After news recently dropped that Beltex Meats would shutter at the year’s end – this yearly nudge of mine – is even more significant. Beltex Meats are once again accepting orders for their sought-after Thanksgiving turkeys. This time though, it will be the last for the Liberty Park location. Who knows how fast this year’s supplies will fly off shelves? In 2023 it was practically a 24-hour blink-and-miss-it window. Yes, they’re that good. So without further fuss – head to beltexmeats.com/shop pronto, you won’t regret it.
It’s not hyperbole on my part when I say this is likely the best turkey you will ever taste. When you find yourself making the pictured sandwich in the days ahead – why are you settling for anything less than exceptional?
Quality comes at a price of course. Beltex turkeys aren’t cheap and nor should they be. These are the antithesis of the frozen footballs you cram under your arm, free after spending $20 at your local barn-o-mart. Beltex Meats sources the highest quality products from local and regional farms, and everything is raised humanely and sustainably. No GMO, no misery, no crap.
Beltex is offering this year’s crop at $14 per pound. The turkeys are brined in-house at Beltex using a saltwater/sugar solution for 72 hours. After that, they’re rubbed with a blend of dried herbs and stuffed under the skin with garlic compound butter.
The gobblers are available in two sizes, 10-15lbs and 15-19lbs. I find about 13 mins per pound at 350F does the trick on the big day; though you can spend several weeks Googling for all manner of convoluted techniques if you’re so inclined.
Should you be fretting over exactly how much you’ll need, the rough greasy rule of thumb is 1.25lbs per person. I’ll also remind you that leftover turkey freezes up a charm. You’ll be scraping every last morsel of meat from the brined bones with a serrated grapefruit spoon. From there, I find myself defrosting a container anytime I need to switch up tacos, burritos, curries, sandwiches, larb, roof shingles, you name it.
As you read these words, the birds have gone on sale – via the website only here. This year you’ll need to plonk down a $50 deposit, making the remainder of the payment when you pick up in person. Should you miss out, there will be one last go around come Christmas…
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Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.
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