november already!! wow, thanksgiving.

[boomchakabowwow]

i waited and waited..and i was hoping to be invited to someone's dinner.. but no. wife just told me everyone is coming to our place. (Wish this forum allowed cussing )

my kitchen sucks. too small, much in need of remodeling. i'm sketching out my future kitchen now, but this wont help me in 3 weeks. nobody in my wife's family cooks!!! i dont even know where they live, never been to their houses, much less eaten their cooking.

well. i'm gonna rally and experiment on them. if this goes sideways, i can always order peking duck . i am going to try to make a standing rib roast in my Weber Kettle grill. figured a 4-bone, going low in slow with some small hickory chunks.

then, Pea Rissoto, roasted sweet potatoes, grilled brussel sprouts, roasted beets..and for dessert..pumpkin flan.

no turkey. (unless i arrow a wild turkey this weekend. i'll make turkey breast tonkatsu for appetizers )

what's on the menu folks?

 

[Mucho Bocho]

Wild Turkey for sure, hopefully 100 proof!

 

[erickso1]

Be going down the smoked turkey route. 2 year old likes it, wife likes it, I like (especially next day). Keep it simple and easy. Whether I do it myself or not remains to be seen. Some mashed taters, some rolls, some pie, call it good.

 

[daveb]

I've been doing a smoked bird for a few years and it's the easy favorite at our celebration. Key (for me) is a 48 hr brine, overnight in fridge to dry, smokin in the morning. My brother's fried bird is there for leftovers...

No fall turkey season here. Had to kick a few out of the way enroute to deer stand :scratchhead:

 

[Bill13]

We are on the same page. I'm a fan of the Cookshack smokers so I can get a god nights sleep.

 

[99Limited]

... No fall turkey season here.

That's too bad. I had a flock of turkeys wander right past my kitchen window the other day. Could have roped one and had it in the oven in no time flat.

 

[bear1889]

Probably will be braising turkey thighs and legs in a french oven.

 

[Erilyn75]

Havent decided on a wet brine or dry brined turkey yet. Was going to try and smoke it but we just bought a smoker and aren't experts yet. Definitely not the day to experiment lol

 

[banjo1071]

nobody in my wife's family cooks!!! i dont even know where they live, never been to their houses, much less eaten their cooking.

You are one lucky fellow, i envy you....Oh and btw there will be traditional stuffed goose with home-made dumplings and red cabbage on our table...

 

[zoze]

Just remember: Candy is for the kids
[video=youtube;1NDkVx9AzSY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NDkVx9AzSY[/video]

 

[brianh]

You are one lucky fellow, i envy you.

HAHA!

 

[99Limited]

Havent decided on a wet brine or dry brined turkey yet. Was going to try and smoke it but we just bought a smoker and aren't experts yet. Definitely not the day to experiment lol

Smoking meat is so easy a cave man could do it. Actually they probably did. Anyway it really is easy and you could smoke your turkey for a couple of hours and then finish it in the oven. Keep the temperature below 250° and you want the smoke coming out of the smoker to be just noticeable. It seems most turkeys are already wet brined, but if not that's the route to take. I'd say go for it.

Oh, try to find chunks of cherry or apple if you can, if not use hickory. Do not use mesquite. It's fine for beef but IMO a little harsh for poultry or fish. And don't waste time soaking the wood, it doesn't work. You could soak chunks of wood for a month, cut them in half and the interior would still be dry.

 

[Korin_Mari]

Is it possible to smoke turkey in doors? I really want to smoke a bacon wrapped turkey, but I don't want to set the fire alarm off... :\

 

[Oaken]

I do our Thanksgiving each year.
I used to wet brine using a kitchen trash bag and a printer paper box in the garage fridge, now I do the dry brine for three days.
My favorite tip is to make a broth using the neck and giblets, then use that to moisten the stuffing and to make the gravy.
Unlike many, my family makes gravy by deglazing the pan with wine and/or broth, then adding a slurry of flour & water that has been shook til well combined. After a bit of a boil it turns our great.

 

[MontezumaBoy]

i am going to try to make a standing rib roast in my Weber Kettle grill. figured a 4-bone, going low in slow with some small hickory chunks.

You are probably already well aware of this but keep a very keen eye on that Weber temp / they are notoriously finicky with outside air temp, wind and, in general IMO, doesn't do low and slow very well ... I have done the rib roast in a green egg with great success but those are pretty damn well controlled (might want to consider the oven even though you have other items that may want that space. FWIW most of the Alton Brown recipes have been a success ... and a recent (?) dry-aged sage jus one was yummy don't need the 'terra cotta' bs though ... also I love the short end for the rib roast but that may be just me! Either way - Good Luck and peking duck would be a nice change anyway!

Me & my wife will be having Cornish hens + fixins o'course ... as I have to travel up to the bloody day of ... TjA