Alaska-raised livestock ready for Thanksgiving tables

The king of food holidays is just around the corner. And while Thanksgiving can easily conjure memories of large family gatherings and dining room tables weighted with a turkey and other seasonal goodies, nontraditional options are also plentiful.

Since the closing of Triple D Farm and Hatchery in Wasilla several years ago, fresh turkeys have been hard to come by. Smaller operations, like Luke’s Poultry Ranch in Knik, have stepped in to fill at least a portion of the void.

Back in operation after a two-year hiatus following the death of her husband, Judy Saucier is back in the turkey business at Luke’s Poultry Ranch. Unfortunately for those who favor the superiority of a fresh turkey, there are only a few left from the 45 broad-breasted white breed chicks she started with in the spring.

Fresh turkeys are pricier, but it’s hard to beat the flavor and texture. Luke’s raises chemical-free turkeys in a large yard where they can roam freely, separate from the chickens.

“Our turkeys are not raised like commercial turkeys. They’re healthier and happier,” Saucier said. “A turkey only lives a few months. You need to make sure that turkey has the best time they have, and they will give you the best meat they have.”

Good quality, unmedicated feed is also important to raising a tasty turkey, she said. To that end, Luke’s Poultry Ranch gets its turkey food from Alaska Farm Supply in Palmer.

“They make a really good feed,” Saucier said. “It helps the turkey grow slowly and not have a lot of leg problems from rapid growth.”

Home chefs interested in a Luke’s turkey can call 907-864-0885 to find out what’s left and reserve one. Each turkey comes with cooking instructions. Frosty Meadow Farm, in Meadow Lakes, also raises and sells Thanksgiving turkeys, although the expanding operation there, run by the McCain-Finch family, often sells out early. Frosty Meadow Farm raises its turkey on local feed and milk from the farm’s cow.

“We strive to raise the best and happiest turkeys in the Mat-Su Valley,” the farm’s website says.

Frosty Meadow turkeys range in size from 8 to 20 pounds. Call 907-715-9174 to check on the inventory and reserve one.

If turkey is not your thing, or you’re looking to broaden the offerings on your Thanksgiving menu, Bear Mountain Meats, just outside of Palmer, has some fine ready-to-cook hams and rib roasts. Tony Dahl, who owns Bear Mountain Meats with his father, Steve, and runs it with his wife, Brigitte, is not bashful about talking up the homespun goodness that goes into their holiday meats. There are two varieties of ham, both fully cooked and smoked.

The “old-fashioned” ham is whole and ready to warm up for the table. A second variety is spiral cut, then dusted with Chicago ham spice and white cane sugar. It is then “torched” to create what Dahl described as a “crème brulee-style candy coating.”

Bear Mountain’s Alaska-raised prime rib roast is boneless and coated with a house-made blend of seasoning, then wrapped in their own bacon. It’s ready to go in the oven for a low-prep, great-tasting main course. “It is fabulous,” Dahl said. “It’s a higher grade of meat, so there’s more marbling and more flavor. We’re all about the center of the table for the holidays.” For more traditional Thanksgiving palates, Bear Mountain Meats also does smoked all-natural turkeys that the Dahls use their own hand-made brine to prep, before putting them in the smoker for eight to 10 hours. Warming instructions are included with each turkey.

Bear Mountain is open Monday through Saturday for drop-in purchases. People can also phone ahead at 907-745-4756 or order online.

FIND OUT MORE

bearmountainmeats.com

frostymeadowfarm.com