This video is part of a Thanksgiving series that celebrates (and eats) the whole bird, from head to feet.
Considering all the time it took to pluck a turkey, removing its innards was relatively painless. It required only three cuts, skin-deep. It’s important to take out everything inside at once while protecting the different systems so that the organs don’t break or leak inside. Paul, one of the farmers from Violet Hill, drew out a map of incisions. And, of course, YouTube provided guidance, as well. Nowadays, when meat comes in Saran wrap, it seemed a bit strange, almost out of place, to watch videos on the Internet about how to gut a bird (like this one, where a woman shows how to do it while carrying a baby on her back). Nonetheless, the videos were informative.
To get to the esophagus and trachea, I cut along the back of the neck. This let me pull them out through the pelvis. I turned the turkey over on its back and cut through the skin, below the ribs, and between the legs. One clean incision, and the creamy intestines spilled out, greenish from the excrement inside. The next stroke made a careful cut down and around the anus so as not to poke any of the digestive organs, many of which would make a mess if they were cut. It is very bad to puncture the gallbladder because the digestive juices will start to break down any meat that they touch.
The whole thing was like an exciting anatomy lesson: finding the crop, which was still full of a mixture of grains that looked like breadcrumbs; wondering if I had found the lungs and then finding them stuck to the ribs; and recognizing the slimy green gallbladder resting on the liver. The air smelled like raw chicken and turkey poop as the feathers fell off to reveal a small turd coming out of the body. The cleaning process felt purely scientific until I tried peeling the skin from the birds feet. When you blanch it, it should come off like a rubber glove, but these feet wouldn’t budge, so I cut a line in the skin to see if that would help them peel. While cutting along the side of the first foot, the paring knife hit a vein. A tear of blood came out. That made it clear to me that forty-eight hours before, all the parts I was taking off, separating, and removing had once worked together to make a living animal.
Most people no longer participate in the raising, slaughtering, or butchering of what we consume. Understandable enough. Some people are uncomfortable with offal because it makes them think of their own brain, lungs, and liver. Maybe instead we can appreciate them as life feeding life. On Thanksgiving, that is something we should be thankful for.
Gutting a freshly harvested turkey is an essential skill for any turkey hunter. Proper field dressing helps cool the bird, preserve the meat quality, and remove any gaminess. While it may seem intimidating at first, gutting a turkey is actually quite simple with some basic techniques. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk through the entire process from start to finish.
Why Gut a Turkey in the Field?
There are two primary reasons you’ll want to gut your turkey immediately after harvesting
-
Cooling – Gutting removes the internal organs, allowing air to circulate inside the body cavity and cool the meat. This helps prevent spoilage.
-
Eliminating Gaminess – Getting rid of the innards ASAP helps remove any “off” flavors in the meat. This is key for delicious, table-ready turkey.
Field dressing essentially preps the bird for transport from the hunting site while improving both cooling and taste. Letting a turkey sit whole with entrails can lead to bacterial growth and compromise the quality.
Step 1: Gather Your Gear
You don’t need any specialized equipment to gut a turkey Any sharp knife will do the trick. A sturdy, 3 to 4-inch pocket or hunting knife works perfectly I recommend a non-serrated edge for easy slicing and cutting.
You may also want to bring
-
Sharpener – Keep that edge keen.
-
Game shears – Helpful for breaking the breastbone.
-
Zip-top bags – For saving the heart, liver or gizzard.
-
Cooler and ice – To store the dressed bird.
And of course, tag and license for transporting your harvested turkey.
Step 2: Position the Turkey
Once your bird is down, lay it on its back with the head pointed away from you. Spread both wings fully open. Bending the legs at the knees, gently pull each leg away from the body to spread open the cavity.
If you’re on uneven ground, you may need to prop up the bird’s head slightly so fluids drain out the cavity rather than pooling in the breast area.
Step 3: Cut the Belly Skin
With your knife, start a cut in the skin at the point where the breast meat meets the neck. Keeping the blade shallow to avoid puncturing innards, slice down the belly skin towards the vent/anus.
Make the incision about 2 to 3 inches long – just big enough that you can get your hand inside.
Step 4: Open the Body Cavity
With one hand, grab the skin at either side of your incision. Pull apart to open the cavity.
You may need to cut through some of the connective tissue around the anus to fully open the area.
Step 5: Remove Entrails
Reach into the body cavity and scoop out the entrails in one mass. Expect to see the heart, liver, stomach, intestines and more.
Work slowly and deliberately to avoid bursting the intestines or urinary tract. This can release contaminated fluids and bacteria.
Use your fingers to explore inside the ribs and spine area. Ensure you remove all of the lungs and organs. Be thorough.
Step 6: Drain and Clean the Cavity
With everything removed, rinse the cavity with water if needed to clear out any remaining blood or debris. Some hunters also wipe it out with a cloth or paper towels.
Next, prop up the tail end and let it fully drain. You want the cavity completely empty before moving on.
Step 7: Chill the Carcass
At this point the preliminary field dressing is done. The next step is rapid chilling to ensure the meat doesn’t spoil.
Place a bag of ice inside the cavity until you can get the turkey into a cooler on ice. Transport in a cooler, not loose in your vehicle.
The key is getting the internal temperature down as quickly as possible. Remove any heat buildup from the guts.
Step 8: Further Prep Tips
Before transporting your dressed bird:
-
Pat dry with a towel or napkins. You don’t want excess moisture.
-
Don’t add water to the cavity. This can aid bacteria growth.
-
Tag properly for identification. Include date and location.
-
Know your local regulations for transport and possession.
Also, you can now perform additional field prep like removing wings or even skinning the breast to lighten the load. Just don’t remove the head or fully feathered wing until you are done hunting for the year.
Master Proper Turkey Gutting
From ensuring a sharp knife to rapid chilling, proper technique is critical when field dressing your harvested turkey. Take care to remove all organs and debris while keeping the meat clean and dry. With attention to detail, you’ll have delicious, gourmet-quality turkey to enjoy.
So don’t be intimidated. With some practice, you can master gutting your own birds like a seasoned pro. Just follow these steps and enjoy the rewards of your successful hunt. Confidently field dress your next turkey using this handy guide. Happy hunting!
How to Gut a Turkey 101 with MeatEater’s Janis Putelis
FAQ
When should I gut my turkey?
How to thaw a turkey quickly?
How do you gut a Turkey?
Also be sure to wash under your fingernails, if necessary. Lay the turkey stomach-side down on your work surface or countertop and prepare your materials. Make sure that you have all necessary materials that you will need for gutting the turkey either on your person or within reach.
What to do if a Turkey is gutted?
Wash your hands with warm, soapy water again to rid them of any bacteria. Save the innards that can be cooked, which are known as the giblets. When you gutted the turkey, you set aside its innards in different bowls based on whether they could be cooked later or needed to be disposed of.
Do you need to gut a Turkey?
When you buy a turkey from a farmer or grocery store, you will likely have to gut it, which means cleaning out its inner organs, or innards. While hunters often do this themselves, the average cook who buys a turkey from the store still needs to know how to gut it in order to prepare it for a meal.
How do you flip a Turkey over?
Flip the turkey over onto its back. Do this carefully, since you have already made one cut in the turkey. Flipping the turkey over prepares you to make the cuts that will enable you to pull out all of the innards safely. Cut a horizontal slit in the skin of the turkey between the point its breastbone and its anus.
How do you cook a turkey leg?
pressure cook the leg and season the water with salt, pepper, garlic, and red pepper. Once tender, I pluck all of the meat from the bone and return it to the water. I freeze the stock in re-sealable bags that I can use to make any type of turkey-based soups.
Can you put giblets in a Turkey?
Most commercially prepared turkeys are already “gutted” for your convenience. You should find the giblets and other tasty bits in a paper package inside the turkey – be sure to remove it before cooking! You can use the giblets in gravy if you want, it adds quite a bit of flavor.