What do I do with the body parts?

NoMoreBlameGame
NoMoreBlameGame Posts: 236 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi!

I do cook, but I've always cooked easy. Hamburger Helper...Chicken Helper...that kind of thing (yeh I know, I don't cook those anymore), and the crock pot is my best bud. After listening to advice from some MFP members, I decided to buy various lean meats to help with the protein intake. I bought steak, tilapia, and turkey...a medium sized one (it was on sale). Turkey in this house has been "deli meat"...turkey loaf..."processed stuff"; this isn't. It's a real turkey.

Sooo...there were a bunch of really nasty-gross looking "thingy-ma-jigs" inside Mr. or Mrs. Turkey, here. I'm just going to call them body parts because I don't know what they are *exactly* by appearance alone (not sure I want to know specifics). They were still sort of "attached" to the turkey (it looked like the bird was killed, feathered and frozen as-is, minus the head). I've seen this before...but...yeh, it's on my kitchen counter and I'd like it.....not...on my kitchen counter.

Is there something I can cook out of them or do I just throw them away?

...can I just cook them up plain and use them as doggy snacks?

I put on a pair of gloves and ripped them out of the inside of the turkey (good thing, because there was a gravy package in there I wouldn't have seen, too...not sure if I'll use that, but I don't think melted plastic would taste good).

I'm rambling again, I apologize. Anyway...the turkey is in the oven (minus the innards).

What do I do with these body parts, please?

Thank you!

ETA: No, I'm not stupid, I'm simply ignorant when it comes to knowing what to do with real food, so please don't give me a hard time. :)

Replies

  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
    Dissolve them in acid?
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    Those are called the giblets. I've never used them, but a quick search and these sound like decent ideas:

    Can never go wrong with an Alton Brown recipe:
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/turkey-giblet-gravy-recipe.html

    Or if you like the dog treat idea:
    http://pets.thenest.com/cook-turkey-giblets-dogs-8987.html
  • lizpitts
    lizpitts Posts: 67 Member
    I think you're talking about the neck, heart and liver. I give them to my dog (not a fan of organ meats). Some people use the heart and liver to make giblet gravy. I say give the dog a treat.
  • Tresiel
    Tresiel Posts: 98 Member
    I have never done anything except throw them away, if you remove them carefully you can try to identify different body parts like lungs/gallbaldder etc etc
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    Yeah, if you don't habitually cook, you're not going to like working something up to do with the giblets. Many people like to use them to make gravy or to make the stuffing more interesting, which is why the turkey company doesn't throw them out / sell them as animal feed themselves.

    Definitely throw out the turkey neck -- you don't want your dog choking on the neckbones. But the other bits would be appropriate for dog food.
  • NoMoreBlameGame
    NoMoreBlameGame Posts: 236 Member
    Thank you, at least now I know what to put in Mr. Google. =) That is a rather whimsical word, I think I like it..."giblets".

    With regard to inspecting them carefully to identify them...mmm...no. lol I had a tough enough time with the frog in biology class 20 years ago...*shudders at the memory*
  • bjshields
    bjshields Posts: 677 Member
    Well, I'm relieved to see this is not going in a Walter White direction . . .:noway:
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Giblet gravy FTW
    Definitely throw out the turkey neck -- you don't want your dog choking on the neckbones. But the other bits would be appropriate for dog food.

    Cook/stew the neck with the giblets (add onion, celery, bay leaf, etc and enough water to cover the giblets), simmer for about 30-45min or until the meat comes off the neck.

    The neck bones are fine for dogs, they are mostly marrow and are soft/chewy when cooked.
  • kmash32
    kmash32 Posts: 275 Member
    Our family would cook them in the roaster with the turkey (not inside the turkey) and then feed them to the dogs. It adds some flavour to the turkey juice if you are going to make gravy.
  • Maryam2014mfp
    Maryam2014mfp Posts: 174
    I throw all that away. I know my parents cook the parts, as my dad eats them. They cook faster than the rest of the bird if you decide to cook them. They put them on the roasting pan (don't leave them in the bird). Personally I think they are yucky. Lol
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    I don't have pets so I throw them out, but my mother always cooks them well and gives them to the dog, who goes spastic with glee. Warning, though, they are very rich and if your dog is small or has a sensitive stomach, it's better just to give him or her a couple bites at a time to avoid any intestinal distress, if you get my drift.
  • stackhsc
    stackhsc Posts: 439 Member
    green bin
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    I save these kind of questions for the google machine. :laugh:
  • NoMoreBlameGame
    NoMoreBlameGame Posts: 236 Member
    I save these kind of questions for the google machine. :laugh:

    LOL! Plbbb!! Yes, true...but the only thing I could find was information about a turkey's anatomy. I did find a few info sites about the actual innards, but it was saying to take them out of their respective bags, etc...these weren't in any bags, they were literally attached to the bird, so I thought they were different innards than whatever innards are supposed to be in bags. *wrinkles nose and sticks tongue out*:laugh:

    ETA: Judging from what everyone is saying, they're the same body parts as the ones in the bags that site was referring to. The only bag I had was the gravy one....ah well, at least now I know they're "giblets". lol
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    If you search marthastewart.com you can find some fantastic turkey tutorials with great photos for instance in the Thanksgiving section, holidays or such. There's recipes and how-tos for the whole process of defrosting, brining, and cooking. I made stock of it with various veggies; really good.
  • JG762
    JG762 Posts: 571 Member
    In reading the title of the thread my first advice was going to be "The 3 S's".
    Shoot - Shovel - Shut up

    It really doesn't apply now though, sigh...
  • sunburntgalaxy
    sunburntgalaxy Posts: 455 Member
    I have always been grossed out by the gibblets, which is why I usually just get turkey breast now that I am an adult (plus I don't really like the dark meat, and neither do any of my relatives so we just do two full turkey breasts - on the bone - instead of one turkey) but when I was a kid my mom would have them boiling on the stove - I think she added some of that water to the gravy if needed, and the rest she gave to the cats thank goodness. My friends parents would add the to the stuffing or into the gravy (to make it chunky I guess - never understood that one) and I know that other people use them for various things but can't recall what. I just remember being happy my mom wasn't like my friends moms with that one.
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    I thought maybe the police would need to be called here....phew...
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Cook/stew the neck with the giblets (add onion, celery, bay leaf, etc and enough water to cover the giblets), simmer for about 30-45min or until the meat comes off the neck.

    Definitely do this. Homemade turkey stock is so easy, and so delicious. I usually put the neck and giblets in the fridge until after I've carved the turkey, and then I add the cut-up carcass to the stock pot too. It means that you have to skim off more fat before you parcel out the stock into containers to be frozen (because who is going to want a whole gallon of turkey stock at once?), but it does add more flavor.
  • Megabot
    Megabot Posts: 173 Member
    I chuck 'em too. bye bye heart, liver, kidneys, whatever the hell.
  • SandyBVTN
    SandyBVTN Posts: 367 Member
    I just want to say good for you for reaching out of your comfort zone with your cooking and eating! I think it's absolutely awesome that you are doing so. There is such an exciting world of food out there for you to discover!

    For beginner cooking, I strongly suggest the Mark Bittman app How to Cook Everything. There is a cookbook version too. I believe that the app is $7.99, so it's not cheap, but it's a really amazing database of simple and delicious recipes.

    If I'm not making a holiday dinner and using the giblets for gravy or stuffing, then I usually just cook them up for the cat or throw them out.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    I gag. Rock myself in a corner. Call DH and tell him I'm never buying a whole f'ing chicken ever again. I put on rubber kitchen gloves and then gag some more as I yank all that crap out and run it to the trash. The last time the chicken was still partially frozen and I had to try and thaw that s**t out. :sick:

    I really do appreciate it when they bag all that crap so I don't have to deal with it.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    No, I'm not stupid, I'm simply ignorant when it comes to knowing what to do with real food, so please don't give me a hard time.
    Here are some recipes for what to do with giblets, mostly for gravy or stuffing.
    http://www.tasteofhome.com/search/index?search=turkey+giblets
    Taste of Home has yummy recipes with clear directions.
    Good place to get ideas, esp. for new cooks.

    And yes, in my experience giblets make cats very happy, esp. when cooked.
    Cook/stew the neck with the giblets (add onion, celery, bay leaf, etc and enough water to cover the giblets), simmer for about 30-45min or until the meat comes off the neck.
    This is pretty much what my mom does.
    Leave the little meat pieces in the gravy, might have to pull them off the neck bones.
    If you use the heart (I think it's ick) & liver, chop them up fine.
    In reading the title of the thread my first advice was going to be "The 3 S's".
    Shoot - Shovel - Shut up
    It really doesn't apply now though, sigh...
    That was sort of my reaction too. :happy:
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    My husband suggests the wood chipper.

    ETA: Reminds me of my first attempt at roasting the Thanksgiving turkey when newly married. I didn't know there was a bag of giblets in a turkey until my new husband carved my beautifully browned, roasted turkey...and found the giblets, still safe and sound in the bag, stuffed in the body cavity of the turkey, along with the stuffing.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    the crock pot is my best bud.
    Also in the Taste of Home site,
    if you hover over 'recipes' in their top menu bar,
    then in the popup menu look slightly to the right & see "recipes by cooking style",
    under that is a section for slow cooker.
    http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cooking-style/slow-cooker-recipes

    The only 2 things I've ever made from a TOH recipe that weren't yummy & amazing were:
    1 - a recipe that used melted chocolate, & I didn't know to keep water out so it froze, which is my fault it didn't work right
    2 - a holiday fudge recipe that just tasted wrong, maybe too sweet? It looked pretty though, cut-up jewel-tone gumdrops in white fudge
  • NoMoreBlameGame
    NoMoreBlameGame Posts: 236 Member
    :laugh:
    I don't know what it is with me and post titles...I just don't think about "other stuff" when I make post titles. blah! ...the shoot, shovel and shut up kind of clued me in, lol.

    Thank you for all the recommendations, the advice, suggestions, links and input. I really DO appreciate it.

    My "Bookmarks" in my browser used to be empty apart from e-mail...and ever since I joined MFP it's like crammed with all sorts of things.

    :bigsmile:
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    :laugh:
    I don't know what it is with me and post titles...I just don't think about "other stuff" when I make post titles. blah! ...the shoot, shovel and shut up kind of clued me in, lol.

    :bigsmile:
    Weeell, let's put it this way. When the thread popped up in the newsfeed for a friend, because I replied to it, the suggestion was "Lye?" Others have had the same merriment going on, so thanks for not thinking :)
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    :laugh:
    I don't know what it is with me and post titles...I just don't think about "other stuff" when I make post titles. blah! ...the shoot, shovel and shut up kind of clued me in, lol.

    :bigsmile:
    Weeell, let's put it this way. When the thread popped up in the newsfeed for a friend, because I replied to it, the suggestion was "Lye?" Others have had the same merriment going on, so thanks for not thinking :)

    My first thought was chum.....
  • JoeCWV
    JoeCWV Posts: 213 Member
    My husband suggests the wood chipper.

    ETA: Reminds me of my first attempt at roasting the Thanksgiving turkey when newly married. I didn't know there was a bag of giblets in a turkey until my new husband carved my beautifully browned, roasted turkey...and found the giblets, still safe and sound in the bag, stuffed in the body cavity of the turkey, along with the stuffing.

    This made me smile. My bride did the same thing. I laughed, she started to cry. I explained it was all good and we had a wonderful first thanksgiving. That was in 1982. Then she attempted to throw out the carcass after the meal. NOOOOO!!!! That is for soup I said. I taught, she learned. Her Turkey noodle soup is amazing.

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