Non-Traditional Turkey – Give Thanks and Heal Your Gut Too!

Guest Author: Monica Corrado
November 20, 2020

In the Kitchen, Recipes

For those of us in the USA, Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Traditionally, Americans have celebrated the holiday by roasting a turkey. If you would like to break tradition just a little bit, (you can still have your turkey), AND have a truly nutritious meal, I invite you to try Turkey Meat Stock this year!

What is Meat Stock?

Meat Stock is a delicious and highly nutritious “one pot meal that heals™”, that is very easy to make. It is much better for most of us than long cooked bone broth, which can trigger nervous system symptoms including migraines and seizures (if you are prone to them) because of the high amount of glutamic acid it contains*. Meat Stock is faster to make, too—it takes only a few hours and can be on the table from 1.5 to 6 hours later, depending on whether you are cooking poultry (shorter time) or beef (or any other meat longer time). Meat Stock is the foundation of the Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ (GAPS) Diet by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, because of its role in healing and sealing a leaky gut** and the myriad of symptoms it causes. But even those who are not on GAPS can enjoy a pot of Meat Stock, and I would even say, “should” enjoy one!

Meat Stock is a staple around my house, because in addition to the benefits mentioned above, it is a simple way to have a good meal several times a week—all in one pot! Once you learn the basic formula, you can make all sorts of Meat Stocks by switching out the meat, herbs, and vegetables. So easy, and so much variety!

What makes a Meat Stock?

Meaty bones (meat with a joint in it and/or connective tissue—think turkey thighs or legs—oops, I am getting ahead of myself), vegetables, herbs, and water to cover. You bring the pot to a boil (I like Dutch Ovens because they help constrain the water; too much water will prevent gelatin from forming when it cools), skim and discard the scum, and put to a simmer with the lid on. Cook until the meat is done—about 1.5-3 hours for chicken and poultry, and 4-6 hours for beef, lamb, pork, etc. That’s it! Delish. (If you are on the GAPS Diet, there are some specific things you will need to pay attention to, like avoiding potatoes and starchy vegetables, and peeling vegetables if you are on Stage One of the Intro Diet. For those details, see my The Complete Cooking Techniques for the GAPS Diet.)

Let’s get on to the recipe! Remember, this is NOT bone broth, it’s a meal! You will eat the turkey and the vegetables and drink the stock.

Turkey Meat Stock, Traditional

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

4-6 pastured turkey thighs or legs or a combination

2-3 tablespoons duck fat, schmaltz, ghee, or pastured butter

1 medium organic onion, quartered

4 medium-large organic carrots, cut into 1-inch coins

4 ribs organic celery, chopped (do not use celery if you are on Intro GAPS)

1 cup cremini or other organic mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Several sprigs organic thyme

4-5 organic garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

Good quality salt, such as Celtic, Baja Gold, or Real Salt

Handful of organic black peppercorns

Pure water to cover by 1-2 inches (not RO. Spring water is best; filtered water next)

Directions:

Prep your vegetables. Set aside.

Heat your chosen fat in the bottom of a large Dutch Oven (6-8 quart) over medium heat. When the fat has melted and the pot is hot (3-5 minutes on medium heat, usually), place the turkey thighs skin side down (or the legs) in the pan, and sprinkle them with good salt. Brown for about 5 minutes. The skin should be golden brown. If it is not, then cook for a few minutes longer. When they are done, turn them over, sprinkle with salt, and brown the other side. After about 5 minutes, add the water to cover by 1-2 inches. Add the vegetables and raise the heat. Bring to a boil, and skim and discard the scum. Turn the heat low and add herbs. Cover with lid and cook for about 3 hours. (Test at 3 hours. If not done, cook another hour.)

When the turkey has cooked through, spoon the vegetables into a bowl and adorn with pastured butter and good salt. Place the turkey on a platter and put the stock in mugs for everyone to drink, adding more good salt to each mug. You may also make gravy from some of the stock if you wish. (Recipe below.)

Should you have anything left at the end of the meal, you may pull the meat off the bones and place it and any vegetables into the remaining stock. Season it up, and you have a stew!

How to Make Gravy from Stock

For those who cannot eat starch (those on the GAPS Diet, for example), the easiest way to make “gravy” from stock is to make what is called a “reduction sauce”. (Don’t worry, it will look and act like gravy, “reduction” is the method we will use to make it.) First, melt some good fat in the pot (a couple of tablespoons or more of duck fat, schmaltz or pasture butter) and add stock. Bring it to a boil and keep stirring until it reduces by half. The gelatin in the stock will thicken it up. You may add salt, pepper, and herbs, as desired.

If you are not on GAPS, you can add some arrowroot (2 tablespoon to 2 tablespoons of water in a bowl, whisk to combine) to the stock and whisk it over low-medium heat until it thickens.

A Turkey Meat Stock Recipe for More Stock, and Less Meat

Though Meat Stock is a meal, many people would like a recipe with more stock to drink, and less meat to eat, while still achieving a gelatinous, healing stock. No problem. Around Thanksgiving time, turkey necks and wings abound, and they are perfect to solve the “less meat to eat, more stock to drink” request. Also, since you are not going to eat this stock, you can use carrot, celery, and/or onion trimmings you may have in your freezer from previous cooking. (I store carrot, onion, and celery trimmings in a container in the freezer. Then they are readily available when you want to make a “high volume” batch of stock for drinking.)

Turkey Meat Stock with Necks and/or Wings

Makes 2-3 quarts

Ingredients:

3 pounds pastured turkey necks or wings or a combination

2-3 tablespoons duck fat, schmaltz, ghee, or pastured butter (optional)

1 medium organic onion, quartered, or equivalent onion trimmings from your freezer 3-4 organic celery ribs, cut as you like, or equivalent celery trimmings from your freezer 3-4 medium-large organic carrots, cut as you like, or equivalent carrot trimmings from your freezer Several sprigs organic thyme

3 organic garlic cloves, smashed and peeled (optional)

Good quality salt, such as Celtic, Baja Gold, or Real Salt

Handful of organic black peppercorns

3 quarts pure water (not RO; spring water is best; filtered water next)

Directions:

Prep your vegetables, if needed.

If you like, you may brown the turkey necks and/or wings in the fat as above, or not. (Browning concentrates flavor and color, which makes for a richer tasting stock.) If you choose not to brown the turkey, simply put everything into the Dutch Oven, bring to a boil, skim and discard the scum, and then put to a simmer with the lid on. Cook 3-4 hours. Strain, cool, and store. You may eat the vegetables if you did not use trimmings. (If you are on GAPS Intro, do not eat the celery.)

Next Question: Can you Make Turkey Meat Stock from the Cooked Carcass?

No. Meat Stock is made from raw meaty bones, not cooked carcasses. (Save cooked carcasses for bone broth…)

Bon Appetit!

* For a table of amino acid amounts, see The Complete Cooking Techniques for the GAPS™ Diet, page 40.

** For more information about GAPS, see gaps.me

Print Recipe

Turkey Meat Stock, Traditional

https://simplybeingwell.com/

Source: Monica Corrado

Course: Soup

Serves: 6

Ingredients

4-6 pastured turkey thighs or legs or a combination
2-3 tablespoons duck fat schmaltz, ghee, or pastured butter
1 medium organic onion quartered
4 medium-large organic carrots cut into 1-inch coins
4 ribs organic celery chopped (do not use celery if you are on Intro GAPS)
1 cup cremini or other organic mushrooms, sliced (optional)
Several sprigs organic thyme
4-5 organic garlic cloves smashed and peeled
Good quality salt such as Celtic, Baja Gold, or Real Salt
Handful organic black peppercorns
Pure water to cover by 1-2 inches (not RO. Spring water is best; filtered water next)

Directions

Prep your vegetables. Set aside.
Heat your chosen fat in the bottom of a large Dutch Oven (6-8 quart) over medium heat. When the fat has melted and the pot is hot (3-5 minutes on medium heat, usually), place the turkey thighs skin side down (or the legs) in the pan, and sprinkle them with good salt. Brown for about 5 minutes. The skin should be golden brown. If it is not, then cook for a few minutes longer.
When they are done, turn them over, sprinkle with salt, and brown the other side. After about 5 minutes, add the water to cover by 1-2 inches. Add the vegetables and raise the heat. Bring to a boil, and skim and discard the scum. Turn the heat low and add herbs. Cover with lid and cook for about 3 hours. (Test at 3 hours. If not done, cook another hour.)
When the turkey has cooked through, spoon the vegetables into a bowl and adorn with pastured butter and good salt. Place the turkey on a platter and put the stock in mugs for everyone to drink, adding more good salt to each mug. You may also make gravy from some of the stock if you wish. (Recipe below.)
Should you have anything left at the end of the meal, you may pull the meat off the bones and place it and any vegetables into the remaining stock. Season it up, and you have a stew!