The Specific Meat Martha Stewart Uses For Her Favorite Turkey Burgers

Although mentions of Martha Stewart may bring to mind the finest of culinary heights, the world's most famous lifestyle maestro actually first set out to keep her entertaining tips approachable. So, while some of her practices are about as attainable as literal pie in the sky (making multiple mains at Thanksgiving, for example), others, including some of her own favorite recipes, are actually within reach; and her turkey burgers are about as egalitarian as meat patties come — just with the type of signature upgrade you might expect.

In an erstwhile "Ask Martha" column, Stewart extolls the virtues of dark meat turkey, which will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever sampled the bird's disparate cuts. She uses 2 pounds of dark ground turkey meat for what she calls turkey-meatloaf burgers, due to their shared DNA with the latter item. That measure, plus other ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and mayonnaise combine to serve eight. Stewart grills them over medium and arranges them on potato buns with vinegar kale and a chili sauce mix.

Why dark meat makes better turkey burgers and where to find it

Like with a lot of proteins, fat equals flavor. Although you can't see it laced throughout a leg or thigh as you would in something like a beautifully marbled ribeye, dark meat turkey contains more of that tasty fat than the lighter alternative. That juicy fat is also what helps keep the dark meat from drying out the way a leaner breast would, also contributing to its superior flavor; and its resulting silkier texture provides an improved mouthfeel that gives it an edge over white meat.

Decades ago, you might have had something like a hand-cranked Mince-O-Matic right on your very own countertop, but such vintage kitchen tools have largely fallen out of favor. Absent that level of home cooking control, you'll need to buy a batch. Do not fret if you see a sea of leaner turkey grinds lining your grocery store shelves, 93% lean being a common, and, in this case, undesirable ratio. Reach, instead, for the stuff labeled specifically "ground dark turkey," made, of course, with those dedicated darker poultry pieces. Most supermarkets will stock this variety, and your neighborhood butcher can make an even more precise blend.

Recommended