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.
Yup.
I have a Care Credit card that my mom got for him since my credit score is abysmal, now and when I log in to see what I owe, I feel sick.
Thankfully he has insurance that pays a large percentage but I still have the copays and the consultations and such that are not covered and racking up.
On top of our usual bills, such as the insanely high electric bills, car insurance, etc, we have very little extra left.
The people who run these “systems” obviously are clueless about what things really cost.
My mom is always telling me that I should “get a nicer coat” or whatever and I answer her the same every time “Goodwill is not really known for having a huge or elegant selection”
Not to mention that Goodwill has lost its collective mind.
They price a lot of stuff like it’s new, now.
Sometimes, even worse.
I see stuff they sell at the Dollar Tree on the shelves and they want $2 for it.
It does no good to tell them that because they always ask me “Do you want to round up?”
Well, no.
I’m shopping *here* so obviously “rounding up” is not in my budget.
Crazy world.
I heard yesterday that the Sheetz chain of stores is having $1.99 gas until the 28th and I got all excited about that but Maryland has a law forbidding selling gas for less than cost so I can’t get it and there’s no stores in WV or PA close enough to justify the drive.
If anyone is near one of the stores that offers it, here is the website to find out
https://orders.sheetz.com/findASheetz?state=PA&filters=e15
We been had.
Cool!
I’m weird.
I only liked the dark meat and giblets...maybe because my gramma who made our TDay dinners didn’t roast the turkey so much as desiccate it.
:)
It sounds like a fancied up version of a bullshot/chickenshot.
Dry brining will do that and add good flavor. The key to crispy anything is to remove liquids from the surface. The alternative often leads to a result that is overcooked. Also, never attempt to put a wet bird in a deep fryer, unless you want a major disaster. I have my bird unwrapped in the frig since Monday morning. I’m not brining this year. I have an herb butter than I will rub under the skin before roasting. My hope is the dry bird will absorb the the flavors while roasting …. osmosis. The turkey will be tented with foil for about half the roasting time to avoid over browning. I’ll baste the second half of roasting and the final 20 minutes I’ll lightly glaze the skin to add additional flavor and create an even mahogany finish.
Ever thought about using smoked ice cubes?
I put a pan of water in my smoker for a couple of hours. Let it cool then put in ice trays. The ice will come out a medium brown, but as they melt, it gives off a smokey smell/taste.
Great with bourbon or tea.
Your niece’s farm sounds awesome!
I’m still in the planning stages of putting a house on my farm. I started saving up for my own place when I was about 9, so your niece is living my dream :)
Women can be particularly funny about that. I made mine a big bean bag full of sand to be warmed in the oven before bed to avoid that problem.
She & her hubs are living their dream ... I’m living it too, vicariously. I’m wondering if they need a ‘farm hand’ one day?
They are working on turning old monocrop land into a regenerative farm. They are pasture raising meat chickens & have started ‘small’ with hogs. They plan to raise beef as well, but need more fencing. They sold their first hogs this fall - I bought a half hog & so far, it’s been delicious. I asked for the fat from my half hog (& someone else gave me theirs) to render into lard ... wanted to do it this week, but ran out of time.
So silly, but I love their hogs. The two breeding females are hilarious - 300 lb ‘pets’, both of them. One is a Berkshire & the other is a Gloucester Old Spot - both are heritage breeds. They ‘talk’ to you, are curious, smart, escape artists & a few other things ... love belly rubs.
The Berkshire hog appears to be farrowing as I type ... we’ve been going “nuts” all week ... turns out my niece had the wrong “due date” by a few days! She’s actually due Friday, but appears to be in labor now, which is great - my niece and her family will be able to come for Thanksgiving tomorrow if she has the piglets today/tonight. I’m getting progress reports every 30 minutes. I had a brood mare for years - 3 foals, so I know how anxious it can be waiting for babies to put in an appearance & hoping all goes well. This will be the mama pig’s first litter - the breed tends to be good mothers, so hopefully, she will be as well. Exciting times!!
That farm sounds even more awesome now!
The first piglet just arrived!! So cute .... hopefully, she’ll have a large litter (typical 8-10), but it’s her first, so maybe not so many. New baby is nursing, waiting on the rest to arrive - they have them about every 15 minutes.
WOOHOO!!!
Yeah he and daddy both nothing but Northeastern Liberals
For what?
Your Margaritas.
I started dry brining yesterday and sealed the turkey in an oven bag. Today when I went to take off the oven bag to complete the final day the dry brining without it, I saw a lot of dark liquid at bottom of back. I'm pretty sure that was the dry brine doing its work, namely drawing the liquids from out of the interior of the turkey.
Mix in blender and pour into pitcher for freezing over night. Alcohol has freezing point of minus 174 degrees so it melts quickly in glasses the next day or whenever you use it.
Yeah, I gotta get something like that. Namely for searing pork skin to make chicharrones.
In the past, we have cooked as many as six turkeys for Thanksgiving. That makes plenty for guests to take home as leftovers, plenty for sandwiches the following couple of days, and also some for freezing to make turkey chili over the next two or three months.
Now, with other family members having their own Thanksgiving plans, we are back down to just one turkey which will go in the oven in the morning. Just enough for hubby and me. The kids are visiting with in-laws, my mom passed away a couple months ago, and siblings have their own plans. I plan to enjoy a quiet Thanksgiving day.
She had 6 & they think she’s through ... 5 girls & a boy. One is a little runt, barely half the size of the other ones. My niece helped her get a good first nursing (kept the other voracious piglets from pushing her out of the way). She’s going to make sure she gets some good nursing the next couple of days & hopefully, she’ll be fine. They all seem to be doing ok right now - no stillbirths.
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