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Turkey Talk
Turkey prod But what about the flavor? No product is a good buy if it won't be eaten. Not all turkey products pass the test with my family, but many of them do. My advice is to go slow. Big changes always bring about rebellion in the troops. Small changes over time are easier on everyone, especially the cook. Turkey-ham, turkey baloney, and turkey hot dogs are the best places to begin. These products don't rely so much on the meat for their flavor as the seasonings. My family didn't even notice when I switched them over to these turkey products, so I know from my own experience that they taste as good as their porcine cousins.
Turkey ham used to be
available in every supermarket in the country. Now days it may
be more difficult to find.
Turkey bacon is another
great product. While it has a slightly different texture than pork
bacon, once you get past the different way it chews in your mouth,
it's an acceptable alternative.
Another good turkey-tip is to use ground turkey in spicy or highly seasoned foods. Chili, tacos, and sloppy joes are all good bets for ground turkey beginners. Later on, when the family is more turkey-friendly, you can try your hand at turkey meatloaf or country-style turkey steaks.
Recently pre-formed frozen
turkey patties have become available in the grocery's freezer case. Over the years I've noticed that turkey seems to be used to replace pork products more than anything else. I expect this is because it is so much better for us than pork and so much cheaper for the manufacturers too. Some folks who can't eat pork because of religious or health reasons can still eat turkey versions of pork products. Budget dieters can reap the benefits of all this turkey subbing for pork. Turkey cutlets make great substitutes for pork loin chops. From Shake and Bake to Sweet and Sour Pork, turkey costs less while providing a similar flavor.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
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ucts have come
a long way since then. Turkey can be found in many items that
were once solely made of pork or beef. Turkey has a deep, rich flavor
similar to pork. Only it's much lower in saturated fat than pork, and
much cheaper too. Let's take sausage for instance,
"bullets" of fresh pork sausage costs me $2 to $3 a pound
but I can find frozen bullets of turkey sausage for only $1.19 a
pound. Turkey sausage is at least half as much as pork sausage. Plus
it's lower in fat, cholesterol and calories. Ground beef is another
good example. Regularly prices, it costs about $2 to $2.50 per pound.
Ground turkey, once again in frozen bullet packs, is $1.19 a pound
every single day. This is fully half the price of ground beef. 
With
the lingering threat of mad-cow-disease in beef products, turkey
offers an excellent worry-free alternative. Turkey is lower in fat
and cholesterol than both sausage and ground beef and it's more
economical too. This is great for my bottom line in more ways than one.
I
have a few local stores that stock it regularly, but a few others
have simply stopped selling it. I think with the low-carb trend
people are eating more real pork, and avoiding healthier
alternatives. That's a shame because they are passing up one of
the best bargains in the meat case. I prefer to buy large chunks of
turkey ham for meals and sliced turkey ham lunch meat for
sandwiches. Thin sandwich slices cost about as much per pound
as large chunks and since it's already sliced so thinly, I get more
servings to the pound. Smoke-added turkey product is similar but
cheaper than turkey ham. It's texture isn't as nice because
it's ground and then reformed, whereas turkey ham's texture is
identical to pork ham. When cut into chunks for casseroles and
stews though, smoke-added turkey is a fine alternative to turkey ham,
especially when you're watching every penny of your budget.
Turkey
sausage, smoked sausage and pepperoni are also good places to switch
from pork products to lighter turkey products. Turkey breakfast
sausage is so good that we actually prefer it over pork sausage. I
find that frozen bullet-packs are cheapest, but turkey sausage links
go on sale now and then, and they taste really good. Smoked sausage
is another easy trade because the shape, flavor and texture remain
unchanged. It's good sliced in casseroles and stews and absolutely
delightful in dirty-rice and Cajun dishes. Turkey pepperoni tastes
outstandingly good, but unfortunately it's a bit expensive.
When found on sale it's good for pizza or sub-sandwiches. Other
than that though, I don't use it very often.
Baking
it in the oven instead of frying it results in better tasting bacon
for my crew. Frying it in a tiny bit of oil instead of nonstick
cooking spray also results in improved texture, although the added
oil increases the calories and fat content. After using turkey bacon
for a couple of years my family grew accustomed to the texture. To be
honest, they still prefer pork bacon when they can get it, but turkey
bacon is so much cheaper and better for us, that I just can't bring
myself to purchase pork bacon much anymore.
They
can be grilled just like hamburger patties, or simmered in tomato
sauce for an easy version of Swiss-Steaks. Turkey burgers are a time
saver, good for weeknight suppers when sports or church put you in a
rush. They are a little more expensive than frozen turkey bullets,
but not too much more. Their added convenience may make them
worth the extra cost for your family, or you may be willing to make
your own turkey burgers in advance and freeze them until needed.