Butterball Turkeys

Restaurant Favorites Throughout Thailand
-And favorite recipes and recipe requests-
Post Reply
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21458
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Butterball Turkeys

Post by Gaybutton »

I have a feeling every American reading this is quite familiar with Butterball turkeys and they are usually very difficult, if not impossible, to find in Thailand. For those of you in Pattaya looking for whole Butterball turkeys, they are available at Big-C Extra. They are fully cooked and frozen. The prices range from about 2000 baht to 2500 baht.

I would imagine all Big-C Extras in Thailand have them. If they are available elsewhere, I haven't seen them. Personally I prefer to cook the turkey myself rather than one already fully cooked, but in Thailand I'll take what I can get.

I bought one. Once it thaws and I cut it up into portions I'll probably be eating turkey for some weeks, if not months, to come. I usually go out to dinner for Thanksgiving, which is coming up Thursday, November 25, but not this year. First, the Thanksgiving dinners I've been to over the past few years were nothing to jump up and down about and I never get the pieces I like best. The worst I ever had, as some of you may remember, was that disaster of a dinner at Coco's on Chaiyapruek.

So, it's probably been a good 25 years now, maybe more, since I had a really good turkey and can have the pieces I want. I think by this time I'm entitled to splurge and I did just that. There is now a fully cooked turkey duly thawing out in my refrigerator and I will be making my own Thanksgiving and probably Christmas dinner this year.


User avatar
Undaunted
Posts: 2567
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 8:47 am
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 368 times

Re: Butterball Turkeys

Post by Undaunted »

Before Thailand banded uncooked import of turkeys Makro had frozen Norbest turkeys at reasonable prices. The government stopped imports of uncooked turkeys because of avian flu. I won’t eat a frozen precooked Turkey, maybe the states should tell Thailand you don’t want turkeys we don’t want shrimp!
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21458
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Butterball Turkeys

Post by Gaybutton »

Undaunted wrote: Tue Nov 02, 2021 3:15 pm I won’t eat a frozen precooked Turkey
Since I never have, I'm hoping it will be good and obviously I'm giving it a try. As for the Norbest turkeys, I've never tried one mainly because I've heard they aren't very good. But I hope the Butterball will be.

I've seen frozen turkey breast, but never bought one. The breast is the part I like least. For me, that might be good sliced up for sandwiches or used in other recipes, but other than that, no thanks.

What I am going to try is from instructions I've seen on the internet for precooked turkey. Put the fully thawed pieces you want in a roasting bag and using a meat thermometer heat to 140°F (60°C) - no more than that since the turkey is already cooked. Then remove from the oven and let it rest 15 minutes before opening the roasting bag.
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21458
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Butterball Turkeys

Post by Gaybutton »

This morning the turkey had thawed. I cut it up into the pieces I want, how I want them. Since the turkey was already fully cooked I tried a couple small pieces, just to taste, and I was very happily surprised. The meat, even the breast meat that I usually don't like, was moist, tender, and very flavorful, seasoned just how I like it.

The pieces I plan to eat over the next few days are now in my refrigerator and the rest is back in the freezer, now cut up and ready whenever I want any of it - and all I'll have to do is heat it up.

I am very pleased. This just may now become an annual ritual for me. I would still prefer to cook it myself from scratch, but the precooked turkey is excellent, so considering I can't find uncooked Butterballs anywhere, the precooked Butterballs will do just fine for me.

If you want a whole turkey for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or whenever, you might want to pick up one of these and give it a try.
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21458
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Butterball Turkeys

Post by Gaybutton »

Today I was in Makro. Now they too are carrying whole frozen, fully cooked turkeys. They are not Butterballs. I did not spot a brand, but the prices are similar to the Big-C Extra prices.

I think Thailand is forbidding raw turkeys to be brought in, even frozen. The only restaurant I know of that has raw turkeys they are going to cook from scratch is Casa Pascal. I don't know how he got them, but he got them. If any other restaurants also have raw turkeys, I'm not aware of them.
User avatar
Undaunted
Posts: 2567
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 8:47 am
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 368 times

Re: Butterball Turkeys

Post by Undaunted »

Last year there was a Turkey farm in Khon Kaen that sold fresh turkeys at really stupid prices, he must be thrilled with the import ban!
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21458
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Butterball Turkeys

Post by Gaybutton »

Undaunted wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 3:58 pm fresh turkeys at really stupid prices
Which was it - unusually inexpensive or outrageously expensive? Guess which one I think it was . . .
User avatar
Undaunted
Posts: 2567
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 8:47 am
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 368 times

Re: Butterball Turkeys

Post by Undaunted »

Gaybutton wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 4:05 pm
Undaunted wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 3:58 pm fresh turkeys at really stupid prices
Which was it - unusually inexpensive or outrageously expensive? Guess which one I think it was . . .
You guessed right.
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
Post Reply