What is Deli Turkey

I had always assumed that the item called "deli turkey" that you see in some deli meat cases was simply turkey that was meant for deli sales. Today someone told me it's actually a conglomeration of gelatin and turkey broth, or some such. I'm not sure I've ever bought it, but if that's what it is, I know I won't be buying it. Anyone got the scoop on this? Is it a scam or what?

Really if you want to know what's in your lunch meat ask to see the ingredients. All lunch meat packaging has a list of ingredients. It may be hard to find for the counter people but worth it to you. When I was pregnant I always asked for the ingredients because of nitrate issues.

I buy turkey that looks like a breast. If the texture is to homogenized I assume it to be pressed meat(i.e. lots of scraps pressed into a form). There is such a difference between brands it's impossible to really answer this question.

I once had the occasion to see a film on the deli turkey manufacturing process. The "better brands" of deli turkey begin with all turkey breast meat that is then chopped into a paste to which salt and water is added. I'm not sure about the gelatin. Then each unit of meat is encased in a food-grade membrane, cooked and cooled. It's really more like a turkey sausage than anything else. I tend to avoid deli turkey since seeing the film. The question of the material used to encase the meat was not sufficiently clarified. I would need further reassurance about the safety of cooking in what looked like plastic, as I believe there is some concern about substances from plastic migrating into food at high temperatures. Perhaps this is not a problem with food-grade plastic. Someone on the board can probably enlighten us on this.

I've heard enough. I'm not going to touch it with a ten foot pole. No offense to our Polish readers. It's a very misleading name. Yuck.

Really, this isn't that hard to observe in the first place. Turkey sausage is right; if it's got a smooth, paste-like texture, it's been chopped and reconstituted. A real turkey breast will have a texture, a grain you can see.

I have long disdained "deli turkey" on this board in quite a few posts.

In the literal sense:
I do not recoil at the thought of all turkey sold in the deli case, and as a matter of fact, there are a few brands that I enjoy. For the most part, however, my negative usage of the term "deli turkey" is limited to the meat jello substance that doesn't even make an effort to retain a meat like texture. I know of two brands that I often see in store deli cases, but will not mention by name, because I do know that some brands will use better grade of processed turkey among their product line. For example, the absolutely ficticiously named company "Butterbird" might have 8 different styles of deli turkey breast (Honey roasted/oven browned/cajun?pepper crusted etc.,) and a few of those styles might be real turkey, and a few will be meat jello. What I've come to notice is that usually the "oven roasted," or "oven browned" versions are usually the ones with little to no remaining turkey characteristics, and are mostly just pureed meat mixed with broth and some kind of jello like substance. Many sub sandwich chains tend to use products like this, and I just cannot get past it. I also cannot understand why so many people purchase it. It's like they have been conditioned to think turkey comes in a rectangle, and has no characteristics resembling what is served in many American households on Thanksgiving. What irks me just as much, is that this stuff can cost MORE than turkey, and people buy it.

So, Cogito -
Don't write off turkey from the deli case as a whole. I use the term "Deli Turkey" the same as it's been used by the deli workers when I ask them the question ,"Is that real turkey?" They always answer,"It's DELI turkey."
My silent response is always, "I bet you don't eat that, do you?"
My actual response is always, "Ok, thanks."

There are some good brands of sliced turkey available in your grocers deli case. As Shannon and Mike G wrote, the fake stuff is easy to spot. The real stuff looks like turkey, the fake stiuff looks like processed, reformed, jello that has little to no grain. If you want, I'll PM you the brands that I know are meat jello crap, and you can go to your grocer and compare.

Sounds like a plan.

Many of the higher-end groceries (Whole Foods, Fox & Obel, etc.) have house-roasted turkey that is really just turkey and maybe some water/brine and seasonings as opposed to some sort of reconstituted meat jello. Oftentimes, these stores offer both a single roasted turkey breast that can be carved to order and larger pieces (presumably from several breasts that are tied together or otherwise bound in some manner) that can be sliced like "deli turkey." This latter sliced turkey tends to be drier and more crumbly than deli turkey (you can tell sometimes where the multiple turkey breasts have come together based on the turkey slices falling apart in the same place), and is also relatively expensive compared to "deli turkey" (typically from $8 to $11 per pound).

Isn't "deli turkey" really just a simple turkey sausage? I actually like a salami sandwich more that a roast pork sandwich. The added flavors in the sausage make it good. Anyway, I personally don't see the great aversion to deli turkey if viewed as such (unless it's filled with a ton of gelatin - that's gross).

It's a simple, lousy turkey sausage.

The deli at out grocery store started selling what looks more like turkey. It's called homemade turkey and it's covered with what looks like real roasted turkey skin. I haven't asked about how it was prepared, but it tastes good A person doing a demo for it a few months ago told us that it didn't have any nitrates. It's $5/pound regularly, a bit less when it's on sale.

They have something like that at Paulina. It's called "turkey breast." What they do is, they debone a turkey breast, and roast it, and slice it.

Anything more than that that somebody does to a slice of turkey meat is for their economic benefit/convenience, not your gastronomic pleasure.

Potash Bros. as well as offering one of my favorite in-house rare roast beefs does roasted turkey breast as well..and perhaps ham...I don't quite recall. The turkey last I had it was pretty dry, but definitely a far cry from the usual suspects texture-wise.

Here's some more background info...

http://www.usdec.org/files/Deli/PDFs/3_US_Deli_Poultry.pdf

The turkey last I had it was pretty dry, but definitely a far cry from the usual suspects texture-wise.

I think relative dryness is pretty much inevitable, compared to one that's been shot full of Jello.

Thanks Pedro, but even after reading that govt propaganda, I'm not sure what I read.

eggplant wrote:The deli at out grocery store started selling what looks more like turkey. It's called homemade turkey and it's covered with what looks like real roasted turkey skin.

So, some guy "made" it at home, right? But what did he make it from, that is the real question. Sounds like more mystery meat.

YoYoPedro wrote:Here's some more background info...

http://www.usdec.org/files/Deli/PDFs/3_US_Deli_Poultry.pdf

It is the official position of the United States government that reconstituted deli turkey has an excellent flavor, especially when shaved. Either you are with us or against us.

Cogito wrote:I had always assumed that the item called "deli turkey" that you see in some deli meat cases was simply turkey that was meant for deli sales. Today someone told me it's actually a conglomeration of gelatin and turkey broth, or some such. I'm not sure I've ever bought it, but if that's what it is, I know I won't be buying it. Anyone got the scoop on this? Is it a scam or what?

For all the talk on this thread, you would think that folks had never looked at many other deli meats. Unless it's ham on the bone, the majority of "deli ham" is going to be handled in much the same way. Does anyone really think that ham is square or rectangular? In order to get a majority of the nicely shaped, boneless, thinly slice-able meats that you see at delis everywhere, some processing is necessary. I'm not defending any of this, just saying that it's the way that things happen across the board. Why does this come as a surprise to folks? And/or, why is it necessarily a negative? Would that same person turn up their nose at a piece of head cheese because it contained gelatin? It's the way some things are made.

YoYoPedro wrote: Would that same person turn up their nose at a piece of head cheese because it contained gelatin?

Absosmurfly. I'd MUCH rather just have the bits and pieces minus the gelatin. But that's just me.

That's kinda beside the point as I see it tho.

That blended, reformed, gelatinous mass thet people are labeling as "turkey" is what gets me. I see people eating this stuff all the time, and chowing it down like they really think it's turkey. It is most definitely NOT turkey. If you asked for head cheese, and got a square, monotone pink gelatinous loaf like bologna, you would be happy? And no, I do not buy rectangle ham, either.

YoYoPedro wrote: It's the way some things are made.

This I do not agree with as a finite statement.
It's the way some things are made because there are people who will purchase it." Is more accurate.

And yes, I fully realize that this can be filed away in my silly pet peeve category. I do find myself time and time again, however, watching someone blissfully eat a "turkey" sandwich made with the "loaf" stuff being talked about here, and wanting to ask them if they think that it really is turkey. Happened a few weeks ago while I was watching a bears game with a few friends. Someone went out for a run to a Mr Submarine type place, and someone ordered the "turkey." As soon as they opened it up, the rectangle turkey slices started wiggling like jello. Sorry, turkey does not look like that, taste like that, or have that texture. Of course, this would be a non-issue to me if they would just call it what it was:
"pureed and reformed turkey meat product with assorted fillers." Or maybe something with a better ring to it like Fowl-o, or Loafey.
[/petpeeverant]

Perhaps it's a loaded example in Chicago, but I'm not sure I see how this differs significantly from, say, hot dogs. Or other finely-ground sausages, for that matter. Or pate. Don't get me wrong, I'll take an honestly roasted and sliced turkey breast over deli turkey any day. But given that many classic meat dishes are pulverized and reformed, I'm not sure I'm grasping what's so objectionable about deli turkey on a philosophical level. Culinary, absolutely. But philosophical?

It's not a criticism, it's an honest question.

And incidentally, this is why I thought White Castle's Chicken Rings were pure genius. If you're going to fuse parts, why bother with the pretense of shaping them like tenders or nuggets? They pushed right past scary and fully into awesomely self-aware

I think how it differs is the absolute lie that this substance is called turkey.
There should be NO debate about what turkey consists of. How many different ways can you answer these questions?
What is a hot dog made out of?
What is pate made out of?
What is sausage made out of?
These are open for a bit of interpretation.

I do not believe that turkey , beef, and pork should be made. They should simply be cooked with spices. Therefore, if you have to ask

"What is this turkey made out of?"
Something is definitely askew.

A turkey is a creature. It is not a man made gelatinous mass. A hot dog is not something that occurs in nature. We do not set sausage traps along the rolling hills of Toscana. I can not order an applewood smoked leg/thigh of pate confit. So why should the reverse hold true? Next time you want a ribeye, have the chef puree it up, and then add a bunch of broth, reform it into a rectangle, and then slice it nice and thin. Yum-ie. Right?

Everyone knows what a hot dog is (or they willingly choose to ignore.)
Does everyone NOT know what a turkey is?
I guess the philosophical issue is that people are marketing this substance as turkey. People ask for turkey, and get this stuff, and then eat it like they think it is turkey.

Steak = part of a cow.
Turkey breast = part of a turkey.

If you ordered a steak, and got a hot dog, would there be no issue?
If you ordered turkey breast, and got turkey loaf, what is the difference?

If I go to Burke's, I don't have to ask - "Um, do you know if the NY strip is the processed loaf stuff?"

Since when is the concept of turkey open for interpretation? Since when is there even a NEED for debate about what turkey is made from?

Not the practice itself, but the naming thereof... point taken

I wouldn't be so revolted if they were at least honest in their representation. I think the term 'deli turkey' is misleading. 'Processed turkey loaf' or something would seem a better name. Some people believe that 'cholocaty' chip cookies have real chocolate and that 'fruit-flavored' drinks contain fruit juice. This just seems like part and parcel of the same kind of consumer scam. Maybe deli turkey is a safe, healthy meat, but when someone resorts to subterfuge to represent their products, it does not help engender confidence, or trust for it.

seebee wrote:I think how it differs is the absolute lie that this substance is called turkey.
There should be NO debate about what turkey consists of. How many different ways can you answer these questions?
What is a hot dog made out of?
What is pate made out of?
What is sausage made out of?
These are open for a bit of interpretation.

I do not believe that turkey , beef, and pork should be made. They should simply be cooked with spices. Therefore, if you have to ask

"What is this turkey made out of?"
Something is definitely askew.

A turkey is a creature. It is not a man made gelatinous mass. A hot dog is not something that occurs in nature. We do not set sausage traps along the rolling hills of Toscana. I can not order an applewood smoked leg/thigh of pate confit. So why should the reverse hold true? Next time you want a ribeye, have the chef puree it up, and then add a bunch of broth, reform it into a rectangle, and then slice it nice and thin. Yum-ie. Right?

Everyone knows what a hot dog is (or they willingly choose to ignore.)
Does everyone NOT know what a turkey is?
I guess the philosophical issue is that people are marketing this substance as turkey. People ask for turkey, and get this stuff, and then eat it like they think it is turkey.

Steak = part of a cow.
Turkey breast = part of a turkey.

If you ordered a steak, and got a hot dog, would there be no issue?
If you ordered turkey breast, and got turkey loaf, what is the difference?

If I go to Burke's, I don't have to ask - "Um, do you know if the NY strip is the processed loaf stuff?"

Since when is the concept of turkey open for interpretation? Since when is there even a NEED for debate about what turkey is made from?

That was an awfully long post from someone that doesn't believe that there is a need for debate! I have to say that if someone called it turkey breast, it may be misleading or mislabeled . But I would also have to say that if I made meatloaf last night, and its ingredients were ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, diced onions, green peppers, herbs and spices, and someone asked what I had for dinner the night before that it would be acceptable for me to say, "Beef." If I said it was "steak", I would be either lying or misinformed. You may not agree, and that's OK, too.

YoYoPedro wrote:That was an awfully long post from someone that doesn't believe that there is a need for debate! ... But I would also have to say that if I made meatloaf last night, and its ingredients were ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, diced onions, green peppers, herbs and spices, and someone asked what I had for dinner the night before that it would be acceptable for me to say, "Beef." If I said it was "steak", I would be either lying or misinformed. You may not agree, and that's OK, too.

I don't think there needs to be a debate at all, since I know what Turkey is.

HOWEVER, if I go to a grocery store, and ask the deli clerk for 1/2 lb of the turkey breast that is on sale, I'll betcha more often than not, I will NOT get sliced breast of turkey. I will get sliced loaf of some whitish yellow substance. Why do I have to debate with someone over what I mean when I say turkey breast? Turkey meat is dark or white. I've never heard anyone at Thanksgiving ask me if I wanted "dark, white, or pressed and gelatinous?"

If you made meatloaf last night, and you said you had "beef" for dinner, I'd have to assume either you or the person you were conversing with knew little English. Which is fine. Is that acceptable? Of course it is.
And agreed, we may disagree, and that's ok with me too.

seebee wrote: If you made meatloaf last night, and you said you had "beef" for dinner, I'd have to assume either you or the person you were conversing with knew little English. Which is fine. Is that acceptable? Of course it is.
And agreed, we may disagree, and that's ok with me too.

OK, let's take a different example. If I have a hamburger for lunch, is it wrong of me to call it beef?

If they put processed cheese on your hamburger, it comes from a big box labeled "Processed Cheese Food Product." That's because Velveeta is not recognized as being the same thing as Stilton or Gruyere. Yet everyone calls "processed turkey food product" "turkey" as if it was just picked off the bones. Seems a useful distinction to me, whatever you call your hamburger.

Mike G wrote:If they put processed cheese on your hamburger, it comes from a big box labeled "Processed Cheese Food Product." That's because Velveeta is not recognized as being the same thing as Stilton or Gruyere. Yet everyone calls "processed turkey food product" "turkey" as if it was just picked off the bones. Seems a useful distinction to me, whatever you call your hamburger.

Labeling is one thing, what people call things is another. If you look at the package of "turkey" and it contains more than turkey, I'll bet it is mentioned on the label. But I'll also bet that at the restaurant where they are selling the burger, that they include "American" in their list of cheese choices to top that burger, and is anyone telling them to call it "pasteurized processed cheese" instead of "cheese"? I completely agree that it is not REAL cheese. I just think that it's not worth making such a fuss over. Be aware when you are buying, know what you like or dislike and caveat emptor. So back to my question, can I call my burger "beef"?

You know who used to have good turkey? Max's Deli on Clark street, when it was below Tower Records. Now both are departed. But the turkey was near-carver quality...I used to buy it by the pound.

I also recall the diner at Toughy and Western using some sort of similar quality turkey in their items. But that was also years ago.