White meat or dark meat? What's the best part of the turkey on Thanksgiving?

1. 68

   megmccormickposted 13 years ago

   White meat or dark meat? What's the best part of the turkey on Thanksgiving?
   
   I want to know if I should have more white meat or dark meat for my guests on Thanksgiving.

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2. 85

   gmmurgirlposted 13 years ago

   I'd say more white meat, especially lean white meat. Red meat is associated with some health risk like hypertension, cancer and arthritis.

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3. 60

   AKdudeposted 13 years ago

   Save the dark meat for me! It might not be as "healthy" but it certainly is tastier and juicier. I tend to find the white meat way too dry.

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4. 78

   nell79posted 13 years ago

   First I'd just like to say that none of the meat on a turkey is considered red meat. It's just white and dark.
   
   As for your question, if you want to know which is better for you, then it's white meat (because it's leaner). If you want to know which has more flavor, it's dark meat, hands down (and it's also where all the juices are).
   
   If you want to know what your guests would prefer, I'd bet it would be a variety. In my house, it's about half and half. Though it could be that your guests prefer white (it's not uncommon). To be safe, I would offer both, but perhaps more white.
   
   BTW, I watched a show once that showed the evolution of the Thanksgiving Turkey. It's incredible how we got the turkey we have today. They have such an abundance of breast meat (which is the white) that they have trouble walking, and often fall forward during their attempts of getting around. They can't even breed naturally because of their giant...well, um, breasts LOL So the breeding is all by insemination.
   
   Anyway, as a result, our turkey may be larger and offer more white meat than our grandmothers', but they're also much drier. The dark meat is where all the fats and flavorful juices are. That's also why it's so important to baste while baking. You want to get some of the juices coming off the dark meat onto the white meat so that it's not unbearably dry.

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5. 67

   nifty@50posted 13 years ago

   True that White meat is less fatty than Dark, but to compensate for the dryness White meat is just about always consumed with gravy (or mayo if eaten in a sandwich), so the whole health thing is a wash as far as I'm concerned! My experience tells me most adults prefer White meat and most kids prefer drumsticks or wings ( of course there are always exceptions)! I like both, but given a choice prefer White! Grilled on a sandwich with mayo and lettuce, White meat is great!

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6. 78

   Earl S. Wynnposted 13 years ago

   I've always been a white meat kind of guy, but I'm not much for gamey or rich meats, so I guess it depends on what your guests like. If you're inviting a family of deer hunters, go for more dark meat. If you're inviting your average McDonald's eating family, go for more white meat.

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7. 60

   amitmishra0123posted 13 years ago

   It's dosn't matter what kind of meat you serve, the matter is how deeply you serve.

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