Thanksgiving 🦃

[skippy1999]

Doing Thanksgiving for family and friends this year. I’ve cooked plenty of turkeys in my day and they’re always delicious but now all I hear about is brining, “you have to bring your turkey!” and I’ve no clue how to do it or what it’s supposed to do. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen postings here before about brining, anyone have any tips for me?

[Natsinpwc]

Doing Thanksgiving for family and friends this year. I’ve cooked plenty of turkeys in my day and they’re always delicious but now all I hear about is brining, “you have to bring your turkey!” and I’ve no clue how to do it or what it’s supposed to do. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen postings here before about brining, anyone have any tips for me?

Bad year. Skip the turkey.

https://www.kare11.com/article%3fsection=news&headline=turkey-recall-what-you-need-to-know-this-thanksgiving&contentId=89-615412435

[skippy1999]

Bad year. Skip the turkey.

https://www.kare11.com/article%3fsection=news&headline=turkey-recall-what-you-need-to-know-this-thanksgiving&contentId=89-615412435

Blasphemy! Turkey forevah!

[Mathguy]

There seems to be quiet a number of turkey brine recipes online.  It just depends what flavor accent you like.

Doing Thanksgiving for family and friends this year. I’ve cooked plenty of turkeys in my day and they’re always delicious but now all I hear about is brining, “you have to bring your turkey!” and I’ve no clue how to do it or what it’s supposed to do. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen postings here before about brining, anyone have any tips for me?

[imref]

Definitely brine. Like MG said find a recipe online, or most super markets have brine kits.

[DCFan]

I have always been a fan of baking the bird in a plastic baking bag.  It's great for keeping the oven clean but I think it keeps the bird nice and moist. Normally for reheating something in the microwave I abhor covering the dish in plastic wrap because of the chemical reaction that's taking place when microwaving and the crap that's dripping into your food but I'm hoping that doesn't happen with the plastic bags in the oven.  But to the topic at hand I've never tried the brine or a fried bird for that matter which does tempt me quite a bit.

[HondoKillebrew]

Have always wanted to try freshly fried turkey, but I don't see myself buying an outdoor fryer.  They do make indoor ones now but not sure I want to go that route either. 

[tomterp]

Doing Thanksgiving for family and friends this year. I’ve cooked plenty of turkeys in my day and they’re always delicious but now all I hear about is brining, “you have to bring your turkey!” and I’ve no clue how to do it or what it’s supposed to do. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen postings here before about brining, anyone have any tips for me?

Not only should you bring your turkey, but you should brine it as well.   

I've been using this one for about a decade, seems fine. 

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/alton-browns-turkey-brine-51410501

Brining is a must for me, I rotisserie grill the turkey on my outside grill, which can dry the turkey out too quickly absent brining.

[Natsinpwc]

As usual WNFF seems behind the trends.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/dining/the-rise-and-fall-of-turkey-brining.amp.html

[Natsinpwc]

My wife usually stuffs the turkey with oranges to keep it moist. Something like this.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/504388-how-to-stuff-a-turkey-with-oranges-lemons-limes/

[skippy1999]

As usual WNFF seems behind the trends.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/dining/the-rise-and-fall-of-turkey-brining.amp.html

Thank you! Brining sounded like a ton of work and I detest slimy turkey, phew no brining it is

[HalfSmokes]

Our family has finally ditched turkey- none of us actually like it- ham and a beef roast works much better for us

[imref]

Thank you! Brining sounded like a ton of work and I detest slimy turkey, phew no brining it is

It’s really not very much work

[imref]

My wife usually stuffs the turkey with oranges to keep it moist. Something like this.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/504388-how-to-stuff-a-turkey-with-oranges-lemons-limes/

Alton Brown’s turkey recipe is good but a bit too much on the sweet side for me. He uses Apple, cinnamon, and onion inside the bird. I usually just buy the poultry herb bundle and put that inside.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe-1950271

[aspenbubba]

I do a traditional turkey (20+) and season it the night before by rubbing orange juice over it , butter underneath the skin , salt and pepper , paprika and garlic cloves in the cavity as well as the outside. I sometimes cook it on a rack ( 325 degees ) upside down ( too let the juices flow into the breast ) but not always . I constantly baste the the bird with pan juices  ( onions , carrots and celery) and either chicken or turkey stock in the pan.

I supplement the turkey with a brined breast and cook it on a Webber with indirect heat to give it a different flavor. Put a pie tin with white wine ,peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic head (halved) fresh Thyme or Rosemary directly under the turkey and add slices of thick bacon on top of the bird. Solves the problem of not enough white meat for 16 people.

Skippy I dont find the brine I use to be slippery and wet as the article I read above.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families.

[Natsinpwc]

Our family has finally ditched turkey- none of us actually like it- ham and a beef roast works much better for us

I like turkey. But once a year is enough. Maybe twice.

We will be in Myrtle Beach so turkey unless we go out.

Don’t wash your turkey. Just make sure you cook thoroughly.

https://www.today.com/today/tdna142284

[Natsinpwc]

I do a traditional turkey (20+) and season it the night before by rubbing orange juice over it , butter underneath the skin , salt and pepper , paprika and garlic cloves in the cavity as well as the outside. I sometimes cook it on a rack ( 325 degees ) upside down ( too let the juices flow into the breast ) but not always . I constantly baste the the bird with pan juices  ( onions , carrots and celery) and either chicken or turkey stock in the pan.

I supplement the turkey with a brined breast and cook it on a Webber with indirect heat to give it a different flavor. Put a pie tin with white wine ,peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic head (halved) fresh Thyme or Rosemary directly under the turkey and add slices of thick bacon on top of the bird. Solves the problem of not enough white meat for 16 people.

Skippy I dont find the brine I use to be slippery and wet as the article I read above.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families.

Sounds good!!

[imref]

I use a savory brine the night before. Something like this: https://www.thespruceeats.com/savory-turkey-brine-recipe-336424, or a brine kit if I'm lazy.  As I noted above, I'll put the poultry herb pack in the cavity.  I'll coat the bird with canola oil before putting it into the oven.

I tried the Alton Brown method of searing the turkey at 500 degrees for 30 min, but it usually creates a ton of smoke, enough to set off the smoke detectors, so I cut it back to 450 for 30 min, followed by 350 until internal temp is 161 in the thickest part of the breast, followed by a 30 min rest under foil.

[wj73]

Our family has finally ditched turkey- none of us actually like it- ham and a beef roast works much better for us

Same here. Instead of turkey, we grill some inch thick rib eye steaks. We do all the rest of the traditional feast, though -  the mashed potatoes, dressing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, etc. so it still feels like Thanksgiving. We’ve been doing this for 20+ years, so I guess at this point for us a turkey would be non-traditional.

[skippy1999]

My family would rather eat ham than turkey so there’ll be a honey baked ham as well but I adore turkey so there will always be turkey for holidays, but wj I’ll take your steaks every other night nomnomnom

[1995hoo]

We're going over to my parents' house in Fairfax. My mom asked us to bring sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce (see below), and my wife decided we should also make some ice cream and pecan pie (scroll down the page for the pie recipe).

Cranberry sauce:

12 oz bag fresh cranberries
3/4 cup orange juice
2/3 cup brown sugar (recipe doesn't specify light or dark, so I use light)
1/3 cup white sugar
2 oz gold rum

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook on medium-high for 15–20 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced, stirring occasionally. You should hear the cranberries popping during this process. Remove from heat and serve. This can be made ahead and either heated or brought to room temperature.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Anyone remember Germaine's on Wisconsin Avenue?  One of her non-Asian recipes made it into the WP food section, and she suggested a sherry rub and shallots in the cavity.  It's really nice - plus you only need a cup or two for the bird   

We usually do a couple of breasts in the charcoal smoker these days. 

[aspenbubba]

Anyone remember Germaine's on Wisconsin Avenue?  One of her non-Asian recipes made it into the WP food section, and she suggested a sherry rub and shallots in the cavity.  It's really nice - plus you only need a cup or two for the bird   

We usually do a couple of breasts in the charcoal smoker these days. 

Take a look at what I wrote on reply #14 if that appeals to you for cooking method.

Has anyone heard of deep frying a prime rib? A friend of mine mentioned his son in law will do one for Xmas dinner.

[skippy1999]

Take a look at what I wrote on reply #14 if that appeals to you for cooking method.

Has anyone heard of deep frying a prime rib? A friend of mine mentioned his son in law will do one for Xmas dinner.

omgosh first turkey now prime rib, why must people insist on ruining great meat by deep frying it???

[JCA-CrystalCity]

omgosh first turkey now prime rib, why must people insist on ruining great meat by deep frying it???

My high school physics teacher lived on Cape Cod.  They used to get an over-size lobster for Thanksgiving.  He brought in a claw from a 19 pounder.  (We are talking mid-70s, so you could still find those things on the market).