Thanksgiving 2019 and beyond.

Alright- a thanksgiving thread popped off in the meme thread, and I quite enjoyed it, so I'm moving my own comments here to maybe continue the fun. 

I like food. 

It was mentioned in that thread that no one likes an experimental cook on thanksgiving, and people should stay in there lane. 

I have no intentions of doing as such. Over the last few years, my thanksgiving turkeys have looked suspiciously like New York strips, an entire prime rib, ham, etc. I honestly don't think I've ever cooked a turkey, and I've never made the same stuff twice. I almost always experiment on thanksgiving dinner, and it's usually pretty berkeleyin' good. This year, SWMBO has invited her dad and....his girlfriend? I'm not sure if they're married. I don't care. I'm entirely uncomfortable with the situation, because I really REALLY don't like entertaining. Between that and spending a night in jail, give me jail. She has also decided that our turkey is going to look a lot like a leg of lamb (this after we had some bangin lamb chops at food and wine at EPCOT) and various sides. I believe the current menu is Lamb, roasted root vegetables, some sort of sweet potato (I think the current version is garlic parm) a corn bake (because I love corn bakes) and....? Bread. Oh yeah, bread. I'll probably be making most of this myself- I've long been in charge of the protein around here - and I've gotten damn good at it. Plus it will keep me in the kitchen, and away from having to entertain. ALSO- all the whiskey is right next to the stove. The erstwhile inlaws are in charge of dessert- which most likely means store pie. I'm ok with that. I'm gonna be too full and drunk to give a E36 M3. I might hide a pint of ice cream in the freezer for myself- I tend to really want ice cream when I'm lit. 

I'm making a ham, it will be 5 weeks in brine the day before Thanksgiving and going in the smoker whenever I wake up.

Also practicing with sour dough bread again, and making myself a pumpkin pie. Actually 2 pies, one to eat, and one to put in egg roll wrappers for later. Think I'll be doing turkey gravy and my mom is making stuffing balls.

We're slowly starting the family Thanksgiving thing again, as much as we all hate holidays, I like an excuse to cook, and the crummy family members are either dead or as good as, so it's not too bad. 

Last year was a duck, the year before I did flank steak with homemade demiglas. I do have a duck in the freezer but think this massive ham is enough. 

last year I ordered my turkey from a local meat market.  They smoked it.. It was crazy good.  worth every penny.  This year I'm going to the in-laws... they do the cooking.

Last count we have 32 people showing up at my parents for the weekend. It will be a madhouse. 

My sisters are kind of health nuts so I regularly have to supplement the menu to make it edible. They are planning oatmeal for breakfast Saturday, I'm cooking shrimp brown. They are planning soup and salad for Friday night. I'm cooking oysters. Most of the family are more like me so I'm reasonably certain they will have plenty of soup and oatmeal left over. 

Friday afternoon I'll be making the annual 80-100 pound batch of liver pudding. I'll post the process if anyone is interested. 

Mndsm said:

It was mentioned in that thread that no one likes an experimental cook on thanksgiving, and people should stay in there lane. 

"Technically" this would apply to any time you are cooking for your guests. 

You want to know you have a proven recipe before possibly serving everyone late, not enough food, or terrible food.

Looks like just Mrs. Salty and myself this year.

Parents are in Florida as they think this may be the last year they are able due to advancing age. (81 and 85).

Most of the rest of the family (Both sides) has escaped Illinois and lives 2 states away. The ones remaining, I think may have escaped from somewhere else. Not inviting them to my house anyway.

The 3 couples we would normally get together with decided to: A) Go to Florida, B) Moved one state away and C) Have a new grand daughter. 

Of our 2 grown kids, one lives 2 states away, and the other is only available for her family's gatherings.

I am good with all of this.

I am planning an all day feast for the 2 of us. Mimosa's and Bailey's followed by a large, unhealthy breakfast of omelets, hash browns, grits and biscuits, Seafood Bisque for lunch, a smoked turkey breast, oyster dressing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, home made bread for supper and home made pecan pie for dessert.

Since the smoker will be going, I'll add some bacon wrapped meat balls, ABT's and other appetizers along the way.

Toyman, Tuned in, Looking forward to the liver pudding!

I posted said meme and while I agree, I'll confess that three years ago I experimented with the bird. My sister declared that I was responsible for the bird that year and it was my first time attempting to cook one. *LIGHTBULB! FIL has a deep fryer, and a mix of peanut and coconut oil, all the root veggies I had at hand, and most of a 30lb propane tank later that was a damn good bird.

Also I don't like pie. Except pumpkin, love that stuff. Also anything cranberry can get bent. Ditto yams.

https://www.lakewinds.coop/thanksgiving-meat-pre-orders/

https://mackenthuns.wufoo.com/forms/mackenthuns-thanksgiving-dinner/

If I was in your shoes. I crank up the credit card and order it all from a local food store..  and done.

I'll just repost this from the hotlinks thread:

[Edit - deleted.  Look a couple pages back in the hotlinks thread if you want.  -Duke]

I actually really do like Thanksgiving, which is why I am always so disappointed in the way it turns out.

In reply to Duke :

that was not needed..

also made from a chicken by a russian artist. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/weird-news/the-nightmare-before-christmas-the-terrifying-turkey-bear-9022088.html

I keep pushing small boundaries with my in laws, it has all worked out great.  First year I brined I had to make 2 turkeys in case they didn't like it.   Now I brine and then spatchcock, it cooks quickly and cooks the dark meat more than the breast, has great pan drippings for gravy after too.   The only time of year my double oven has both used. 

It'll be prime rib from the family cows again this year.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

And that weird green bean casserole that seems to be part of American life. 

My parents and brother will be here for Thanksgiving this year, so we'll be cooking. Haven't worked out the exact details yet, but will likely do what we did last time we cooked for this group- a turkey breast in the oven, mashed potatoes, stuffing (need to remember to find chestnuts- this is about the only time I use my pressure cooker...), possibly our Brussels sprout casserole (better than green beans), some rolls, and cranberry sauce (my brother and dad both insist on the canned kind that is more like cranberry jello, the rest of us with actual taste like the fresh kind we make from scratch). We've tossed around getting a small ham from one of the BBQ places that makes them for some variety.

Keith Tanner said:

It'll be prime rib from the family cows again this year.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

And that weird green bean casserole that seems to be part of American life. 

Yeah Marketing! IIRC it was originally a recipe developed by Campbell's using their products. I didn't care for it much when I was younger, but if you add some extra beyond all the super salty, canned ingredients, you make one that is pretty acceptable!

Last year my girlfriend made a hell of a feast for just the two of us. This year my oldest friend is going to come down and spend the day with us, eat food, adult drinks, football, all the good stuff.

Last year, we brined and then deep fried the turkey and it was wonderful. Looking forward to it again this year. We have discussed spatchcocking the turkey, but not sure if we will try it.

Fueled by Caffeine said:

In reply to Duke :

that was not needed..

also made from a chicken by a russian artist. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/weird-news/the-nightmare-before-christmas-the-terrifying-turkey-bear-9022088.html

Fair enough.  Removed.

We usually buy enough groceries that we wind up with a free turkey coupon after Thanksgiving is over.  DW unfortunately doesn't like dark meat (chicken or turkey), so I usually get the largest turkey breast I can find in the bin.

Then I make a compound butter with sage, thyme, cumin, a little rosemary, salt, pepper, and a touch of cayenne.  I smear that all up under the skin and smoke the breast on the my gas grill.  It usually comes out pretty well, though I prefer what similar treatment does on a whole turkey.

My grandmother worked at an old school Chicago bakery and would bring three fruit filled coffee cakes to Thanksgiving dinner usually at one of her daughters house.   
 

My wife makes a wicked pumpkin pie along with some southern coconut cream pie I'm not a fan of. When asked which pie is my favorite I usually reply..........coffee cake.   My wife said it's a Slovak thing.  

I love the Thankgiving basics. Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, ect. I can make that anytime I want. If it wasn't for my kids still being around I think the wife and I would spend the long weekend in Vegas. Honestly we are still talking about going Thursday night.

We'll be doing the typical stuff (turkey, stuffing, taters, etc) at my folks house. And at some point hopefully doing some suspension stuff to mazdaface with space cadets assistance

A little Thanksgiving Day story for all of you.  Thirty years ago a very young private Allroad was in AIT down in Texas.   The training base had an outreach program with the community for locals to come and get GIs for the day and feed them a home cooked meal.  We all lined up at the rev center and as cars pulled up they would indicate how many troops they could take in and a sergeant waved that many into their car.   
This went on and as I got near the head of the line two music video grade hotties in a convertible mustang rolled up and took......the two dudes in front of me.  (Either they got mugged as soon as they were off post or it was a letter to penthouse material)

The next vehicle rolled up, a beat up old church van driven by two old, obese, African American ladies.  They took a dozen of us, and I have to say: it was hands down THE BEST turkey day meal I've ever had!  No regrets whatever.

My meal the next year wasn't nearly as nice, canned turkey sitting in the sand within sight of the Iraq border.  

We're going to drive the hour to my folks house and try to endure my brother's cooking.

My brother is a chef, well a pastry chef but he did go all the way through culinary school. Problem is,  he has the most under developed palate I know. He seems to only be able to taste salt and sweet. So you wind up with a prime rib or Turkey that is perfectly cooked yet inedibly seasoned.  He tried to experiment with herbs buts gets it wrong every time.  So salty it burns your mouth. 

One year he made a risotto.  It was supposed to be chicken and apple but he was grossed out by the idea of adding chicken stock to something with apples so he decided to use apple juice instead.  I learned rice cooked in tree top apple juice has the texture jujubes candy and somehow manages to be even sweeter.

Bianca and I will do our traditional 2nd Thanksgiving the next day so we can get it right. 

KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:

A little Thanksgiving Day story for all of you.  Thirty years ago a very young private Allroad was in AIT down in Texas.   The training base had an outreach program with the community for locals to come and get GIs for the day and feed them a home cooked meal.  We all lined up at the rev center and as cars pulled up they would indicate how many troops they could take in and a sergeant waved that many into their car.   
This went on and as I got near the head of the line two music video grade hotties in a convertible mustang rolled up and took......the two dudes in front of me.  (Either they got mugged as soon as they were off post or it was a letter to penthouse material)

The next vehicle rolled up, a beat up old church van driven by two old, obese, African American ladies.  They took a dozen of us, and I have to say: it was hands down THE BEST turkey day meal I've ever had!  No regrets whatever.

 

My meal the next year wasn't nearly as nice, canned turkey sitting in the sand within sight of the Iraq border.  

You don't berkeley with southern church ladies and cooking. I fear no chef, but a 100 year old woman that's been cooking at Texas/georgia/whatever church functions since before electricity? Yeah no, Ima pass on that contest. 

SaltyDog said:

Looks like just Mrs. Salty and myself this year.

Parents are in Florida as they think this may be the last year they are able due to advancing age. (81 and 85).

Most of the rest of the family (Both sides) has escaped Illinois and lives 2 states away. The ones remaining, I think may have escaped from somewhere else. Not inviting them to my house anyway.

The 3 couples we would normally get together with decided to: A) Go to Florida, B) Moved one state away and C) Have a new grand daughter. 

Of our 2 grown kids, one lives 2 states away, and the other is only available for her family's gatherings.

I am good with all of this.

I am planning an all day feast for the 2 of us. Mimosa's and Bailey's followed by a large, unhealthy breakfast of omelets, hash browns, grits and biscuits, Seafood Bisque for lunch, a smoked turkey breast, oyster dressing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, home made bread for supper and home made pecan pie for dessert.

Since the smoker will be going, I'll add some bacon wrapped meat balls, ABT's and other appetizers along the way.

 

Toyman, Tuned in, Looking forward to the liver pudding!

I'm also from Illinois and always go to my in laws for T day, but just in case something changes... I'll just invite myself over. That sounds amazing!