to be dark, gamy, and stringy Lucky then, that you’d have to go out of your way to find one Q: What about turkeys? How big a bird should I get? Plan on about pound of raw turkey per person, which translates to around half a pound of meat In terms of flavor and ease of preparation, I find that the best birds are around 10 to 12 pounds, or even smaller Much bigger, and they become very difficult to cook evenly Large birds also take an inordinately long time, are difficult to transfer to and from the oven (not to mention trying to flip them), take up more oven space, and are more prone to drying out—all bad things when you’ve also got to deal with a houseful of family members, and Junior’s just stolen Gramps’s dentures and dropped them in Aunt Mabel’s wine If you’ve got many mouths to feed, unless there’s absolutely no way to get ’em in the oven, it’s always a better idea to go with two smaller birds than one large one READING THE LABELS Q: There are so many labels and logos on the average supermarket chicken that it’s hard to figure out what each means and which ones are important What should I look for? Here’s what you need to know • “Hormone-Free” means absolutely nothing I repeat: absolutely nothing By law, no chicken or turkey in the United States can be given any kind of hormones or steroids, so every chicken and turkey in the supermarket is completely free of added hormones The labeling is a marketing gimmick to get you to think you are getting something special It might as well read “deadly-cyanide free,” because, yes, all poultry sold in this country is also free of deadly cyanide • “Natural” has very little meaning as well; it refers to birds that have no artificial colorings or additives and are minimally processed Natural birds are routinely confined and raised in large batteries that offer no natural light or access to the outdoors Unless you are buying rainbowtinted birds, fresh meat—with no added ingredients— should be considered “natural.” This is a self-enforced label and is not checked by third-party or government audits • “No Antibiotics” bears more weight than either of the two previous labels, indicating that the animals were raised without the use of antibiotics There are arguments on both sides as to whether this is healthier for the consumer or for the birds ... “No Antibiotics” bears more weight than either of the two previous labels, indicating that the animals were raised without the use of antibiotics There are arguments on both sides as to whether this is healthier for the consumer... chicken or turkey in the United States can be given any kind of hormones or steroids, so every chicken and turkey in the supermarket is completely free of added hormones The labeling is a marketing...READING THE LABELS Q: There are so many labels and logos on the average supermarket chicken that it’s hard to figure out what each means and which ones are important