Smoked Capon is a Luxurious Alternative for Turkey at Holiday Dinners
When it comes to holiday dinners in the United States, turkey is very much the traditional centerpiece. The turkey may be accompanied by a ham or a fish, or be replaced by a goose. But in general, everyone stays around those particular protein choices.
However what happens if you decide you don’t want any of that, but you still want a centerpiece on your table that provides great flavor and protein? Well, one option is a smoked capon. A smoked capon gives you a lot of the same flavor as a smoked goose, and is already pre-cooked so you only have to heat it in the oven for about an hour. This cuts the prep time, and you always get close to a guaranteed level of quality.
In addition, a capon offers something that a chicken usually doesn’t, which is a lot of meat. We are talking goose-level amounts of meat. Sometimes turkeys seem like they would provide more meat because they’re bigger. They do have a lot of meat, but truthfully a goose has a heck of a lot more meat, because it’s not just in their breasts, it’s on their back, it’s on their thighs, it’s even in their wings. That is essentially what you get with a capon as well. A lot of meat.
People often ask what exactly is a capon? The answer is fairly simple; it’s a male chicken that has been neutered at a young age and raised like a chicken. In other words, for the meat. A lot of poultry brands don’t have a lot of use for male chickens because they grow to be roosters, and the meat can be very tough, plus they’re very territorial and confrontational (just see YouTube for example). So, yes, there could be a revenge angle to eating them as well.
However, a capon is a great and practical reason for being able to keep these lovely birds around, as well as for using them in a way that’s both sustainable and productive. Not to mention tasty.
Our experiences with smoked capon are that because you have a goose-level amount of meat left over, you have many options on what to do with the leftovers. In other words, you will be saying, what do we do with all of this extra smoked meat? (not a bad problem to have).
We have found that simple dishes, specifically pasta dishes, are perfect. For example, a smoked capon lasagna is easy to make, and can last for days.
Schiltz Foods is well known for its celebrated roast goose, which we have tasted and cooked with many times, including TasteTV’s Smoked Goose Chef Cookoff.
Schiltz is also an excellent source for Smoked Capon, which has a similar taste to the smoked goose.
Here are some of their specs:
- The hickory chip Smoked Capon is fully cooked
- Ready-to-eat from the refrigerator
- Served at room temperature
- Can be warmed in the oven
- Smoked Capon packages are shipped vacuum-packed
Serving Sizes
6-7 lb: Serves approximately 6-7 people
7-8 lb: Serves approximately 7-8 people
8-9 lb: Serves approximately 8-9 people
Other
- Frozen
- Fully Cooked
- Ready to Eat
- Thaw before serving
Cooking Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°
- Place capon in oven safe pan
- Heat for approximately 60-80 minutes, uncovered, to desired temperature
- preference
- Do not overheat to avoid drying out meat
Additional Information:
Our capons are well-fed until approximately 16 weeks until they weigh 10-13 lbs. This is double the lifespan of conventional chickens, making the birds a special dinner centerpiece throughout the entire year. The long growing process naturally produces a high-weight bird with well-marbled meat.
SMOKED CAPON LASAGNA
You can basically make any kind of lasagna out of the leftovers. Below are photos of a basic lasagna made with pasta sauce, lasagna pasta, sage, and a few spices.
Enough for 3 days and four to six people.
