Ground Turkey vs Ground Beef

[Deleted]

I get a quarter or a half a steer every year (many times for free) so our freezer is always packed with beef.  I tried ground turkey for awhile, (I can't remember if it was for the health benefits or it was cheap) but it is very dry and tasteless and I quit after not too long.  

[alabamagal]

We have been on DH diabetic meal plan for about a month now. We have a few recipe sources and have used ground turkey several times. We've used lean ground beef a few times also. The turkey dishes are good, they usually have a different set of spices than a ground beef recipe.

My question though: if you take a lb of regular ground beef and crumble and brown and drain fat, is it any different than doing the same with lean ground beef where you drain less fat. Regular is cheaper, so you end up with a little less meat, but is fat level the same?

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Mar 12, 2017 0:03:19 GMT -5 msventoux said:

I've never eaten ground turkey. I tried turkey bacon once, and it was such an insult to bacon that I had no desire to try ground turkey. I don't eat much meat anyway, so I figure my chocolate weakness is more likely to kill me than the occasional burger or bacon.

I figure whatever they have to do to turkey to make it taste like real bacon is more dangerous than real bacon, so only real bacon here. Although, for us, real bacon is uncured so Even with the real stuff I'm super picky.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Mar 14, 2017 12:41:28 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

We have been on DH diabetic meal plan for about a month now. We have a few recipe sources and have used ground turkey several times. We've used lean ground beef a few times also. The turkey dishes are good, they usually have a different set of spices than a ground beef recipe.

My question though: if you take a lb of regular ground beef and crumble and brown and drain fat, is it any different than doing the same with lean ground beef where you drain less fat. Regular is cheaper, so you end up with a little less meat, but is fat level the same?

Amy Dazcyn of the Tightwad Gazette did the math between the cost of high fat beef you drain and low fat beef. I can't remember the result, but since I suspect she used the drained fat to make muffins/clothes/moisturizer, she went with high fat beef.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

We use ground sirloin almost exclusively.

I don't want to eat ground eyeballs/tongues/genitals of ANY animal whether it is turkeys or cows.

I stock up when it's on sale. But, now that the kids are away, we use far less anyway.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Mar 20, 2017 11:40:32 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Mar 12, 2017 0:03:19 GMT -5 msventoux said:

I've never eaten ground turkey. I tried turkey bacon once, and it was such an insult to bacon that I had no desire to try ground turkey. I don't eat much meat anyway, so I figure my chocolate weakness is more likely to kill me than the occasional burger or bacon.

I figure whatever they have to do to turkey to make it taste like real bacon is more dangerous than real bacon, so only real bacon here. Although, for us, real bacon is uncured so Even with the real stuff I'm super picky.

DH was involved in turkey and chicken bacon production for a brief time as the company thought to expand.

He told me I don't want to know what goes into making either of those into bacon.

Absolutely a "franken food". Just eat less real bacon.

[grits]

I use ground turkey to make meatloaf. It has to be seasoned like you do fowl not like you would beef. 

[NastyWoman]

Turkey bacon is to bacon as tofurkey is to turkey. I either eat the real stuff or I pass. I eat a lot of chicken throughout the year but none of it is ground. That said, I don't eat ground beef very often either.

[grits]

Mar 20, 2017 11:45:10 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

We use ground sirloin almost exclusively.

I don't want to eat ground eyeballs/tongues/genitals of ANY animal whether it is turkeys or cows.

I stock up when it's on sale. But, now that the kids are away, we use far less anyway.

Don't eat hot dogs unless they are kosher, Vienna sausage or potted meat. 

[chiver78]

Nov 5, 2017 20:47:18 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

Turkey bacon is to bacon as tofurkey is to turkey. I either eat the real stuff or I pass. I eat a lot of chicken throughout the year but none of it is ground. That said, I don't eat ground beef very often either.

why not ground chicken, if the situation called for it? -idunno- 

[justme]

I dont like turkey. I'll tolerate dark meat if it's cooked right. But - my meatloaf is made of turkey (and not just breast). Only because that's what my mom did...its honestly just not meatloaf if it's not that recipe.

There's a reason my parents by honey baked ham for thanksgiving. 😉

[Deleted]

I like both ground beef and ground turkey and use them interchangeably.  I don't find a huge difference when used in tacos, spaghetti, chili etc. I made turkey tacos last night and they rocked, if I do say so.  Cumin, ancho and chipotle chile powders, oregano, onion and garlic, plus tomato paste - in crispy shells with lettuce, tomato, fresh onion and avocado.  

We don't eat a lot of beef, and I prefer the flavor of grass-fed when we do.  Pricey yes, but a 4 oz serving now and then doesn't kill us.  

We've been pet sitting for the neighbors since hunting season started and they got a deer and a hog so far so we expect some good stuff for the freezer.  They made an incredible rosemary and garlic sausage the other day, hickory smoked it.  For that I can get up at 5:30 to let the dog out 

[Opti]

Nov 5, 2017 21:38:14 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Nov 5, 2017 20:47:18 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

Turkey bacon is to bacon as tofurkey is to turkey. I either eat the real stuff or I pass. I eat a lot of chicken throughout the year but none of it is ground. That said, I don't eat ground beef very often either.

why not ground chicken, if the situation called for it? -idunno- 

I eat ground beef, ground turkey, and happen to like turkey bacon if done right. Ground meat is just meat in a different form. Most of my ground meat is not heavily flavored so I definitely can tell the difference from beef, to pork, or turkey. I use different spices with each as well.