Ground turkey is now a staple in our household, for pasta sauces, for lasagna, for meatloaf, but most satisfyingly, for burgers. Mmmm, burgers. Such a pleasure with grilled onions, perhaps mushrooms, and a melted slice of sharp cheddar or goat gouda.
No matter how hard I've tried to doctor the turkey patties -- worcestershire sauce, chopped onion, mustard, salt, pepper, teriyaki, you name it -- I've never quite overcome ground turkey's tragic flaw. It's bland. It's even a bit cardboardish. It's relatively umami-less, even when gussied up with classic umami additives like soy or worcestershire. The lack isn't enough to deter me from eating turkey burgers, but there's always been the nagging feeling that they could be better. (And that they don't taste as good as beef.)
No more. I've figured it out. The secret ingredient is cumin, the spice that reminds many of a hippie pad because of the slight tinge of, I hate to say this, but it's true -- body odor. Never mind that. A generous sprinkle into the raw meat, along with your other favorite flavorings, and the turkey loses its turkeyness. (And used in a poultice, it relieves swelling of the breasts and testicles, according to this site.)
I wonder if the chemistry of cumin is related to beef or perhaps more deeply related to umami than other spices. A cursory search on cumin and glutamates and umami doesn't reveal anything solid. Maybe it's just that the redolence of cumin reminds me, Proustianly, of childhood ground-beef taco nights. Feel free to add to this nascent body of research...
By the way, here's another take on the Bistro Hugo "Yuck?" concept: TGRWT, ie, "They go really well together."
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