Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without this...

The best turkey I’ve ever tasted comes from my good friend Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm, [Click here](198850/ct0_0/1/ms?sid=TV2%3AVS2RCwiih) to view this message in your browser | [Click here](198850/l-002e/zout?sid=TV2%3AVS2RCwiih) to stop receiving our messages [] [] November 28, 2024 [] Reader, The best turkey I’ve ever tasted comes from my good friend Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm, located deep in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. The birds that Joel raises – which he calls “beyond organic” – roam freely out in the open. They forage in fields eating only what nature provides. I’m talking about the kinds of food these animals evolved to thrive on… including fresh clover, local grasses, seeds, and all kinds of insects. And you can taste the difference when try one of Joel’s birds. But for years, Joel has been fighting the bureaucracy that’s trying to take small farms out of the hands of families like his and put farming solely in the hands of Big Agra. Over the years, he’s received numerous court orders regarding his pasture-raised turkeys and chickens… with threats to shut him down. They tried to tell him that his antibiotic-free poultry were a threat to other birds in the area. And that his non-inoculated birds were a threat to the entire poultry industry — and could possibly cripple the economy. Because of threats like this, our country has lost thousands of family farms over the last few decades. The government will tell you that these rules and regulations are for your protection and safety. But the reality is... They’re simply protecting Big Agra’s billion-dollar assets. Fortunately, Joel persevered, and the government lost their fight. I recommend everyone eat pasture-raised poultry. Not only do they taste much better, they’re far more nutritious than factory-farmed birds. Check out what I mean:1 - Fat content. Meat from birds allowed to roam and forage has almost double the omega-3 fatty acids than conventional poultry. - Omega 6:3 ratio: The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio for pasture-raised poultry is typically around 8:1. The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio for conventionally raised poultry is closer to 30:1. - Vitamins: Pasture-raised poultry has higher levels of vitamin A, vitamin D3, B vitamins, and vitamin E. - Iron: Pasture-raised poultry is higher in iron. - Antioxidants: Pasture-raised poultry has higher levels of antioxidants. - Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): Pasture-raised poultry has higher levels of CLA, a fatty acid that improves heart health, metabolic health, and immune function. When we cook our turkey, I make sure to baste it with plenty of lard from natural sources. Using lard instead of butter helps keep the skin extra crispy and the meat moist. But beware – the lard sold in most grocery stores is typically hydrogenated to give it a longer shelf life. It’s not the real stuff. One rule of thumb: If it’s not refrigerated, you don’t want it. The best kind of lard is leaf lard that comes from the fat around the kidneys of a hog. Fat the belly and back will also work. But real lard is hard to get a hold of these days. Although I did read about a small farm in upstate NY called the Flying Pigs Farm that makes it. You can also check your local specialty food stores. Homemade Lard Just Like Your Grandmother Used To Make But the best way to get it is to “render” your own, which is what my grandmother did. Rendering lard means gently heating the fat to separate out protein strands. And you can use it in place of butter or oil in to baste your holiday turkey. Here’s how to make it at home: [turkey] Basting the turkey with lard helps to keep the skin extra crispy and the meat moist. - Ask your butcher for back fat from a pastured hog. Or get some pork belly, or other fatty cuts like the shoulder or butt. - Cut the back fat or meat into one-inch cubes and place in a roasting pan. The smaller the pieces the faster it will render. Add 1/3 cup of water to the pan for every pound of fat. - Place the uncovered roasting pan in a 250-degree oven. Stir every 45 minutes as the fat melts. - Remove the pan from the oven when the fat cubes begin to brown. Strain the fat from the cubes using a colander lined with cheesecloth. Return the remaining cubes to the roasting pan and put back into the oven. - Repeat, extracting and draining off the fat until the only thing remaining in the pan are the browned “cracklings.” - Store what you don’t use today in the refrigerator for up to a year or in the freezer for longer. Happy Thanksgiving, from me and my family to you and yours. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS --------------------------------------------------------------- References: - APPA. “The nutrition of pasture-raised chicken and meats.” . Accessed on November 12, 2024. alsearsmd@send.alsearsmd.com [Preferences | Unsubscribe](198850/l-002e/zout?sid=TV2%3AVS2RCwiih) 11905 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach, Florida 33411, United States