Let's lighten it up today.
(unless we need to site to communicate for the Zombie Apocalypse later in the day, of course)
I like the trimmings. Whole cranberries are better, IMHO, southern style corn bread dressing, home made gravy, that crap in a jar is wall paper paste, at best. And if you aren't brining and frying your bird, I'll cry FOR you! At a minimum brine that thing.
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Oddly, one of my favorite Thanksgivings was the year that we were stuck in San Diego and it was just me, Mrs Schteveo and our older son, then. No hustle, bustle or having to 'deal' with family.
The next year we were in Apache Junction, AZ., my wife's Aunt & Uncle. Good folks, no turkey tough. Slow roasted, whole hog, eastern Carolina bbq, PLUS Thanksgiving sides, AND all the BBQ sides too. That's probably second.
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Recipes and Reminiscences go in the comments.
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Schteveo
8 comments:
In addition to the usual gridlock as people try to get to their families and friends today, we have to deal with obummer gridlock.
Dude, you were in AJ? Dats just down the way from Mesa. Next town over actually.
I know 'about' where you live Poots. She still has Aunts out there. One IN Mesa, one still in AJ (I think).
I was headed out there with her last spring, but I got sick and skipped it.
I was going to e-mail you from the 'Dew Drop Inn', and tell you that your beer was getting HOT! I wanted to go shootin' up the desert with you, had the guns cleaned, oiled and packed for transit.
Oh well...maybe next time.
Ahh, deep fried Turkey. Now that's something i've never had, (even with all the time i've spent in the South) but would love to try. I'm told that you had better know what you're doin if you're gonna try it.
Funny thing is, the best Thanksgiving meal i ever had was several years ago while visiting some good friends. Are ya ready? It was a Cracker Barrel restaurant in West Palm Beach, FL! Yes, i was shocked also. Seven course meal, tons of great food, and at $10.50 per person!! Had someone told me that would happen, i never would've believed them.
P.S.
I wish all you guys a safe and pleasant holiday with your families...
(my turkey is thawed and cooling...brine to come this afternoon...18 to 24 hour soak...3 1/2 minutes per pound, PLUS 5 minutes @ 350 degrees...let it sit 30 mins...while I fry the turkey breast...same cooking times apply...let it sit while I carve the big bird...carve the breast...EAT...too much...sleep...wake up, eat a turkey sandwich...sleep some mo'...)
Turkey and Pork Brine
1 whole stalk of celery, rough chopped
1 1lb bag carrots, rough chopped
2 lg onions, quartered, skins and all
1/4 whole cup pepper corns
3 tbls bacon drippings(or schmaltz)
2 gallons water ICE COLD water
2 cups Kosher Salt
Rough chop the veg, put the bacon fat in a deep pot, add the veggies and pepper corns, fry for 5 or 6 minutes to get a good browning on them. Add 2 - 3 cups of water and the salt. Bring it to a boil, stir to dissolve the salt.
Once the salt is dissolved, add enough of the ICE COLD water water to drop the temp below 60 degrees. (if you have time, just let it sit to cool down to room temp)
Put your bird / pork in a large pot or vessel. Add the cooled brine, veggies and all, and enough ICE COLD water to cover it all the way. Keep the bucket cold for 6 to 24 hours. Take the bird / pork out, allow it to sit one hour to come to room temp, cook per ??? directions.
Enjoy!
My Butterball goes in the oven tomorrow AM with my stuufing
(ok, so I baked lasagne for supper, threw it together and while it cooked, I continued to prep for tomorrow, before the lasagne finished, the oven smoked like a bitch...filled the house with smoke, fans everywhere...finished the lasagne, finished the garlic bread, ate dinner...[as I took the bread out of the oven, the door handle broke, smacked the door glass and broke it into about 10,321 pieces that flew EVERYWHERE]...cleaned up the glass, we cleaned up the dinner stuff, I decided to run the oven self cleaning cycle...RE-filled the house...my Mrs had to take the dog and go sit it out with our son and his family while I de-smoked the house...AGAIN.
And the Holiday isn't even here...YET.)
(hows by you?)
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