Who’s NOT doing a turkey for Thanksgiving?


 

Timothy F. Lewis

TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
My family does not care for turkey and we have all sort of done it for years out of habit, last year we did a brisket, this year, a crown roast of pork! Mostly the standard sides but, the protein has gone to, just about anything BUT turkey anymore. Every once in a while I feel like it but, it seems to have been years.
 
We go full gobble gobble on T day.
My son's would disown me if I neglected doing a bird.
We bake one (stuffed), fry one and smoke one.
 
Smoked prime rib, accompanied by roast root veg, soy/ginger green bean (if I can find fresh this week,) probably a sweet potato mash, etc.
 
I would be all for not eating turkey, or at least having a second meat. This will be an odd year because I'm not able to cook a bird yet from the recent surgery and the wife has never made a turkey, lol. She's too scared to try it since the kids and in-laws are coming. So we ordered our meal from Kroger.

Happy Thanksgiving!
 
My family does not care for turkey and we have all sort of done it for years out of habit, last year we did a brisket, this year, a crown roast of pork! Mostly the standard sides but, the protein has gone to, just about anything BUT turkey anymore. Every once in a while I feel like it but, it seems to have been years.
Might I suggest a good holiday substitute


There's two additional links in that thread, one a the gasser, one on the kettle and one on the WSM
 
I enjoy turkey but we only cook it once a year. I cooked a turkey breast roulade one year that was good. A crown roast of pork or prime rib is always a big hit. The problem with Turkey is the skin is almost always a bummer. Anyone that says they get crispy skin smoking a bird is lying to you(I've gotten skin crispy maybe on the wings). You lose most of the flavor when everyone inevitably shucks the skin. If you season under the skin, well the skin just flops off when you slice it. I'm going to try yet another time for decent skin this year just out of some masochistic self-loathing. We'll see. I think a Texas style turkey breast is the way to go. They just take the skin off from the get-go. I saw a video where a guy took the skin off a whole bird before cooking it but it looked like something out of Hellraiser.
 
I'm coming to your house..............................what time is dinner :D
Yeah, forget the crown roast!
I did pick up a 3 rib standing rib roast for $9.99/lb.! That might be for another feast, I’m thinking I’ll do that for us “rare” fans and snag a smaller one for the “kill the cow a second time!” eaters.
 
I'm coming to your house..............................what time is dinner :D
<grin> Shootin' for around 5:00 PM, and it's a 4-5 drive from there (not that I've ever driven that.....) Shoot, forgot the drunken mushrooms, simmered on the stove for 8 or 9 hours in red wine, butter and a little dill seed seasoning (see Ree Drummond's recipe.)

@Chris Allingham , I just love scalloped potatoes... and I don't ever recall making them myself. I'll have to see if one of my sisters has Mom's old recipe, which was very simple, IIRC.

Giada De Laurentiis has a recipe for a decadent mashed potato casserole (mozzarella, bacon bits and topped with a pile of grated Parmesan) that's always a crowd pleaser. We're giving that a rest this year.

@Dustin Dorsey , I have gotten very crispy skin on a smoked turkey right out of the smoker, so crisp it almost shattered. It has to be smoked in a very dry environment, and unfortunately, always seems to start getting soggy as soon as the rest starts.
 
<grin> Shootin' for around 5:00 PM, and it's a 4-5 drive from there (not that I've ever driven that.....) Shoot, forgot the drunken mushrooms, simmered on the stove for 8 or 9 hours in red wine, butter and a little dill seed seasoning (see Ree Drummond's recipe.)

@Chris Allingham , I just love scalloped potatoes... and I don't ever recall making them myself. I'll have to see if one of my sisters has Mom's old recipe, which was very simple, IIRC.

Giada De Laurentiis has a recipe for a decadent mashed potato casserole (mozzarella, bacon bits and topped with a pile of grated Parmesan) that's always a crowd pleaser. We're giving that a rest this year.

@Dustin Dorsey , I have gotten very crispy skin on a smoked turkey right out of the smoker, so crisp it almost shattered. It has to be smoked in a very dry environment, and unfortunately, always seems to start getting soggy as soon as the rest starts.
OK Larry, I’ll pick you up and drop my mixer off at the same time.😉
@JKalchik- the key I’ve found with scalloped potatoes is consistent thickness, best quality cheese and plenty of butter. My wife talked me through the method her mom did and it’s pretty simple and amazingly good. I use the 2mm blade on the Cuisinart, a ton of gruyere, whipping cream, flour, salt and pepper. Pretty much just shingle the sliced potatoes, dot with butter, sprinkle with flour, cheese, salt and pepper, repeat, as many times as you wish, finishing with cheese then, gently pour cream(or milk if you’re watching whatever) until it just reaches the top, bake at whatever temp you have other things in the oven roughly an hour.
I very much like the 2mm thickness, my brother does a recipe from the “Union Square Café” cookbook, which uses 1mm and incorporating a “Bain Marie” for baking. Ive been to the restaurant and had it, my brother has that completely dialed in but, more fiddling about with the water bath than I want to do. And I don’t have the 1mm blade either.
 
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I am not smoking a turkey this year. My son is. We’re headed over there this year for the first time. We’ve always done everything and they came here so the torch is passed and we’re bringing a cpl sides. 👍
 
Deal if you bring some of Larry Bell's, even if he did just sell out. :D I should point out that KZoo is a good 10 hour drive from here.
I’m pretty sure it is a GOOD 10 hours! No problem hauling some “2 Hearted” or something. Yeah, too bad he sold. I just hope there are not too many “staffing changes“, my nephew works there.
I just prepped the sweet potato crunch (sans crunch, which I will make tomorrow), I will get the cornbread stuffing ready to assemble after I get home from round two of shopping tomorrow. Wednesday, pick up turkey cake, pork roast and I will be ready to go!
 
I'm not cooking a turkey.

My sister is though.

I'll probably smoke the one I have in my freezer early December.
 
I'm not. But my sister is, and I'm going to her house! ;)

under edit: @DanHoo I just saw you posted almost the exact same thing. Great minds...

My mother-in-law has been visiting my sister-in-law and her family in Austria for the last 12 days. She's getting back tomorrow and is going to quarantine for a bit (it's bad over there). We'll have her over probably next weekend for a turkey dinner.
 
I hinted about doing a different chunk of meat for Thanksgiving because my wife doesn't enjoy turkey that much, and I'm starting to lose interest, in it, but then my teenagers both threatened to run away from home. I was gonna let em' but my wife wants them to stick around a while so Turkey it is ;) . I'll give it my best shot but if anyone complains it'll be something different next year.

Let's face it, Turkey is something most folks only cook once a year, and its hard to make anything really good if you only cook it once a year.
 
We gave had Turkey 3 times already and will have again on Wednesday so there is no need for me and the wife to make one. So we will something of a lower calorie level.
 

 

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