Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving, and is now enjoying plenty of leftovers!

We took the advice of 'boatbums', and did a dry brine for the first time - just salt. It turned out wonderfully, despite a near disaster.

We began with a fresh turkey, and my husband salted it a few days ahead, dried the turkey naked in the fridge overnight, and started it in the oven at 450 degrees on The Day.

A couple of hours later, the probe thermometer went off, and we stared at each other: something was wrong, and there was no way the turkey could be done!

It turned out that my husband had gotten busy and forgotten to cut the temperature down after the first half-hour! We took it out and it looked perfect; but we prepared ourselves for a pretty dry turkey.

This must be a very fool-proof way to cook a turkey, because it was fabulous: I've never eaten breast meat that had this texture, and the skin was done to crispy perfection.

I don't suggest that anyone do purposely what we did accidentally; but I think that we, too, will always do a dry-brined turkey from now on.

We used to do both a turkey and a ham on Thanksgiving, but we don't have that many people come nowadays, and we've learned the truth of the adage that 'Eternity is a ham and two people'. But when we do bake ham, the following is my favorite use for leftovers: it comes out just like the potted ham in the cute little paper-wrapped tin with the red devil on it:

Deviled Ham

1 1/2 cups cooked ham (about 1/2 pound), chopped

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons whole grain mustard

3 tablespoons onion, chopped

1 teaspoon whole capers, drained

3-4 tablespoons curly parsley

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (or your favorite hot sauce, to taste)

1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse in one second bursts, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Pulse until very well combined, but not quite a smooth paste (some texture here is good). Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least an hour to allow flavors to meld. Serve on crispy crackers or on white bread.

-JT

[Twinkie]

Put a Tablespoon of VINEGAR in your pot of broth. It
pulls out the CALCIUM in the bones. (Turkey Bones, or
whatever kind of bones you’re using.)

[CottonBall]

Does your husband appreciate the yeast sock puppets? I LOVE those little burping guys! They were so cute when they went on strike and had little knapsacks.

My husband doesn’t get them - no sense of humor!

I just realized they were expelling carbon dioxide. Their carbon footprint could be problem. I’m surprised bakeries aren’t being closed down!

[MomwithHope]

Dry brining is the best. We start on Saturday before Thanksgiving and use fresh chopped herbs mostly thyme and sage with the salt. Last day Wednesday uncovered in the fridge. Leftovers - I always strip the carcass after the big meal and put the meat in the fridge and the bones right in the turkey soup pot and stick it out in the cold garage. Friday is turkey soup day and it used to also be turkey pot pie day. Standard pie crust and use chopped up turkey, some stuffing. masked potatos, onion, a few frozen peas, and leftover. You could pretty much add any other leftover vegetable.

[Jamestown1630]

We remember those; hilarious. Husband liked everything A. B. did. I liked the chicken that floated around the room, and the picture referencing Magritte.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks! We’re learning about bone broth now. Do you use white, or cider?

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

You need to cook your stock down until it’s thick like gravy and coats a spoon. It will have a deep caramel color. Then freeze it in 1 T. portions. When ready to use, mix 1 T. stock per each cup of water for a cup of stock.

-JT

[Calvin Locke]

Here’s another way to make stock: http://blog.ruhlman.com/2007/11/Thanksgiving-th/

What I like about it is most of the time it’s in the oven, and I’ll probably give it a go tomorrow.

And think about reducing it down to concentrate for ice cubing.

[Jamestown1630]

I hadn’t thought of doing it in the oven. Would certainly cut down the ‘watching’. I wonder about the crockpot, too...

-JT

[Calvin Locke]

Yes, I thought about the crock pot too, but mine has 3 temps, and “warm” is probably just above the health dept’s 140, and stuff eventually simmers on “low”.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

Wonderful, as you can imagine. We snacked on it before the meal, and then I broke up the remainder for the southwestern turkey soup afterward...

[pugmama]

Will repost this:

http://cooking.nytimes.com/68861692-nyt-cooking/642361-thanksgiving-leftovers?em_pos=large&emc=edit_ck_20151127&nl=cooking&nlid=69965010

[pugmama]

I am going to do this for lunch:

https://food52.com/recipes/39470-the-silver-palate-s-turkey-hash-salad

[llmc1]

We enjoy Thanksgiving Paninis: Firm bread, turkey, stuffing, fresh sage, refrigerated congealed gravy, and a little cranberry sauce. Spread gravy on the inside of two slices of bread. Fill with the rest of the goodies, and grill.

These Turkey Chimichangas are also a favorite:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/smoked-turkey-baked-chimichangas-recipe.html

[Twinkie]

We use apple cider vinegar; but I don’t reckon it makes a
lot of difference as long as it’s vinegar. - We had been
using Bragg’s; but then we went to an apple orchard last
year and bought a gallon of apple cider vinegar pretty
cheap. - I’ve just had a “thing” about using any vinegar
made from petroleum-based ingredients for a long time. I
*have* bought Heinz in the past because it’s grain-based;
but there are other brands besides Heinz that work. =
Husband used to balk at my vinegar pickiness; but even he
finally realized I wasn’t “nuts”! Difference in price is
actually negligible. - Twinkie

[Twinkie]

I feel like sort of an “imposter” on this thread. For the
past few years, we have been going “out” for holiday meals;
to state parks, Shoney’s, and other places.

For years, I had to cook until I could have screamed. My
MIL dictated that I had to cook; and husband was into what
ever pleased “Mommy”. In all fairness, there were potlucks
at various family members’ homes. MIL passed away a few
years ago at almost 89 yrs. old; and it freed me up. She
had some good points in all fairness; but a lot of those
centered around *her* royal children. “Royal” and “Spoiled”
sort of rhyme.

This Thursday, we went to Shoney’s. It was a *little*
pricey; and hubby grumbled about it until I couldn’t really
enjoy my meal. So, I decided if the Lord lets me live
until next Thanksgiving; I am going to have a couple of
turkey tv dinners in the freezer, open a can of cranberry
sauce, toss it on the table and say, “ENJOY!!”

I’m sorry. I’m old & tired! (It just irks me, too, that
his brother’s grandchildren can be perfect pissants about
ANY cooking for ANYTHING and it’s just WONDERFUL how
WONDERFUL they are. SIL “has” to cook the holiday meals
at home, freeze the food, and haul it for six hours one-way
so those privileged girls don’t have to cook. She’s
retired now; but she did that when she held down a full
time job!) I just don’t fit in to that family dynamic.
Twinkie has to learn the hard way, I guess.

[Liz]

GO ASIAN-—NO COOKING NEEDED.

Soften Asian rice papers in water (the kind used for spring rolls). Fill w/ leftovers....turkey, veg, stuffing. Top w/ srircha, maybe a drizzle of Hoison sauce.

Add a dip made of cranberry sauce spiked w/ soy sauce.

These are delectable served cold.

[Jamestown1630]

I think every family has a story like that.

Those frozen Jenny-O turkey loaves are really handy; and we did refrigerated mashed potatoes this year, the kind from Bob Evans, completely acceptable.

You have to decide for yourself what you can do, and learn to say ‘No’, politely. Once you’ve done that, don’t bother with what people think.

They aren’t living your life, you are.

-JT

[llmc1]

Mmmm, that sounds good!

[pugmama]

Nice ideas here:

https://food52.com/blog/9189-creative-uses-for-thanksgiving-leftovers?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=Social

[JRandomFreeper]

Since I didn't cook this year, I didn't have leftovers as in previous years.

So for tomorrow, I'm going to make Roast Beast. Potatoes, gravy, all of it except for home-crafted bread.

I expect to enjoy it. 100% simple tradition, nothing fancy. ;)

/johnny