In a recent Prime Cuts Wild Game Edition episode, host and award-winning chef David Bancroft teamed up with Bone Collector star Michael Waddell to demonstrate two ways for preparing wild turkey. While Michael’s jalapeño-dill turkey nuggets (complete with “his and hers” dipping sauces) were a surefire crowd pleaser, David’s grilled, sous vide wild turkey was in a class of its own.
Why use Sous Vide for Wild-Game Cooking?
Sous-vide cooking is the process of sealing food in an airtight container—usually a vacuum-sealed bag—and then cooking it in temperature-controlled water. Professional chefs in nearly all of the best restaurants across the Americas and Europe have used this technique to maximize the flavor and texture of their food preparations. Now, thanks to the advent of low-cost circulators, home cooks can explore the possibilities of this method, too.
The sous-vide cooking technique is especially useful for wild-game recipes because it cooks evenly all the way through, meaning the meat is cooked to the same temperature from the edge to center. When using this method, you’ll notice that your wild game is significantly more juicy and flavorful because the meat braises in its own juices, and is infused with the flavors seasoned in the bag.
In this recipe, David uses a sous-vide cooker to poach a wild-turkey breast to 145 degrees before searing it on the grill. The result is a perfectly cooked and juicy turkey breast—prepared backyard style!
Sous Vide Wild-Turkey
Cuisine: AmericanDifficulty: easy0
servings0
minutesAward-winning chef and Prime Cuts Wild Game Edition host David Bancroft utilizes sous vide with a saltwater brine to pre-cook a wild-turkey breast before searing on the grill.
Sous VIDE Wild-Turkey Brine INGREDIENTS
Water and salt (even amount)
4 Bay leaves
Cayenne pepper (dash)
Sous Vide wild-turkey COOKING directions
- Brine turkey breast for 12 hours
- Remove turkey from brine and place in a vacuum-sealed bag
- Set sous vide to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for two hours
- Remove turkey from sous vide and bring to room temperature
- Drizzle olive oil over the exterior of the poached turkey breast
- Heat grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, then “grill mark” both sides of turkey (approximately two minutes on each side)
- Cut and serve with dipping sauce
Recipe Video
Once your wild-turkey breast is grilled to perfection, try serving it with “his and hers” dipping sauces featured in Michael Waddell’s jalapeno-dill turkey nuggets recipe.