The "Right" Bird

Thanksgiving is a time to remember all we're grateful for -- but it's also an opportunity to make choices that make a difference. This year, I was determined to get a bird that was both local and heritage.

Local is a no-brainer. The farther your food has to travel to you, the more fossil fuels you're eating -- and no amount of gravy is going to make that taste good.

Heritage was a newer concept to me, and one I've gotten very excited about. If it's a new idea to you, too, here's a good way to think of it. Heritage is to turkey as heirloom is to tomato. People who keep heritage livestock are working to maintain the integrity of older (and in many cases disappearing) breeds. In many cases, these breeds were created for superior flavor and health -- thinkgs I value -- rather than huge breasts or better freezabilitiy -- things valued in the industrial food chain.

For example, your regular grocery store turkey was bred to have a plump, juicy breast. Sounds good, right? Well, they roast up nicely, but at a price. These birds are too top-heavy to stand up and move around well. In fact, they can't do much of anything -- including breed. This is a worry to me, as I care about the quality of life and health of the animals I eat.

Heritage turkeys have not been overbred in this same way. They have long-established pedigrees, and are much more like the birds past generations ate at their Thanksgiving tables.

But be forewarned, these specimens pose their own cooking challenges. They are leaner (healthier), making it difficult to time the roasting just right so that the breast stays moist while the legs and thighs get thorougly cooked.

My solution this year was to separate the legs and thighs and braise them. I did this days ahead, cutting down on my responsibilities on the big day. This plan also cut my roasting time way down, and I was simply roasting the breast and wings. The roasted breast was good, but the thighs and legs were a revealation. One guest even said "This is the best turkey I've ever had!"

Here's how I prepared the legs and thighs. And how I think I'll do it every year from here on out:

1. Salt and pepper legs and thighs, then brown them in a Le Crueset or other dutch oven on medium heat. Remove the legs and thighs and set aside.
2. Use same pan to sauté 1 small onion (chopped) and 2-3 stalks celery (chopped) in a little olive oil until soft.
3. Return legs and thighs to the pan, and add 1-2 inches of apple cider, 1-2 cups white wine, and a nice sprig of thyme.
4. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.
5. Cook for 3-4 hours until meat is very tender.
6. Remove meat and heat braising liquid slightly to thicken. Skim some fat from the liquid if desired.
7. Pull meat from bones and set aside.
8. You can store the meat and braising liquid separately or together. If you keep them separate, you can skim more fat from the liquid once it has congealed in the fridge.

Happy eating!