So, for the first time I am hosting not 1 but 2 thanksgivings. I don't think I am cooking everything, but I am definitely doing the turkey, likely a ham or a second protein source, bread and likely at least one pie for both of them. I have never cooked a turkey, made stuffing. I am likely going to buy 1 or 2 turkeys in advance one to smoke, and one to roast in the oven so I have a handle on what I'm doing. But, I believe the two families, mine and my wife's family are both expecting something amazing. Where do my biggest pitfalls in bird and stuffing at? Other then timing it right.
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I would recommend against stuffing the turkey. If you do that, you should get the stuffing up to 165*, and that will probably dry out the bird. Instead, put the stuffing in a tray under the turkey and let the drippings flavor the stuffing. If the stuffing is not up to temp when the bird is done, either put it on the cooking grate or in the oven to finish.
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I did a spatchcocked turkey on my smoker last year. I was a big hit. Breast and thigh done at the same time and no dry breast. Did the dressing separate in the oven. Having help is a must.Last edited by ofelles; October 28, 2019, 11:12 AM.
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I agree with the stuffing. I cook either a whole turkey or turkey breasts, depending on the year. My wife uses turkey parts to do the stuffing separately. For the whole turkey, I inject and rub it. I smoke it low and slow, wrapped in a cheese cloth, spritzing ever half hour. In the final hour I cut the cheese cloth away and baste, cranking the temp up for crispy skin. The spatchcock method looks much easier and I am sure turns out a more uniform result. I'm just stuck in my old ways.Last edited by tbob4; October 28, 2019, 11:34 AM.
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M retry sure you’ve got this Richard. Everything you have put up here has been "something amazing"!
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Texas Larry , while I appreciate the vote of confidence, but anything I cook that looks good, comes from I rarely assume I can just put out a cook and have it turn out good.So I do ask a lot of questions and lots of reading and trial prep work. I control the details and conditions to the best of my ability and preperations. And also never assume a cook will be good just because. I probably even assume the meal will not be good, which further pushes me to control the cook in every way I can and also hopen for a bit of good luck. But, this will be yet another new cook, and serving family. I want it to be better then good, I want them to remember the meal. For me, though it will be about the time gathered together, but the more I learn about cooking, I am wanting the kitchen whether inside or outside to be the lifeblood of our house and a reason for family, friends to come together more often. Plus it is good mental therapy.Last edited by Richard Chrz; October 28, 2019, 12:45 PM.
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If my past experiences mean anything, putting some smoke on your turkey will be enough to take your cook to the next level. Since I smoked my first turkey 10 + years ago, it is the only way I am "allowed" to cook a turkey.
As a side note, smokey gravy did not taste right to me, so I buy premade gravy at Thanksgiving if I'm cookin'.Last edited by RonB; October 28, 2019, 02:33 PM.
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+1 on the smoked gravy not being right. I tried using the drippings from the pan under the turkey one year, and that did not go well.
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RonB & crazytown3 - ditto to both of your points about gravy and drippings. Those are very good points. It is why my wife makes not only the stuffing but gravy indoors with turkey parts and drippings.
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Last year I removed both breasts and thigh quarters from the carcass and then smoked according to meathead’s recipe. That’s how I’m doing my turkeys for now on. You don’t get a whole bird presentation but the meat gets seasoned on all sides and the breasts can be easily sliced. I use the carcass to make about 10 cups of stock that were then used the next day to make all the stuffing, etc. The back, neck, gizzard, liver, and heart are all placed into the drip pan to make the sauce/gravy while the turkey cooks. This way I really maximized the use of that bird. Everyone loved the turkey and sauce.
This is a good video of the method I use: https://youtu.be/sB8jfKbNjRs
As for stuffing, whatever recipe you use, I highly recommend making stuffings - stuffing cooked in a muffin pan. Advantage is you get single servings that have a nice crust on all sides and moist interior and serving is easy. The recipe I really like is from Serious Eats (https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/...ng-recipe.html), but Meathead’s recipe I hear is also good.
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Thank you for the links! That cut up turkey looked fantastic, I also really have put a lot of faith into Kenji's articles. I almost feel like I need to do a practice thanksgiving, not this weekend as of time, but the following., just so I can write down some of my timing and prep work. Interesting on dry bringing with out covering. I have never done the not cover part, curious if you do that with other meat as well?
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Richard Chrz I second the stuffins. I’ve made Meatheads recipe from the free side and they are great! You can find a link to them in Meatheads turkey recipe. About dry brining uncovered...I never cover any kind of meat when dry brining unless I’m transporting it or it’s gonna be in the fridge for more than two days after salting. Set it on a wire rack in a sheet pan and leave uncovered.
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I usually make my stuffing the night before and just refrigerate it to let all the flavors come together. I like Kenji’s idea of drying out the bread under low heat in the oven vs using stale bread - I did that last year and I will do it that way for now on. His stuffing, by the way, is awesome. What I also like about deconstructing the turkey before cooking is you can cook a larger bird even if you have limited grill space. A spatchcocked bird looks cool but you are still limited on size.
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I'm going on my fifth (i think) year of hosting Thanksgiving and finally starting to hit my stride. This year is going to be the biggest one year with around 18 adults (plus 4-6 kids).
The best thing you can do is plan your menu ahead and consider where you are cooking things and when they will be done. In other words, don't pick 4 dishes that need to cook in the oven at the same time all at different temperatures and you only have one oven. I always have side dishes that are cooked in the oven, some that are cooked on the stove, some that are cooked sous vide, some that can be reheated when the turkey is resting, etc.
For the turkey this year, I'm doing a spatchcock turkey in the oven and then also doing a turkey pastrami. I did turkey in the PBC last year but my family prefers the traditional roasted turkey as the centerpiece, so I'm going to go back to that this year. I'll spatchcock and dry brine it probably on the Monday before thanksgiving, covered, and then leave uncovered on Wednesday night to dry out the skin which helps make it extra crispy.
For stuffing, I always make the serious eats sausage stuffing and will make a double batch this year. Leftover stuffing get reheated in a waffle iron and are my favorite dish of all of thanksgiving.
I also make the gravy the night before first by making stock from the backbone and any other extra turkey parts (or leftover chicken bones) that I may have gathered or bought
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shify asking for a clarification on this. "I'll spatchcock and dry brine it probably on the Monday before thanksgiving, covered, and then leave uncovered on Wednesday night to dry out the skin which helps make it extra crispy."
You are not actually cooking the turkey that far in advance, you are just cutting and doing the prep and dry brine part that far ahead, correct?
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Richard Chrz - correct. Do the prep work and dry brining a few days ahead and cook the turkey on thanksgiving day
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Last year I spatchcocked and smoked a turkey on my Weber and roast one in the oven as well. The platter of the smoked turkey was mostly gone and the oven roasted one was mostly full after the first wave of people got their food. If I do it again I will just smoke both of the turkeys.
But definitely spatchcock the birds and cook the stuffing on the side. They cook much, much quicker and it is easier to time everything as they don't take hours to cook. It should only take 90 minutes to cook depending on the size and temperature.
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so, a 90 minute spatchcook on a turkey (I know roughly), but are you talking a 10, or a 15, or a 20 lb bird roughly?
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Richard Chrz That is probably a 12-14 pound turkey IIRC. And I would rather cook 2 smaller birds than 1 really big one. And I believe I ran the grill around 350-375??? Maybe up to 400.
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Meatheads turkey prep has pretty much been my go to for the last few years, including hosting a couple of years ago. We never stuff the bird; my wife takes bits of the cooked bird and uses it to finish a cornbread stuffing. I also do turkeys throughout the year - just did one last week. The only thing that changes from Meathead's recipe are the rubs. This time I coated the bird with butter, added a layer of POG, then topped it off with some Oakridge BBQ Game Bird and Chicken Rub. Since it was an injected bird, I didn't brine it at all.
https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...-turkey-recipe
WSM as hot as I can get it; it usually runs between 275 and 300. I can't seem to get it up to 325.
When we hosted, I also did a ham with the apricot glaze from here (most of my cooking lately comes from recipes posted here). It was a hit too:
https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...ked-ham-recipe
I handled the outside cooking and my wife did the collard greens, stuffing and mac and cheese. I did some southern style potato salad. And I love that crappy canned cranberry sauce.
Definitely get all the help you can; it can be exhausting trying to get everything ready at the same time and early enough so the guests don't walk out and go to Cracker Barrel...
And have fun, above all else.
Oh yeah, and I do them whole, not spatchcocked. I am going to try that one day though..Last edited by klflowers; October 28, 2019, 02:26 PM.
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thanks for the AR link on the ham (both links actually) This is definitely my go to place for food, then Kenji's Serious eats second. I have never had good luck with ham, also never have put good effort into it, so..,but my mother in law's ham is what everyone I know sets their standards on in her family. But, I would rather make it on the grill and make it different. I think I will buy a small ham as well, just to get a taste for the cook. Thank you
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I always do a 16 - 17 pound one on the Weber whole at about 325 with cherry wood. The cherry provides a nice sweet flavor. Start with the legs toward the heat and switch to breast towards it. It is done in about 3 - 31/2 hrs. I can then use the grill to heat up some sides.
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Didn’t get to read the last few comments.
pitfalls/ my opinion for a first timer (on TG, not a first time cook) with the understanding that there is no such thing as always and never.
1) focus on the meat and not the skin. Birds need a long rest and skin gets soggy.
2) like Ron said. Likely some smoke will be enough (this year) to elevate that turkey and skin.
3) make a dressing/exterior stuffing. I love stove top. I know, I know.
4) do turkey parts this year, break down a whole turkey days before and use the bones for flavored broth. Or buy the parts and boxes stock. No big deal.
5) prep can be done days ahead, not minutes, hours or even the same day will make a difference for most things.
6) things always, always take longer than you imagine. If one thing goes off you get derailed. Think way, way ahead and allow plenty of time.
7) keep in mind this is your first time at this. Don’t be a food snob, ain’t no time for that.
8) likely you will judge harder on yourself than other will. They probably won’t have the same standards as you do so have fun, learn and ease up on "you."
9) Never ever tell some one what you didn’t serve them or what they could have had or meant to serve them.
that’s a short version. I hope I was not too harsh.
hope this helps.
Erik
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Richard Chrz lots of good advice here. I get your trepidation with doing this, but you definitely have the skills.
I spatchcock a turkey and cook/smoke on my kettle each year. Wife won't let me cook it in the oven anymore. For what it's worth, my cooking skills are average at best, and I would much prefer to cook the turkey out on the grill than in the oven. It just seems to work better. Plus you have the inside oven free for other things (stuffing, pies, potatoes, etc.)
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my hopes as of "right now" are to spatch cook the turkey on a kettle (I have never spatchcooked but, it does not intimidate me either), use my smoker or second kettle for the second protein source chosen, likely ham for my wife's family, and beef for my family. Worse case scenario weather would push me to the oven, but, that is not the end of the world. Reading some good info from Kenji on Serious eats incase i go oven route.
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May even plan the two kettles and fire up my wsm at a low heat for a holding oven. I have done that in the past and really enjoyed it for that purpose.
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I do my turkey whole on our Keg, when I do ham Its usually a spiral ham that I do on my propane BBQ.
crazytown3 makes a good point about freeing up the oven for other dishes
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So, I have spent sometimes reading links and more about the many great suggestions in here. It can take you down a rabbit hole for sure. Yet, one that i bet pays out. I have never like thanksgiving turkey, again, likely the result of the time my parents chose to, or were able to commit to cooking a turkey either indoors or the occasional outdoor. I actually kind of feel I may enjoy turkey after this, my wife kind of shrugged at the idea of eating turkey more then once or twice in Nov, I think I have convinced her that it will be better then we have ever had. Thank you again for all the links and advice. Looking forward to putting much of this through a test run not this up coming week or weekend, but somewhere soon following, just to have an idea of how I need to build my plan. Between the incredible amount of info from Meathead on this site, just on understanding if a turkey needs to be brined or not, etc.. and what Kenji has to say about pretty much everything thanksgiving, I feel far more comfortable, yet, I need to spend a few hours book marking pages, and folding pages in The Food Lab book to keep reviewing. daily to keep my mind thinking and a bit more ready sans a computer near by on the day of. But now time to switch my brain to smoking a pork shoulder tomorrow night, get chimichurri made for two flank steaks, and make 2 dozen flour tortillas to thank a group of friends gathering at our house on Wednesday. They all are getting a loaf of double fermented sourdough as well.
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