Posted on 11/23/2022 9:27:21 AM PST by PJ-Comix
Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I have already started cooking my first turkey yesterday via sous vide. Tomorrow I smoke my second turkey on the Weber grill. Therefore I am cooking TWO turkeys in tandem for Thanksgiving and will continue doing so in the future whether it be for Thanksgiving or otherwise.
Why? Well I first cooked tandem turkeys earlier this year. In addition to providing extra turkey for the guests, I was able to serve up INCREDIBLE homemade gravy which was made possible by using the wings that weren't used in the sous vide turkey as well as the rest of the carcass after cutting off the legs, thighs, and breasts. In addition, the juices from the sous vide were used in making my turkey stock. After simmering down all that meat and bones provided by the unused portions (wings and carcass) of the sous vide turkey along with the trimmings from the turkey designated for smoking, the resulting stock with veggies, garlic, and herbs added made for a SUPER POWERFUL turkey stock which was used as my base for making the turkey.
Also since one should not use too large of a bird for smoking (both of my turkeys are in the 13 pound range) you are sure to have more than enough turkey for your guests (about 10 in my case). So a total of FOUR legs, FOUR thighs, and FOUR breasts. And since gravy is KEY for making successful turkey, the boiled/simmered down ultra high flavor turkey stock has served its purpose.
So after my tandem turkey experience earlier this year which is being repeated now, I highly recommend folks try cooking tandem turkeys.
I live with my folks to caretake them. My mom takes any little plastic container & puts in a couple spoonfuls of whatever she’s making for dinner - she/dad eat like birds. The upright freezer we share is just loaded with little plastic containers so that really takes up a lot of valuable space.
I buy meat (London Broil & chuck roast) either on sale or Manager’s Special so that goes in the freezer. I just bought a pastured half hog in late September & I have 2 pastured meat chickens (about 5 lbs each) in there, plus venison from a buck earlier this season (hoping for more). When the hog happened, I ended up getting a small 7 cu foot freezer. It is wonderful having the extra room! With the half hog & two turkeys, it was maybe half to a scant 2/3 full. If more venison comes my way (likely), I’ll have plenty of room. That little freezer has really taken the stress off of “where am I going to put this?” plus I can take advantage of sales big time.
I absolutely get that. When I lived in La-La Land far from my Florida relatives every Thanksgiving I worried about not getting an invite for dinner. Thankfully, every year I did get an invite from somewhere except for once. It was about 2 PM on Thanksgiving Day and I figured my luck had run out but minutes later I got a phone call with a last minute invite so my luck did hold up.
Nowadays, I ALWAYS play host for Thanksgiving dinners to balance out all those times when I was a mere guest. My in-laws once offered to host a Thanksgiving dinner but I nixed that but in that case it was more because I know they only cook really horrible turkey.
Yep
Am really sorry to hear that if so.
We invited my wife’s friend over who is originally from Poland and she has never experienced a Thanksgiving meal...which is remarkable since she has been here since the 1980s. Said that generally, she would be in Poland visiting her remaining son and relatives, but since they have escaped Poland this late summer, she wont be there and instead be here.
So we invited her over. Lovely elderly lady.
Hey! That looks like our society! (these days)
On an earlier thread, one FReeper said they didn’t have enough food stamps left for a turkey dinner.
That just about broke my heart.
We tried getting assistance but the freak state of MD says we’re “$90 too rich” to qualify.
Pity they don’t calculate your “wealth” *after* your necessary expenses.
/yet the “migrants” drive Land Rovers and have wads of twenties that would choke a horse
Bless your heart for that!
I bet she loved it!
I personally love dark meat, turkey or chicken .... if I had cats, we’d be fighting over the dark meat (just kidding).
I’ve had cats in the past & just love them ... I’ve been blessed with really “good” affectionate cats. All were ‘rescues’. My folks won’t allow animals in the house, so no kitties now, unfortunately.
My niece moved to a farm (had a house built, she/hubby built a huge barn) this spring. They have an elderly cat, Boots. Her two young girls 4 & 6 love cats - Boots is tolerant, sort of. Anyway, a friend of hers is a local vet & they take in stray/abandoned kittens/cats & have a cat adoption thing going - only to people who will keep them inside. My niece asked if they’d make an exception for her ... the cats will have a great home in the barn and she could take two cats off their hands. For some reason, black & black/white cats aren’t popular adoptees and they let her adopt two ... Bernie & Wallie. Both are very affectionate - one likes being carried around, the other not so much but is a lap sitter & champion purr box. One of them caught a mouse in the barn the other day - made my niece VERY happy. The cats follow the great-nieces around while they’re doing their chores & keep them company. Those cats are living a good life & my little great-nieces love them so much :-)
And it really got going strong with George W. Bush
2008 was a disaster for me
Plus all the anti-American worker policies
Hang in there - I started stocking up Thanksgiving stuff 6 months ago
No turkey 🦃 but have frozen ham chunks and maybe pork chops
So mostly green beans and stuffing and gravy
Give us the recipe.
Same here.
Obeyme’s reign of error stomped our home business and it never recovered.
We *used* to have a dozen people waiting for a year or more for trike kit builds and they were glad to be in line for something USA-made and high quality.
99% of our buyers were either veterans, handicapped or both and they got slammed hard by Barry’s economy and so did we.
Meanwhile, Chinese made trike rear assemblies hit the market and they were *cheap*, both in cost and quality and if they broke a year later, people just bought another one to replace it.
So we went from a dozen or more customers a year to we’re lucky to get one a year.
Democrats destroy Americans.
It’s what they do, it’s who they are.
Our turkey dinner is free (at least the turkey part).
We are cooking a donated 22# turkey for the church soup kitchen. We (along with 15-20 others) take the carved turkeys to the soup kitchen and get to keep the scraps:)
“Nowadays, I ALWAYS play host for Thanksgiving dinners to balance out all those times when I was a mere guest. My in-laws once offered to host a Thanksgiving dinner but I nixed that but in that case it was more because I know they only cook really horrible turkey.”
Well done! We have always done that when we can. There is usually always a couple or few older folks who are alone. :)
P.S. That was not pointed at you friend. Just commenting in general. :)
“Pity they don’t calculate your “wealth” *after* your necessary expenses.”
Bills can add up to 100 % to 110% of your monthly gross. The whole system needs to be rebuilt so that it actually works, and for less in the long run.
Good to hear! :)
(Democrats destroy Americans)
And now W is their best friend
Probably always was
You’ve given me a brilliant Flash of genius.
Gravy-flavored liqueur. Why didn’t anyone think of it before?
Well, they did, sort of. Here’s something you can do right now, while you’re waiting for my gourmet inspiration to hit the market.
Happy Thanksgiving!
From Esquire Magazine
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz. bourbon
2 oz. gravy
3 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. granulated brown sugar
lemon
black pepper
Directions
Heat gravy as instructed on the stove, stirring so it becomes less gloopy. Remove from heat, then strain to remove any meat or clumps. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Chop parsley and brown sugar together until fine. Spread in a bowl.
Cut lemon and coat the rim of a cocktail glass.
Dip the rim of the glass in the parsley and brown sugar until thoroughly coated.
Add bourbon to glass, then gravy. Stir. Sprinkle with black pepper.
Take a good long look at this concoction and ask yourself, are you this desperate for boozy comfort food? If so, drink up.
The addition of an ice cube and a healthy spritz of lemon helped, but only slightly. On the off chance you like it, down it fast before it grows a scum film. Hey, maybe it isn’t so bad poured over turkey breast.
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