Thanksgiving Meal prep
 

I know it's a little early and we already have a food thread, but I thought it would be cool to have a thanksgiving only thread to throw around some ideas.

I'm smoking the turkey for our "friends and their kids" turkey day tomorrow evening. Anyone have any cool smoked turkey recipes I could use? I know how I usually do it, just wanting to change it up a little. Any recommendations are welcome.

What is everyone else doing, food wise?

This year, my meal prep is reservations.

I normally smoke a turkey as well. I don't do anything unusual, just a basic brine with some quartered oranges, garlic cloves, and ginger.

However, this year since we don't have any close family around us, we've been invited over the a friends Thanksgiving. Super nice gesture, but walking into a somewhat strangers menu causes reservation with me. Thanksgiving, especially the sides are very personal. I mean, will the potatoes be lumpy, will the stuffing be overloaded with onions, will people attending be super slow eaters as I like to sit down and crush while everything is piping hot. It's just such an unknown to eat Thanksgiving around people you don't have any idea on their taste preferences and eating habits. I'm nervous.

That's an unusual, but interesting brine. Sounds Asian.

I usually just use honey and some vinegar in my brine

I use thyme, juniper berries, salt, onion and garlic.

Ha, I left off the apple juice in that list. I can't really say any of those flavors are noticeable in the final product, probably more aromatic than anything.

http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/131366/f...250&height=173
Not even kidding. These things are great.

I am going to make cooked red cabbage on Sunday so I just have to heat it up on Thursday. I may bake dinner rolls Wednesday evening to have them out of the way, as well. I will have mashed potatoes and a salad and something lemony for dessert, maybe custard. I will prepare the turkey by making a stock with the neck, liver, heart, and gizzard in water, a bottle of Moose Drool brown ale, some Worcestershire sauce, chopped onion, garlic, parsley, carrots, and celery, with black peppercorns, sea salt, thyme, sage, mustard seed, oregano, and a dash of cayenne pepper. I will let that boil then simmer for 2 hours, strain the stock over the turkey in the pan, brush the top with olive oil, sprinkle sea salt, coarse black pepper and oregano over it, and brown the top of the bird in the oven before covering the pan and roasting it for 3 hours at about 275 F.

Then I will make gravy from the liquid in the pan and dinner will be served. The gravy turns a rich brown once it boils, so no coloring is needed. I can hardly wait!

I'm doing a dry brine this year and cooking on Big Green Egg. Did dry brine last year and was quite pleased. We always get fresh turkey not frozen.

Sounds amazing!

Thanks! I've been doing it this way for a few years now. The turkey always ends up so tender that when you go for a drumstick, the bone slides right out of the meat. The gravy tastes delicious, too. I always add some seasonings to it to suit my taste, a little more salt, pepper, and thyme, until it's where I want it to be. I use corn starch shaken in a small bottle of water to thicken the gravy, by the way.

My recipe is going to work to make sure money is in the bank. Turkey day at Cracker Barrel isn't going to pay itself.

You should make your brine with antifreeze.

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/chick...ed_turkey.html

I did a turkey with this recipe last year and it came out great.