The last time I did anything for the holidays was Christmas two years ago. Went to a Chinese buffet with some friends and got food poisoning. I don't remember what I did that Thanksgiving or last years Thanksgiving or Christmas at all, I think I spent it drinking and playing video games which is probably what I'll do this year. I only realize now how much I hate this time of year.
Couple of things, kids. - Peanut oil can be used for several cookings. Filter it through some cheesecloth and use it to fry fish, wings, chickens, etc. if you have a fryer, you should have a smaller frying pot. It's legit good for six months or so if stored in a cool, dark place. Like Nom. - Most outside seasonings are unnecessary for brined or injected turkeys and do little more than foul your oil. They can make brined turkeys way salty. - rinse and dry your brined birds. - Make sure you buy an unenhanced turkey if you're brining. Enhanced birds already have saltwater in them and won't take much brine, or even worse will taste like ham. - if you opt to inject a turkey, you can inject it with whatever you like. We prefer butter, white wine, garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Steep, strain and inject. - This is what you need to know about cornbread for dressing. - Leftover dressing can be moistened with broth to form balls, rolled in panko and deep fried. Fucking awesome. - Chickens can be brined and deep fried like turkeys.
Since moving to the south, Honey Baked Hams have been more popular at Thanksgiving. As much as I enjoy candy coated pork, I prefer a traditional turkey.
Who the hell buys a Honey Baked Ham for Thanksgiving? I think you've got the South and white trash confused sir. You want a baked ham, you bake a ham. Civilized people use a brown sugar and vinegar glaze.
I'll be working for Thanksgiving, as I do for all holidays. As a single guy, I would rather get paid double while they spend time with their families, than anything else.
We did the Alton Brown turkey last year and were very happy with it. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alto ... index.html</a> My husband actually liked it, and he's been frustrated for years with finding a good way to keep the turkey moist. Apparently brining it was the key, at least for us. We've even tried frying it and he was not impressed. I honestly don't have a problem with dry turkey since I just smother it in gravy anyway. It's just the two of us this year since my kid will be with her dad, so we'll keep it simple. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, green beans (just for me), rolls and butter, mashed taters if he wants them. One year I found a single serving slice of pumpkin pie the day before and bought that. Hopefully I will find that again. I am the only one who eats it, and I have no interest in leftover pie. I'm not sure yet if I will make sweet potatoes. If I do, I will use the recipe I've made the past two years: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/sweet-potato-gratin-with-smoked-chiles-recipe/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobb ... index.html</a> If I don't make that recipe, I won't make them at all. I used to love the southern sweet potato casserole with the marshmallows, brown sugar, and pecans when I was a kid. But it's like, I would have one small serving and that would be enough. That is too much time and effort to eat a couple bites and throw the rest away.
For a moist oven roasted bird, take two oranges and pierce about a dozen holes in each and stuff them into the cavity of the bird. I also insert 6 whole cloves in each of the oranges and place them on top of a a whole bunch of fresh sage tied with string. I make a dry rub of grated orange peel, kosher salt, dried sage, and black pepper all mixed with some cooking oil.
My Thanksgiving will likely involve me, my dad, and my twin brother drinking in the garage while my sister and brother in law cook. Should be fun. We'd invite the brother in law to drink too, but he's a bit of a teetotaler who's only been hungover once in his life and that was the day after his bachelor party.
My parents have been making this same turkey for the past 5 Thanksgivings and it sucks every time. I don't know what my mom does to it, but it's always....something that's not tasty.
This is exactly why I never try to make it fancy. One year my Mom glazed the bird in some sweet shit (coke&OJ I think). All it did was make the skin all....wet and limp and just gross. And, who wants sweet gravy on their mashed potatoes? No one that's who. Another year a friend smoked the bird in one of those bag thingies. While the bird was good the same thing falls true with this because who wants smoke flavored gravy? No bueno. Never again. I do it myself and I go basic all the way.
Only really good turkey I've ever had was a fried turkey. That was a revelation. Anything else is busch league.
I went to see some family on Ft. Worth last year for Thanksgiving and you could tell they decided to slap it together last minute. And I had ominous feelings during the day because nothing was cooking. No one needed help doing anything. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to be rude. Then, I saw them take out a turkey that Popeye's did. It wasn't horrible actually. But then they busted out containers of frozen pre-made side dishes, heated everything up and served it. And I had a serious case of the sads. I mean, yes, I got to spend quality time with my family, but pre-made everything? My mother would have been disappointed. And if any of you know what it feels like to diappoint a Jewish mother, you know where I'm coming from. Its guilt and self-loathing on a biblical level.
A few years ago I made a bacon turkey that was suggested here (or on the RMMB). Crumbled bacon in the stufing, then bacon strips tooth-picked to the outside of the turkey. It came out fantastic, not too bacon-ey, but enough to make it taste good.
Re: Re: 2013 Thanksgiving Thread Go to Bojangles and order a fried turkey from them, better than any fried turkey I have ever had.
I did that a couple years ago, just laid strips of bacon over the bird 'til it was covered it and threw it in the oven. The turkey came out well, plus you have bacon as a bonus. Bacon wrapped drumsticks, hell yeah.