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**DaveD** · November 24, 2023, 08:22 AM

My lovely bride declared that it's now my job every year to make the turkey, after a highly successful first time around...

16lb/7.2kg bird, super simple approach: dry brine overnight, hit with Simon & Garfunkel rub, run in the Pit Boss pellet rig with Bear Mountain 100% hickory pellets. No injection, no basting, no other treatment. I wanted the smoker at 325F/163C, but the PB's temp controller changes from 25 to 50F increments at 300, so there is no 325 setting. So I switched it back and forth between 300 & 350 every so often. But for all that, the two grate probes never reached even 300F/150C for the whole cook once the thermal mass of that fridge-temp turkey went in there. Not sure if that's normal, this being my first full-bird rodeo. In any case, it was superb, tasty and juicy and with a nice smoky note that was not overpowering at all. My skin didn't get as beautifully golden as many I'm seeing here, but other than that it was pretty ideal.

Plated with sides all done by my lovely bride: glazed carrots, creamy mashed & gravy, apple & bread & pecan stuffing/dressing (not in the bird), from-scratch green bean casserole, and fresh dinner rolls. Food coma ensued.

Happy Thanksgiving to all

**Bad Hat BBQ** · November 24, 2023, 11:16 AM

Turkey Day Shenanigans

2 Turkeys, 6 slabs, 10 lbs Chuck Roast, 3 Huge Salmon Filets (Pellet Rig)

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**ecowper** · November 24, 2023, 11:54 AM

Happy Thanksgiving!

Note: If you put frozen cranberries on and around the turkey as a garnish, you get to have little cranberry bombs with your turkey!

and Dozer got his plate

**Michael_in_TX** · November 24, 2023, 03:42 PM

As poultry seems to be in vogue this week (really need to do some research to find out why that is), I did chicken wings on this absolutely wonderful fall weather day.

It's my usual dry-brine with Meat Church's Holy Voodoo (salt, msg, pepper, jalapeño) rub, then onto the Weber Kettle + Vortex with a chunk of pecan.

Lid gets turned 120 degrees after 10 minutes, then another 120 degree turn after another ten minutes, and following a final 5 minutes, the wings come off.

Here we are bronzed with wood smoke after a total of 25 minutes.

And tossed in the classic Frank's Red Hot and Butter. I use unsalted butter with a ratio of 2:1 hot sauce to butter.

Yum.

**wallypop** · November 24, 2023, 04:13 PM

Feel free to skip to images, but wanted to vent.

Well, this wasn't a perfectly executed Thanksgiving this year, my contributions were smoked turkey (20lbs), smoked mac and cheese, cured + smoke turkey legs (a la Meathead's Disney copycat), and of course Sourdough Bread.

First, I made the dough the day before to cold proof. At the shaping stage just before going into the fridge, I couldn't figure out why the dough was so sticky, then it hit me that I forgot to add the salt. Weighed out the 15g, stretched the dough into rectangles, sprinkled the salt from up high on top, then folded in and rolled to make batards. Thought they would be ruined, and my anxiety went into overdrive, so I disappeared into my inner sanctum (bath tub with a beer and an ebook) and my wife informed me that she miscalculated, and added an extra pound of cheddar to one of the batches of mac and cheese. (1.5lbs in recipe, 2.5lbs went in). Turned out ok, haven't cracked into that batch yet.

Thursday morning, I get everything going, and while the smoker is heating up, I moved my fireboard from its usual spot to make room for my top grate before loading in the gravy pan underneath. In my haste, the fireboard landed into a puddle of rain water on my outdoor prep table. I shook every drop out I could and it seemed to work ok, but then it finally stopped reporting temps and running the fan, and the screen went out. Tossed it into rice and giving it a couple days before checking it.

I then found myself with 2 smokers going (WSM and WSCGC), and no clue what temp they were. I pulled out my old Auber instruments, but couldn't find the probes for it (different sized ports) and was resigned to checking grill temp with my thermapen stuck just under the lid. Finally, I dug out my oooold iGrill2 (before weber bought em) and was in business. No thermostatic controller, but at least I could adjust the vents.

Anxiety in full swing, and an hour beyond schedule, I was quite panicked and driving probably too fast to my sister in law's. We get there, and nobody is ready, and the kids are all standing around asking for a taste of turkey and mac and cheese. I carved it all up, and the platter was practically licked clean at the end. Edit: Forgot to mention, both of the nitrile gloves I brought split as I put them on, so I only had cotton liners and a very hot turkey

I foolishly didn't get pics of most anything, but here's what I have. Thankful for technology when it works, for an incredibly patient wife, and family that appreciate my food. Platter won't win any awards, but it sure tasted good. My brother in law was quizzing me about smokers after dinner.

**jab688** · November 24, 2023, 04:49 PM

I worked on Thanksgiving Day, so I grilled today. The 14.25lb Butterball was brined in World Market’s brine for 14 hours. Then grilled at 300 Deg F till the breast was 165. Smoked with a large smoker box of apple chips. The sides are Frenche’s green ban casserole, Au Gratin potatoes, Turkey stuffing, cranberry sauce, and a from scratch sweet potato pie.
#Butterball #worldmarket #pompeian #teamchargriller #chargriller #chargrillergrills #chargrillerakorn #kingsford #westernbbq #WesternWood #WesternBBQProducts #westernbbqwood #pigglywigglysouthtallahassee #winndixie #thanksgiving

Hi everyone got a message on my Instagram account (kg4bnp) from Kingsford (with blue check).
Kingsford blue check Instagram
Killin’ it! This is 🔥🔥🔥 and we’d love to share it on our website and socials. I agreed and they posted it on their FB page.

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**RolfTaylor** · November 24, 2023, 06:16 PM

I know this is a show and tell, but I forgot to take pictures. My twice smoked ham was was a bit hit. I read Meathead's recipe, but I am averse to glazes. His warning about drying out the ham caught my eye. Also the warning about too much smoke.

First off, the Aldi's butt-end ham was very good. It was trimmed nicely with very little fat. There was about 3/8 inches of fat covering only part of the ham. I scored that so that the rub would penetrate. I inserted slivers of garlic all around (about a head of garlic total. Most of the fat rendered out while cooking leaving what was left plate ready and edible.

I put several chunks of apple and one smaller piece of cherry on the coals. I kept the temperature quite low ~200-225) which I figured would prevent drying out. The predictive thermometer kept me informed so I could adjust accordingly. Cooked to 138 (about 3.5 hrs) and carved immediately so no carryover cooking.

Results were very good. Perhaps just a bit too smoky, but that complemented the saltiness well. I didn't want to remove and replace the ham to put the roasted veggies under it, so they were on the over done side and very smokey.

Overall a success. Other than reducing the amount of wood by one chunk, and adding the veggies later, I would do this again.

**Matt Dalton** · November 24, 2023, 06:39 PM

I watched the Meat Merchant video of spatchcocked turkey (and pulled the breast bone out) and, following someone else I have forgotten put the turkey on a cookie sheet rack for ease of movement and turning it around. Put it right on my gas grill at 425 for 90 minutes. Never going to do it any other way again! After a 24 hour salt brine it was as juicy and flavorful as could be

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**gboss** · November 24, 2023, 07:40 PM

Went to my sister-in-law's for Thanksgiving. I brought some pork belly burnt ends and then these beauties: pork belly cinnamon rolls. I also made a cinnabon copycat icing to top them with. They were quite a hit.

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**Matt Dalton** · November 24, 2023, 08:13 PM

More deets. Heart attack city

**Old Glory** · November 24, 2023, 08:28 PM

Leftovers. Cooked a turkey and made two pans of stuffing to bring over my sister's house. We had 28 people. No leftovers. Luckily I made a second bird and a third pan of stuffing we kept for leftovers.

**Michael_in_TX** · November 24, 2023, 09:01 PM

Leftovers for tonight. Believe it or not, this was a side item from yesterday: lamb sous vide'd then seared in cast iron. Served with homemade harissa and chimichurri sauces, over peas and brown rice. (All courtesy of my sister.)

**WayneT** · November 25, 2023, 09:34 AM

The PBBE I started on Wednesday and finished on Thursday morning.

With my method, I smoke the PB whole then cube it later since I add more of the Meat Church rub once cubed. Since this one was refrigerated overnight, it was very easy to cut while still cold and there was no tearing or shredding so the cubes all came out perfectly. I think I’ll incorporate this step in future PB cooks.

Money shot. My son and DIL who joined us for a brunch Thanksgiving meal really enjoyed these so I sent some home with them.

For our ‘Just the Two of Us’ Thanksgiving dinner, Mari Jo made Beef Wellington, cranberry relish and steamed some asparagus.

The beef tenderloin was a prime grade from Costco. Fantastic Thanksgiving meals, all around.

Finis