Thanksgiving Menu's

[mark46th]

Going to my brother's house up in Idaho for Thanksgiving this year. His wife won't let me in her kitchen because the last time I made gravy that everyone said was the best they ever tasted. So now, I am PNG. But my wife(Chinese) makes a delicious rice stuffing that she will make before hand and bring along.

My thoughts on gravy- I am from the Midwest, I thought gravy was a drink until I was in high school...

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Snaquebite

Turkey cooking tips..... Waiting on TS to weigh in
1. Don’t buy a frozen turkey. A fresh bird will always have flesh that is more moist and tender.

2. Don’t preheat your oven to a temperature lower than 350 degrees F or the turkey’s skin won’t lock in enough juices to ensure a moist bird.

3. Don’t cook your brined turkey before rinsing the meat. Without a good rinse, excess surface salt and any herbs or sugars that could potentially burn will be left on the skin.

4. Don’t leave the bird’s tips uncovered while grilling. If you don’t cover the wing tips and the tips of the drumsticks with foil, you will end up with charring.

5. Don’t pierce the turkey’s skin when putting fat (truffle butter, duck fat, etc.) between the flesh and the skin; but do consider this method, as it imparts even more flavor to your bird.

6. Don’t stuff a bird ahead of time or you will increase the chances of promoting the production of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Better yet, cook your stuffing in a separate casserole. I usually stuff mine with carrots, onion, and lemon.

7. Don’t carve the bird directly after cooking. Let it rest for 30 to 40 minutes to redistribute the juices before you carve.

8. Don’t carve the white meat before the dark meat. The dark meat (legs and thighs) should always be carved before the white meat (turkey breast), since the latter dries out faster.

9. Don’t throw raw flour into pan juices to make gravy. Lighter and more flavorful methods include blending the chunks of carrots, turnips and other winter vegetables that have roasted beneath the turkey and adding the puree to the gravy, or whipping generous dollops of truffle butter into the pan juices for a taste of luxury.

10. Don’t serve your gravy without tasting it first. Always make sure to sample gravy to adjust the seasoning.

A few I'll add, Pull the bird at 165 and let it rest for half the cooking time, up to 30 minutes. If you're doing turkey breasts you can pull them at 160 and the "carryover" cooking will raise the temp to 165 while they are resting.

Unless you know how to brine or inject a "fresh" bird is not always the answer. Chef's know how to do these things, most folks don't. Why do you think "Butterballs do so well..... these birds are already injected. And brining take a few days and the bird must stay in the fridge, submerged in the brine, do you have that much room in your fridge? If not just brine a breast or two. And there's no way the United States could serve everyone in America a "fresh bird". There no time to kill and move millions of turkeys in less than a week and have them "fresh" on store shelves. Also, the stores would never have that much room for all those fresh birds. The chef that wrote those tips is a gourmet food snob.


Cook your stuffing separate is great advice. To cook stuffing in a bird risks bacteria and an over cooked, dry bird.
I don't agree with the chef's advice on pan gravy, I'll make my own a few days before using turkey stock I make from scratch.

Carving the dark meat first sounds like the chef runs a lot of buffet lines....... If you're that slow on carving make sure you have some great gravy......


One thing chef forgot to add, forget those "plugs" in the turkey breast, purchase a good temperature probe and check the temp in the turkey thigh. The reason you do this is that the dark meat takes longer to cook because of the muscle structure.

[(1VB)compforce]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

A few I'll add, Pull the bird at 165 and let it rest for half the cooking time, up to 30 minutes. If you're doing turkey breasts you can pull them at 160 and the "carryover" cooking will raise the temp to 165 while they are resting.

One thing chef forgot to add, forget those "plugs" in the turkey breast, purchase a good temperature probe and check the temp in the turkey thigh. The reason you do this is that the dark meat takes longer to cook because of the muscle structure.

One thing to mention here. For a long time, when I temped the thigh of a turkey or chicken, I would find that the meat was still raw, even though the thermometer was tellling me it was right. Turns out that dumbass (me) was temping it wrong. TS is (of course) exactly right about using the temp of the thigh meat. The part I'd like to add is that how you place the thermometer matters. My problem way back then is that I was putting the thermometer vertically into the thigh or diagonally. The problem with that is that there is a little dimple in the thermometer and you need to get it far enough into the meat to get to that dimple. Going vertically into the thigh doesn't get you to the right part. Go parallel to the bone like in this pic:
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-chec...-kitchn-102442

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by (1VB)compforce

One thing to mention here. For a long time, when I temped the thigh of a turkey or chicken, I would find that the meat was still raw, even though the thermometer was tellling me it was right. Turns out that dumbass (me) was temping it wrong. TS is (of course) exactly right about using the temp of the thigh meat. The part I'd like to add is that how you place the thermometer matters. My problem way back then is that I was putting the thermometer vertically into the thigh or diagonally. The problem with that is that there is a little dimple in the thermometer and you need to get it far enough into the meat to get to that dimple. Going vertically into the thigh doesn't get you to the right part. Go parallel to the bone like in this pic:
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-chec...-kitchn-102442

Yup, good post!

As (1VB)compforce posted you need to hit the right spot on the thigh, I cheat.......

At my disposal I have three temperature probes. One is a remote temp probe and you can set it for desired temp. I always set it for about 15-20 degrees short of what I want so I can monitor the last 30 minutes of cooking. I will use a Maverick Thermometer ET-7 for roasting, grilling and BBQing large portions of meat.

And then I use a Maverick PT-100 Pro-Temp NIST/NSF Thermometer, it's a commercial grade thermometer to spot check my work. I've used cheaper cooking thermometers and learned my lesson. This thermometer will go to 600 degrees so you can use it for candy and checking very hot oil temps. This is the thermometer that gets the most use.

(I also have an Infrared Cooking Thermometer and use it for checking surface temperatures.)

You eat every day, get some good equipment to assist in cooking, it makes a difference.

[(1VB)compforce]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

Yup, good post!

As (1VB)compforce posted you need to hit the right spot on the thigh, I cheat.......

At my disposal I have three temperature probes. One is a remote temp probe and you can set it for desired temp. I always set it for about 15-20 degrees short of what I want so I can monitor the last 30 minutes of cooking. I will use a Maverick Thermometer ET-7 for roasting, grilling and BBQing large portions of meat.

And then I use a Maverick PT-100 Pro-Temp NIST/NSF Thermometer, it's a commercial grade thermometer to spot check my work. I've used cheaper cooking thermometers and learned my lesson. This thermometer will go to 600 degrees so you can use it for candy and checking very hot oil temps. This is the thermometer that gets the most use.

(I also have an Infrared Cooking Thermometer and use it for checking surface temperatures.)

You eat every day, get some good equipment to assist in cooking, it makes a difference.

Don't forget to zero your thermometer too. Especially if, like me, you use the cheap ones. There are two ways to do it (not counting taking it to a lab for calibration):

1) Cold - make an ice water bath. 1/2 ice and 1/2 water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes so the temperature stabilizes and then stick your thermometer in the water leave it there until it stops moving and then set it to 32 degrees.

2) Heat - bring a pot of water to a boil. the water should be deep enough that you can submerge the probe part of the thermometer (not the readout part). Let it boil for long enough for the heat to equalize. If you can stir the water and it stays boiling, it's hot enough. If you stir it and it drops to a simmer, then you still have cooler water on top, which will affect the temp. Once you have the water hot enough that it stays at a boil, or only drops for a moment and comes right back, hold the thermometer in the water until it stops moving. Adjust it to 212 degrees F.

Either of these two will get you within 1.6 degrees of accurate on a standard thermometer. Yes, even digital thermometers need to be adjusted like this. Check the instructions for your thermometer to find out how to do it. Usually on stick thermometers there is a nut at the top that you twist to move it. Sometimes the case the thermometer is in has a handy wrench for turning it. For digital thermometers there is usually a small set screw.

[PSM]

Originally Posted by (1VB)compforce

Adjust it to 212 degrees F.

If you live at Sea Level. At our altitude, water boils at 203° F.

Pat

[(1VB)compforce]

Originally Posted by PSM

If you live at Sea Level. At our altitude, water boils at 203° F.

Pat

Yup, exactly right. There's a formula for it based on altitude relative to sea level (ASL). Also, the weather can affect it. This is the formal calculation for boiling point:

Pw = 2427.9 - 60.726 * T + (0.44048 * T ^ 2 )
the water boils when Pw = P

P = [760][ 1 - (6.875 66E-6)(h) ] ^ [ 5.255 882 65 ]

P = atm pressure in mmHg
h = height in ft (accurate up to 46 000 ft)
Pw = saturation vapor pressure in mmHg
T = water boiling temp in C

edit, wanted to attribute - I found this formula in several locations, the best layout for it was https://answers.yahoo.com/question/i...5192202AAsmjfs

Here's a calculator to plug the numbers into: http://www.csgnetwork.com/h2oboilcalc.html

But for most of us normal joes who can't do maths, 212 is a good enough number to get close. Or we can just use the water bath which works within a degree or two over most of the planet. (Barometric pressure affects freezing point too, but your ice has a known temperature range from the refrigerator settings)

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by PSM

If you live at Sea Level. At our altitude, water boils at 203° F.

Pat

Vinny Gambini: So, Mr. Tipton, how could it take you five minutes to cook your grits, when it takes the entire grit-eating world twenty minutes?

Mr. Tipton: [a bit panicky] I don't know. I'm a fast cook, I guess.

Vinny Gambini: I'm sorry, I was all the way over here. I couldn't hear you. Did you say you were a fast cook? That's it?

[Mr. Tipton nods in embarrassment]

Vinny Gambini: Are we to believe that boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than on any place on the face of the earth?

Mr. Tipton: I don't know.

Vinny Gambini: Well, perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove. Were these magic grits? I mean, did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans?

TR

[PSM]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Vinny Gambini: So, Mr. Tipton, how could it take you five minutes to cook your grits, when it takes the entire grit-eating world twenty minutes?

Mr. Tipton: [a bit panicky] I don't know. I'm a fast cook, I guess.

Vinny Gambini: I'm sorry, I was all the way over here. I couldn't hear you. Did you say you were a fast cook? That's it?

[Mr. Tipton nods in embarrassment]

Vinny Gambini: Are we to believe that boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than on any place on the face of the earth?

Mr. Tipton: I don't know.

Vinny Gambini: Well, perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove. Were these magic grits? I mean, did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans?

TR

My wife's boyfriend, at the time we first met, wrote that movie.

Pat

[Gypsy]

My cousin hosts this year, in addition to turkey, stuffing, my aunt's gravy (mark46th I can drink hers all day long ) sauteed sweet potatoes in brown sugar and butter, some sort of veggie casserole (I'm considering a riff on ratatouille) rolls and the like we also have pasta with meatballs and sausage in gravy, stuffed artichokes and rice balls. The desserts will be ridiculous and too many to mention.

Nothing is low fat or low cal.

I'll be at the gym all day Friday if anyone needs me.

[Roguish Lawyer]

I'll try to post the full thing later, but I have settled on two turkeys -- one roasted and one smoked on the BBQ . . .

[Roguish Lawyer]

Got up at 3 am to start smoking one of my turkeys low and slow. 26 pounder, dry brined for about 10 or 12 hours with my proprietary turkey rub. Damn thing was already done by 8 am because I can't control the temperature on my BBQ when I put it in redneck smoking mode and I went back to sleep after I thought I had it at the right temperature. So I have it covered in foil, trying to keep the BBQ at 170 or so so it doesn't continue to cook. But the damn thing probably is going to dry out and suck.

Fortunately, anticipating an appearance by Mr. Murphy, I got two birds. The second one was wet brined for 16 hours. Roasting it now with some aromatics in the cavity.

Other items on the menu today are bacon-wrapped Sriracha onion rings, an artichoke fontina dip, sweet potato and onion tart, sweet potato casserole, green beans, mashed potatoes, two different gravies (one from each bird), and a slew of desserts.

[Elder]

RL - got to ask. How'd the early bird turn out? Bet your family enjoyed your effort none the less.

[Roguish Lawyer]

Originally Posted by Elder

RL - got to ask. How'd the early bird turn out? Bet your family enjoyed your effort none the less.

It was surprisingly good. All these Yankees at my house thought it was burned, but when the bark was pulled off it was surprisingly good underneath. The breast was a little drier than I would have liked, but not bad at all. The roasted bird was perfect.

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by Roguish Lawyer

It was surprisingly good. All these Yankees at my house thought it was burned, but when the bark was pulled off it was surprisingly good underneath. The breast was a little drier than I would have liked, but not bad at all. The roasted bird was perfect.

Damned Yankees!

TR