produce some of the most delicious chiles in the country, the very spices that give New Mexican cuisine its unique flavor. Our chiles are simply ripened, air dried and ground. October and November is peak growing season!

Heritage turkeys are so good by themselves, they don't need much help when cooking. Though we recommend mixing a tablespoon of ground chiles into the butter baste you use on your turkey. Use a pinch in gravies and barbecue sauces, or in chile con carne. Each spice sampler includes:

Mild Green Jalapeno (0.4 oz)Medium Green Jalapeno (0.48 oz)Hot Red (fine grind) (0.8 oz)Medium Chipotle (find grind) (0.4 oz)Medium Caribe Flakes (0.8 oz)Mild Caribe Flakes (1.4 oz)Medium Red (fine grind) (1.6 oz)

Chiles have been used in medicinal and culinary practices since around 7500 BC. It was one of the first-ever domesticated foods in the Americas and was found from Peru to Mexico to parts of Colorado and New Mexico. Christopher Columbus & Co. discovered New World chiles and returned home with their seeds, beginning a world-wide cultivation of the peppers.

The Romero family from Hatch, southern New Mexico has been meticulously drying and grinding chilies for 25 years. They grind them to a texture that is perfectly suited for the flavor characteristics of each type of pepper. The Romeros purchase their chiles from neighboring farmers in Hatch but also travel as far as Rio Chama, Rio Grande and Velarde to collect peppers.

Each spice jar arrives clearly labeled, and was packaged this October using freshly ground Romero chiles. You can store sealed jars up to 6 months but we recommend using them sooner when they are most potent. Heritage Foods USA is the only place where you can find these spices.

Other foods you can find on our website that would benefit from these Mexican flavors include pork picnic shoulder, tepary beans and wild rice, steaks, brisket, duck, and porterhouse chops.

Important notes for turkey day:Below is another turkey recipe from the chef of one of the most respected resort restaurants in California: Vincent Nattress of Meadowood Resort. Regardless of what recipe you follow for your turkey, our general rule of thumb is that the bird is done the second you cut into the meat and the juice runs clear – a ballpark estimate for how long this takes is 12 minutes per pound! Keeping a close watch of your bird can prevent overcooking. We recommend a light touch, brining is not necessary.

Please remember Fed Ex signs a signature release on all turkey packages so your box(es) will be left at the door should you not be home. Look for a bag of giblets and neck in the turkey cavity. Also, a plastic ring inside the cavity is wrapped around the feet closing the bird. The plastic closure is standard industry practice and can be roasted with the turkey itself (though we recommend removing it), it usually loosens when the turkey is cooked. It is not unusual that a turkey feather or two remains on the bird. They can easily be plucked and shouldn’t cause alarm.

Thank you for your support,

 

ONLY 100 ORDERS! ORDER SOON!New Mexican Spice Package - $50 including 2 day Fed-Ex shipping (allow 5 days for delivery)

 

Mild Green Jalapeno (.40 oz) Medium Green Jalapeno (.48 oz) Hot Red (fine grind) (.8 oz) Medium Chipotle (find grind) (.4 oz) Medium Caribe Flakes (.8 oz) Mild Caribe Flakes (1.4 oz) Medium Red (fine grind) (1.6 oz)

TURKEY PRICES

 

Fresh Thanksgiving Heritage Turkey 8-10 lbs - $119 including delivery

Fresh Thanksgiving Heritage Turkey 10.1-12 lbs - $129 including delivery

Fresh Thanksgiving Heritage Turkey 12.1-14 lbs - $139 including delivery

Fresh Thanksgiving Heritage Turkey 14.1-16 lbs - $159 including delivery

Fresh Thanksgiving Heritage Turkey 16.1-18 lbs - $169 including delivery

Fresh Thanksgiving Heritage Turkey 18.1-20 lbs - $179 including delivery

Fresh Thanksgiving Heritage Turkey 20.1-22 lbs - $189 including delivery

Fresh Thanksgiving Heritage Turkey 22.1-24 lbs - $199 including delivery

Fresh Thanksgiving Heritage Turkey 24.1-26 lbs - $204 including delivery

Fresh Thanksgiving Heritage Turkey 26plus lbs - $209 including delivery

 

Meadowood’s Heritage Turkey Two WaysAn original recipe by Chef Vincent Nattress

We are big supporters of the products form Heritage Foods for two reasons: it is the right thing to do, and our guests tell us these are the best turkeys they have ever tasted. When we get the birds in we immediately separate them into three parts: the legs, back bones and breasts on the bone. The backs will be roasted and used for stock, and eventually gravy. The legs are cured and then cooked as confit. The breasts are brined and then roasted on Thanksgiving day. While there is a little more preparation time involved, cooking the bird this way means that there is a lot shorter cooking time on Thanksgiving day. In addition, this is the perfect way to ensure perfectly cooked breast and leg meat. Here is the recipe for the confit and for the brine for the breasts.

Confit Ingredients2 Leg from one Turkey2 or 3 cinnamon sticks20 juniper berries2 each star anis15 allspice berries4 cloves2 heads garlic, cut in half across the cloves1 bunch fresh thyme, whole branches1 T black peppercornssalt To cover fat, either duck fat, lard, chicken fat or a neutral olive oil

Leg Confit Season the legs well on all sides with salt. Place them in a bowl and toss them with the spices, garlic & thyme. Arrange them in a baking dish in which they fit well, but which is deep enough to submerge them in the fat. A casserole works well. Cover the legs and all the spices with parchment or wax paper and, using a dish that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the pan they are in, weight them down. Jars or cans of food work well for this. Place in the refrigerator over night or for as long as two days to allow them to cure a little. When you are ready to cook the legs, heat the fat to 250° and pour it over the legs. Preheat your oven to 300°. Cover the legs with foil and bake them for 4 hours, or until done. The bones will fall out easily when the confit is done, but it is preferable not to brown the meat at all in the process. Cool the legs to room temperature and then refrigerate. At this point they will keep indefinitely as long as completely submerged in the solidified fat. To serve, I like to remove the bones and cook the legs on the skin in a blue steel or a non-stick pan, until the skin is super crispy and the meat is hot through.

Ingredients for the Brined Breast1 Double breast on the bone1 gallon cold water2 bay leaves1 Cup kosher salt½ Cup light brown sugar1 tsp. Ground white pepper2 Tbls. Fresh sage laves

Turkey Breast Brine.Combine all of the ingredients in the brine and stir until they are dissolved. Place the breasts in a large container and cover them with the brine. Place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours or up to 4 days. To cook, remove the breasts and dry them well. Preheat your oven to 325°. Season the outside with salt and pepper. In a thick bottom pan – if you have a good, thick roasting pan you do it right in that on the stove top – brown the skin side of the breast well in a little olive oil. Turn the breast over and place it in a roasting pan. Roast it for about 40 minutes to one hour – this is going to vary wildly depending on size of the bird and the calibration of your oven – to an internal temperature of 165° (it will carry over to at least 175°). Allow it to rest, tented with foil, for at least 15 minutes before carving .

 

 

 

 

 

 

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