Who is cooking Thanksgiving?!

[unionrdr]

When I smoke turkey or chicken, the fat under the skin crisps up the skin nicely. Golden brown every time. Bird should be offset from the coals & wood. Seasoned tub butter under the breast skin will get more flavor into the bird. It takes all day to properly smoke a 12-13lb bird in my pit. Cottonwood gives a nice, lighter side of medium smoke flavor.

 

[Tin4]

Great pic! Nothing that elaborate with my family. We have crappy tables, crappy cups, no one wants to work when it's over.

We seriously use paper plates so no one does dishes.

 

[passedpawn]

Great pic! Nothing that elaborate with my family.

Thanks, but it was staged a bit. Check out he resemblance to this Norman Rockwell pic. I printed the pic out, everybody at dinner studied it and tried to imitate it. I have the remote shutter release in my hand there.

 

[Remmy]

Brining and smoking a turkey this year.

I'll be smoking another turkey this year as well as I have done for the last 7-8 years.

 

[Tin4]

Thanks, but it was staged a bit. Check out he resemblance to this Norman Rockwell pic. I printed the pic out, everybody at dinner studied it and tried to imitate it. I have the remote shutter release in my hand there.

I figured. It was Rockwellesque. All the same, you actually have the stuff to take a photo like that.

If I pulled out the good crystal it would just confuse people.

 

[DrunkleJon]

When I smoke turkey or chicken, the fat under the skin crisps up the skin nicely. Golden brown every time. Bird should be offset from the coals & wood. Seasoned tub butter under the breast skin will get more flavor into the bird. It takes all day to properly smoke a 12-13lb bird in my pit. Cottonwood gives a nice, lighter side of medium smoke flavor.

I guess you smoke it at lower temps. I tend to go for 325-350 (think baking temps) and it is done in a matter of a few hours. Seems to finish quicker than in the oven too. Weird.

 

[Devin]

Great pic! Nothing that elaborate with my family. We have crappy tables, crappy cups, no one wants to work when it's over.

We seriously use paper plates so no one does dishes.

:rockin:

Sounds mighty fine to me!

 

[Devin]

I guess you smoke it at lower temps. I tend to go for 325-350 (think baking temps) and it is done in a matter of a few hours. Seems to finish quicker than in the oven too. Weird.

Same here. Mine finish in around 3-4 hours at 325ish.

 

[passedpawn]

Every year I say I'm going to make Alton Brown's bourbon pecan pie, but every year I fail to buy (online) the Lyle's Golden Syrup.

Has anyone made this?

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/bourbon-pecan-pie-recipe.html

 

[The Pol]

6-7 hours will smoke a turkey in my smoker.

 

[Randar]

Spatchcock and wood roast your turkey or GTFO. End of story.

 

[passedpawn]

Spatchcock your turkey or GTFO. End of story.

Why? It's a terribly unattractive presentation without any benefit. Maybe quicker?

 

[bob1852]

Spatchcock = quick even cooking time with the breast hitting ~155-160 when the leg/thigh hits ~165-170.

Presentable turkey on Thanksgiving = over cooked dried out bird.

 

[Randar]

Spatchcock = quick even cooking time with the breast hitting ~155-160 when the leg/thigh hits ~165-170.

Presentable turkey on Thanksgiving = over cooked dried out bird.

Yup, and when smoked or wood roasted, it allows much greater smoke/flavor penetration. Plus, you get to say Spatchcock all night..

Only reason not to do it is because you love soggy-ass disgusting inside-the-bird stuffing.

So yeah... more even cooking and greater flavor development in 1/3rd the time... or in PP terms "without any benefits".

 

[passedpawn]

Yup, and when smoked or wood roasted, it allows much greater smoke/flavor penetration. Plus, you get to say Spatchcock all night..

Only reason not to do it is because you love soggy-ass disgusting inside-the-bird stuffing.

So yeah... more even cooking and greater flavor development in 1/3rd the time... or in PP terms "without any benefits".

Smoke penetration won't change. You made that up. It's ridiculously easy to oversmoke fowl anyway; it's not an issue.

I don't stuff turkeys that I smoke. I assumed nobody did, but I don't know.

1/3 the time? Maybe, but who cares? It always takes between 3 and 3.5 hours for a 20# bird. Last time I did a turkey, I lit the coals, went to a soccer game, and when I got back the turkey was done. If it's a race, you win though.

And it didn't look like a truck ran over it.

 

[Randar]

Keep on pretending... it's ok... you have the same smile on your face when you're carving your overcooked 1950's turkey as the guy in your avatar.

 

[bob1852]

Smoke penetration won't change. You made that up. It's ridiculously easy to oversmoke fowl anyway; it's not an issue.

I don't stuff turkeys that I smoke. I assumed nobody did, but I don't know.

1/3 the time? Maybe, but who cares? It always takes between 3 and 3.5 hours for a 20# bird. Last time I did a turkey, I lit the coals, went to a soccer game, and when I got back the turkey thigh/leg was done but the breast was raw. If it's a race, you win though.

And it didn't look like a truck ran over it.

Troo.

 

[JonM]

For the first time in 4 or 5 years, I'm not. I don't know what I'll do with myself - other than drink beer and watch the Packers, that is. And do the carving.

 

[Melana]

Every year I say I'm going to make Alton Brown's bourbon pecan pie, but every year I fail to buy (online) the Lyle's Golden Syrup.

Has anyone made this?

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/bourbon-pecan-pie-recipe.html

Thanks... Not yet...
The golden syrup should be interchangeable with Karo, rice syrup, or similar.

 

[bad coffee]

I believe we are hosting this year. The crowd is smaller as some family have moved to Arizona, but I am sure we will be doing a turkey. Wife is likely to roast in the electric roaster. It usually turns out good, but I've had a fried turkey once and it was really good. I'd consider deep frying myself, but it feels wrong to stick a turkey in a brewpot...

Oxyclean does wonders.

I'm tempted to brine two Birds in the same brine, fry one and roast one, just to see the difference. Problem is there will only be 6-7 of us. And I really like turkey, but not enough to have 5# of left overs.

But the definite thing on the menu is sausage-stuffed-deep-fried-stuffing balls.

 

[Melana]

Yup, and when smoked or wood roasted, it allows much greater smoke/flavor penetration. Plus, you get to say Spatchcock all night..

Only reason not to do it is because you love soggy-ass disgusting inside-the-bird stuffing.

So yeah... more even cooking and greater flavor development in 1/3rd the time... or in PP terms "without any benefits".

Wait... did you just use 'spatchcock' and 'penetration' and 'soggy-ass' all in one post?
Randar you win.

 

[eric19312]

Thanks, but it was staged a bit. Check out he resemblance to this Norman Rockwell pic. I printed the pic out, everybody at dinner studied it and tried to imitate it. I have the remote shutter release in my hand there.

Wow great idea. I'm frequently the guy called on to take the family photo and my people are getting tired of it (or maybe me). Next time I'll hit them with a photo to re-enact.

 

[eric19312]

Thanks... Not yet...
The golden syrup should be interchangeable with Karo, rice syrup, or similar.

Hmm ive used Karo for pecan pie forever. Just ordered some Lyles- probably try just switching it into the standard pecan pie recipe to see if I can tell the difference. Too many changes I will have people saying "this Alton Brown pie is really good, but where is the pecan pie"

 

[unionrdr]

We've used the dark karo in pecan pie with good results as well. Dark nutty flavor was good. Nut brown ale went well with it.

 

[popquizkid]

Anyone rotisserie a Turkey on the weber?

That is my plan for this year. Everything else I have done (chicken, ribs!, pork butt, lamb) has been fantastic on the rotisserie so I figure it will work well for Turkey.

 

[unionrdr]

It was a bit heavy for my rotisserie. So I set it to one side of the coals/wood for low-n-slow offset cooking. Breast-side down first, then right side up. Then swap sides to evenly cook it all day.

 

[mmb]

But the definite thing on the menu is sausage-stuffed-deep-fried-stuffing balls.

Must have recipe, now!

Wait... did you just use 'spatchcock' and 'penetration' and 'soggy-ass' all in one post?
Randar you win.

Don't encourage him.

 

[Randar]

Must have recipe, now!


Don't encourage him.

ha!

We've done fried Mac n Cheese balls, but sausage stuffed stuffing? How do you keep it together?

Don't forget to make your Scotch Eggs while you've got the fryer going.

As for the spatchcocking, you do get better smoke penetration because you've increased the surface area. You do get more even cooking. You do get crispier skin because you are cooking at a higher temp, and you do get more tender meat because the skin/fat is all up and basting the bird as it cooks. Unless you just HAVE to carve a whole bird at a table to feel like your family is out of some 1950's commercial, you can carve the bird up and have all the legs/thighs, white and dark meat, sliced breast, etc in a very nice presentation and all ready to serve when you put it on the table. Works better for us because our Thanksgivings are often 20-30 people... ain't nobody got time to stand over a bird and slice-to-order for 30 people while they all wait for you before digging in.

 

[Zuljin]

But the definite thing on the menu is sausage-stuffed-deep-fried-stuffing balls.

Must have recipe, now!

Right meow!

 

[Melana]

I'm sorry are you saying Meow?