Turkey is o.k., but it’s a far cry from a delicious holiday ham in my book. That’s why I can’t help but be intrigued by turporken -- chicken stuffed inside a pork loin inside a turkey with cornbread dressing between the layers. Some are even wrapped in bacon and feature cornbread sausage stuffing.
Now, that’s the kind of turkey that catches my interest.
You can find this Cajun specialty online for just under $100, or you can scroll through several YouTube videos that will show you how to make your own.
“We sell tons of turporken -- they are very good,” says Ed Richard, owner of Cajun Ed’s Southern Scratch Kitchen in Tulsa, Okla. “They’ve become more and more popular because some people don’t like duck.”
But who doesn’t love pork? He couldn’t argue that pork helps make this dish pretty special.
How Do You Make Turporken?
Cajun Ed’s starts by deboning a turkey and laying it out on a table, Richard explains. Then, a layer of pork andouille sausage cornbread dressing is spread over the turkey. Next up is a layer of boneless pork loin, followed by another layer of their delicious dressing. The last step is to add a layer of chicken meat followed by one last layer of dressing. Then, the turporken is stitched back up to look like a turkey again.
The best part is turporken includes the turkey leg drumstick, but because it doesn’t have any other bones in it, it’s much easier to slice. Simply cut in half from head to tail, then cut into half slices on the side, he explains.
“Not only are they simple to cook, but turporken makes great drippings for gravy and slices and serves beautifully,” Richard points out.
The turporkens are seasoned and vacuum-packed. Cajun Ed’s ships turporken all over the U.S. and sells them out of their store in Tulsa.
Cajun Ed’s also makes a Turporken Roll, Richard adds. It’s made with the andouille cornbread dressing, pork and chicken, all rolled up in a butterfly turkey breast.
Move over turkey, we’re adding turporken to the list this year!
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