I wish it was no turkey. No one ever really eats it and I would much rather have Prime Rib. But that is what the old man's wife wants, so, of course that is what we gotta do. I am out this year on cooking anything.
I have a Black Friday BBQ planned for the food people are actually gonna want to eat. Black Friday BBQ will be the real holiday, or so most of us think anyway.
If I could just get you guys to try a spatchcocked turkey breast taken to 155 F and sliced. Juicy, tender, and worthy of respect at least once a year. 7751 Garrick St. Let me know a few minutes before you get here. :-) (And if you want to bring prime rib as a side, I'm all for it!)
Last edited by mrteddyprincess; November 10, 2021, 09:14 PM.
Weber S-335 gas grill
Weber 26†kettle
Weber 22†kettle
Camp Chef XL Smoke Vault
Camp Chef 3 Burner cook top
Camp Chef Woodwind 36 Pellet grill with sidekick burner
PBC
Accessories:
SnS XL
SnS standard
Vortex
Weber Rotisserie for 22†Kettle
1st gen FireBoard
2nd gen FireBoard
Griddle for Camp Chef cooktop
Several Thermoworks items
Set of Grill Grates
Going with a couple turkey roast, a 4 bone prime rib and a couple pork tenderloins.
Sides will be candied sweet potatoes, homemade noodles, green bean casserole, homemade dinner rolls, cornbread stuffing and oven baked veggies.
Hoosier cream pie, pumpkin pie and homemade ice cream!!!
Outside tools:
22" Weber kettle (2x)
Santa Maria grill attachment
2-burner Camp Chef Explorer propane stove
Temperature tools:
ThermaWorks Smoke
ThermaWorks ThermaPen Mk4
Inside tools:
36" Viking gas range
Anova sous vide
Lodge cast iron skillets, griddle, dutch ovens - several
Stupid expensive but very beautiful cast iron gifts for my wife - 4x
Other tools & accessories:
Buck Chef knife and serrated knife
Victorianox Fibrox Pro Chef knife - 3x
Cave Tools Metal Meat Claws
​​​​​​Meathead's book: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
I'm definitely doing turkey on the kettle, with a 24-hr dry brine and an herb rub under the skin. The couple years have been whole fresh birds, and they turned out great. I might try spatchcocking it again this time. (Note: Using the word "spatchcock" in casual conversation with several colleagues at work dinner in a semi-noisy restaurant will draw some attention. Be prepared to explain quickly, especially if you happen to drop that gem loudly during brief lull in the background noise).
I like turkey, as long as it's done right. I'm not such a big fan of white meat, but I love the dark stuff with some smoke on it. Last year I had a half dozen chicken wings that for some reason didn't get cooked the previous day. I tossed those on the grill for some mid-cook snacks. Definitely a winner!
I'll turn the carcass into broth for smoked turkey soup on the weekend, with some home made egg noodles. What's not to love???
Sides MUST include mashed potatoes (not whipped), gravy, and stuffing. Veggie sides after that get rotated depending on what strikes the fancy, but usually green beans, corn, salad, and sometimes brown sugar carrots. Apple pie is not optional, either, and then pecan or cherry if I can talk my wife or daughter into making them.
This year we are at the in-laws (we alternate years). When we do Thanksgiving on my side of the family me, my wife and brother are very involved with the food prep. I make the gravy and stuffing. My wife and brother handle the potatoes and I bring the PBC over and cook a big turkey in it. My wife makes the cranberry sauce from scratch using her mom's recipe.
At the in-laws, my mother-in-law prepares almost everything herself, which includes oven-roasting a turkey. I bring my rotisserie ring over for the 22" Weber kettle and will cook a second turkey in it. Regardless, it's always very traditional fare and is one of my favorite food days of the year.
I've got in-laws visiting this year. I've done the spatchcocked turkey thing, the wife says it is ok, she will let me do it that way or do it in the oven. I don't think she's overly picky about it.
I do a squash vegetable mix on a roasting sheet with some garlic, red onion and olive oil sprinkled with some sea salt, it comes out very nice.
Of course we'll have real mashed potatoes, might do some roasted Brussels sprouts or something. Rolls my wife does from the freezer - the old lady from next door always compliments her mightily on the 'cheating' method of achieving great rolls she "used to spend all day making." Nothing like backhanded compliments. The Wife just rolls her eyes and agrees - "Yup, they're great and soooo easy." It's funny she brings that up every holiday. That lady... she's a whole other story. Anyways...
Trying to think of something... different. Oh yeah, devilled eggs are a holiday tradition for us. I've done them at times with bacon, some jalapeno, etc. Open to some interesting devilled egg ideas if anyone has any.
Dressing for us is a traditional cubed bread dressing with sausage, sage, onion, celery and such. I like it cooked in the bird if it's gonna be done in the oven - of course, on the grill or smoker, it ain't stuffed. A few years ago I got adventurous based on reviews and tried an oyster dressing - holy f, that flopped. Ain't no one in our place liked that stuff. Oh wait, except I think my mom. But she's a weirdo. So that ain't hap'nin' again.
We host for my family (my Dad's more than my Mom's) who can make it, plus a number of local friends. Moderate size this year, 15 adults plus a couple of kids, could still go up to 20 adults and a few more kids depending. And a couple of more later for desert and games.
My wife and I do most of the cooking because it seems easier than coordinating people bringing stuff, although there are a few exceptions. We tend to stay pretty consistent (and traditional) in our menu, but struggle to have enough vegetables...there's always at least 1 vegetarian and may be a vegan attending this year. Turkey in the electric roaster, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, bread-based stuffing, broccoli salad, green salad, roasted veggies, maybe calabacitas (Mexican-style squash and onions). If the family with the vegan comes then at least one more veggie dish. Rolls, pies, pumpkin roll, snacks, cookies, most of which are brought by family/friends.
Going over the river and through the woods to grandma's house this year. I have been requested to bring something from a smoker so I've decided on a Texas style BBQ with SVQ brisket, some mac 'n cheese, sausages, beans and all the fixin's. We're about 4 hours from them so I'll farm out some of the cooking, but definitely doing the brisket and probably the beans here. Because of recent, ahem, events, we haven't seen them for just about 2 years (their decision). The last in-person visit was right after their first great grandbaby was born so it will be fun to see them and the little toddler (we hope!)
Then Friday we're heading down to my old home town to spend time with my family/friends.
Love the events! Similar events kept my folks at bay - their decision. My sister and I would laugh hysterically as we learned of their secret sneaky exceptions (my son, my brother and others).
Not entirely sure yet, we were planning on hosting, and our house is under construction, and it is not on target. Which is alright, grateful to have the construction happening. But, thinking a few chuck roasts, a ham, a few different styles of potatoes, and still hoping to make a bourbon pecan pie. Will be thankful no matter what we cook,
Bob Hicks, from Mormon Mecca
I'm 81 years young and going as hard as I can for as long as I can.
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
Retired
LSG Adjustable Grill/Smoker, MAK Pellet Grill, Large BGE with Several Attachments from the Ceramic Grill Store, Weber Gasser, Cast Iron Pans & Griddle, Grill Grates, Mostly Thermoworks Thermometers, Avova SV Stick, BBQ Guru Controller and Fan
Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy, Cranberries, Homemade Rolls, Pies, Maybe a Squash Casserole. Pretty Traditional Meal for Thanksgiving. It sounds boring but we'll kick it up where possible! TG is a great Cooking Day IMO. The LSG Adjustable will be invited to the party.
This year with all 3 of our kids married, and having other families to deal with - and my son has 3 families because his wife's parents are divorced - we won't be together with all of our kids and their spouses until Saturday. So on Thursday we will probably go to lunch at my mother in laws house, where she buys pre-smoked turkeys or turkey breast and doesn't even bother to reheat it. SERIOUSLY. I'm over there microwaving my paper plate at the inlaws. Because of that almost every year I bring a turkey or two with me, fresh off the smoker. Not this year.
Later in the afternoon we will go to my parents house, to which I have been asked to bring the turkey. Thinking of putting it on the offset setup with a minion arrangement of B&B char logs and wood chunks, and monitoring remotely using the Smoke Gateway. I can't monitor it on the rotisserie unfortunately. Then I'll come back and collect it before going to my folks for a couple hours.
Saturday will be all day cooking and hanging out with the kids. I'll griddle a brunch on the Camp Chef, and we will do a 20 pound rotisserie bird for dinner. And maybe brew beer with the guys too, or just hang out and drink beer.
Aside from turkey, I'll let the women-folk decide on sides and such. Getting the turkey(s) done and carved is my only job that day.
Last edited by jfmorris; November 12, 2021, 08:38 AM.
My gear:
22 Weber Kettle
Napoleon PRO Charcoal Kettle Grill
Broil King Keg
Traeger Pro 34
Napoleon Prestige Pro 500
Pit Barrel Cooker
Blackstone Range Combo Griddle
Our family will keep it simple this year as remodel begins next week.
Turkey and ham both done on the CharBroil Big Easy.
The expected sides of green beans topped with fried onion, potatoes from Sam's club because they are so hard to beat, home made dinner rolls, and a home made from scratch pumpkin pie. We do pie pumpkins in the instant pot and just love the difference.
HOPEFULLY by Christmas it will all come together and we will be cooking in the new kitchen.
It’s just me and my better half but I’ll make way too much food. Good thing we like leftovers.
Breakfast will be cinnamon rolls with a sugar glaze.
Throughout the day we will snack on a vegetable tray consisting of Broccoli, Cauliflower, Sweet Red Peppers, Cucumber, Celery and Radishes. We will have a Ranch dip and pineapple cream cheese to go with this.
We will also fill our three compartment 1970s dish with canned Black Olives, jarred Green Olives with the Pimento and mini Dill Pickles and pick at this all day.
And if that wasn’t enough I will make a meat and cheese plate with Swiss Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, PeperJack Cheese, Pepperoni, Summer Sausage, and Trail Bologna. This will be served with Town House original crackers.
We eat dinner at our normal dinner time of around 6 PM on Thanksgiving.
It will consist of:
A 15 lb. Turkey that I split in half. Half gets roasted in the oven and the other half will be smoked on my Grilla OG this year.
Pan Gravy
Homemade stuffin’ muffins
Sous vide then whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes
Green Been Casserole
Smoked then smashed Butternut Squash
And we will finish off the night with my Grandmother’s recipe of Pumpkin Custard Pie with Cool Whip.
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