The Grilling and Cooking Thread

[tshile]

That chicken is deeeeeeeeelicious 

Edited October 23, 2016 by tshile

[steve09ru]

What's everyone got going for tomorrow?  Doing my first hosting so will be interesting.  Had to start prepping a few items tonight to save time with the game tomorrow (wife's family is typically a late group to eat).

was hoping to get a non frozen turkey and had to settle for frozen and rush the thaw so can only, hopefully, go up from there.

[PCS]

Actually thought about grilling the turkey tomorrow,but the latest wind storm pushed it over,(with some help from the fence it nearly blew down),and it's,well,no longer available.    

 

*

 

(Gives me a reason to update though.  )

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

7 minutes ago, steve09ru said:

What's everyone got going for tomorrow?  Doing my first hosting so will be interesting.  Had to start prepping a few items tonight to save time with the game tomorrow (wife's family is typically a late group to eat).

was hoping to get a non frozen turkey and had to settle for frozen and rush the thaw so can only, hopefully, go up from there.

In addition to my wife cooking lunch (turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, gravy, rolls and my grandmothers chicken wing recipe) I was wanting to toss a very small turkey or drumsticks on the charcoal grill and smoke them.  But she didn't buy the small turkey or drumsticks lol.  So, pretty much just stuffing my face at lunch, then I'll have her make the wings after her family leaves (my MIL, SIL and BIL) which will probably be right around when the game starts (my MIL doesn't like traveling at dark).

Invited one of our best friends over, so if she has recovered from being sick (cold/funk crap) then she will chill with us watching football, drinking and watching a movie after the game.  Picked up the new Borne movie and Suicide Squad on Vudu to watch.  

Edited November 24, 2016 by Dont Taze Me Bro

[steve09ru]

Yeah I'm trying to plan the dinner around halftime  

my wife's uncle typically does a nice grilled/smoked turkey (rubbed) but is staying up in MD this year unfortunately.  Was looking forward to that.

[dfitzo53]

All I'm responsible for this year is pumpkin pie and I'm totally fine with that. Daughter loves to help bake so she'll get in on it too. 

[Going Commando]

I've been brining a turkey for the past 36 hours.  Just going to roast it.  My girlfriend and her mother are going to make a dressing out of cream biscuits & bacon & and mushrooms, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, roasted squash, rolls, and a cranberry sauce made with like port and grand marnier.  For dessert we got an apple pie and I made pumpkin cheesecake brownies last night.  For lunch we'll grill oysters and have bloody marys.

We did most of the mis en place yesterday so today really shouldn't be that difficult.  That's good because I barely slept last night.

[Skinsfan1311]

Spatch****ed the turkey last night and dry-brined it, (basically, you sprinkle 1/2 tsp kosher salt per pound), and let it rest, uncovered, overnight.  This makes for very crispy skin.  I made up a "Simon & Garfunkel" rub, (courtesy of Meathead Goldwyin of Amazing Ribs fame).    In a couple of hours, I'll mix the rub with a little water, make a paste and rub it on the turkey, under, and over, the skin.  Our sage has survived, so I'll stick a few leaves of it under the skin. I'll put it in the smoker, and cook at 325.  It's a 12lb bird, so it'll probably take a couple of hours.    I'm using charcoal, so I'm not going to bother with wood, as poultry soaks up smoke like a sponge.   Too much smoke, and it gets bitter, (trust me on this, I learned from experience)

Saturday, I'm smoking a "Maple Syrup & Brown Sugar-Crusted" ham, to take to the farm for my hunting buddies.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

11 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

I've been brining a turkey for the past 36 hours.  Just going to roast it.  My girlfriend and her mother are going to make a dressing out of cream biscuits & bacon & and mushrooms, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, roasted squash, rolls, and a cranberry sauce made with like port and grand marnier.  For dessert we got an apple pie and I made pumpkin cheesecake brownies last night.  For lunch we'll grill oysters and have bloody marys.

We did most of the mis en place yesterday so today really shouldn't be that difficult.  That's good because I barely slept last night.

Sounds great!

Weather permitting, we seldom roast the bird anymore. It's either grilled, smoked or fried.   The one thing that we miss about roasting a turkey, is the way the house fills up with that great aroma.    How do you brine?  Wet?  Dry?

[Going Commando]

39 minutes ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

Sounds great!

Weather permitting, we seldom roast the bird anymore. It's either grilled, smoked or fried.   The one thing that we miss about roasting a turkey, is the way the house fills up with that great aroma.    How do you brine?  Wet?  Dry?

Wet brine.  I got a mixture from Williams Sonoma that looks like it's salt, bay leaves, thyme, an immense amount of rosemary, apple, juniper berries, and star anise.  I dissolved that in about a quart of water and then mixed it with just under a gallon of buttermilk and then put it all in a brining bag.

I think I might try grilling it next year, but right now I feel more confident cooking it in the oven.  I've got a roaster with a big domed lid, I wonder if I should use it?  I could probably leave it a little open on the end so that it won't steam the turkey, but then I'm wonder what's the point of using it at all then?

Also, when you roasted your turkeys, did you start them out breast side down and flip them?  I'm on the fence about doing that because it's a 20 pound turkey and I know it's going to be tricky to flip it while it's hot.  I didn't flip it last year and I think it turned out OK but that was a smaller bird and shorter cook time.

[PleaseBlitz]

May have drank too many old fashioneds last night to drink all day today.

May have.  

[Skinsfan1311]

42 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Wet brine.  I got a mixture from Williams Sonoma that looks like it's salt, bay leaves, thyme, an immense amount of rosemary, apple, juniper berries, and star anise.  I dissolved that in about a quart of water and then mixed it with just under a gallon of buttermilk and then put it all in a brining bag.

I think I might try grilling it next year, but right now I feel more confident cooking it in the oven.  I've got a roaster with a big domed lid, I wonder if I should use it?  I could probably leave it a little open on the end so that it won't steam the turkey, but then I'm wonder what's the point of using it at all then?

Also, when you roasted your turkeys, did you start them out breast side down and flip them?  I'm on the fence about doing that because it's a 20 pound turkey and I know it's going to be tricky to flip it while it's hot.  I didn't flip it last year and I think it turned out OK but that was a smaller bird and shorter cook time.

No need to cook breast-down, flip, baste, or cover.  Ideally,  you should put it on, not in, a roasting pan, which allows even cooking and crispy skin.  All you do is stick an oven-proof *cooling rack on top of the roasting pan, and put the bird on that. Be sure to have some liquid in the pan, like chicken broth or water. You can also stick some celery, potatoes,.carrots and onions in the pan.

*if you don't have a rack that fits, you can put the turkey directly on an oven rack, and place the roasting pan on the rack, right below it. Just make sure it's positioned to catch all the drippings. Foil under the pan, just.in case

Edited November 24, 2016 by Skinsfan1311

[LadySkinsFan]

Roasting a Cornish Hen since it's just me. Will make dressing, have already prepared mashed potatoes, and make gravy from scratch.

I made pumpkin custard last night and ate some this morning. Still too much pumpkin even with the small can. Will have to use half and freeze the rest next time. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all ESers and family and friends!

[dfitzo53]

Agree about poultry and smoke. Use a gentle hand or don't bother. 

 

Gluten-free pumpkin pie for the missus is in the oven. One Jacques Au Lantern down, with a Pumking on deck. So far so good. 

[Zguy28]

My sister is hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. All we have to bring is dessert. My wife made home made whoopie pies!!

 

I am hosting Christmas dinner. Doing a glazed ham with this recipe. Done it for about the last 7-8 years and everybody raves about it.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/sugarcane-baked-ham-with-spiced-apples-and-pears-recipe3.html#!

Also trying to convince the better half to let me cook a goose as well. Every time I mention a goose to anybody they seem to think its a bad idea, sometimes even citing that it's dark meat, which doesn't make sense. I love dark meat instead of old dry white meat.

[LadySkinsFan]

Sounds delicious, Zguy28! Thanks for posting the recipe. I like duck, have never had goose, but I'm with you in liking dark meat best. That's one reason why I got a Game Hen, not much white meat, well not much meat at all really.

[skinsmarydu]

3 hours ago, LadySkinsFan said:

Happy Thanksgiving to all ESers and family and friends!

And to you as well!

[Elessar78]

Turkey was dry. I wish they would let me make it. 

Virginia ham saved the day. 

Dessert round hit a home run. My other SIL made her awesome cheesecake. My wife made her apple pie. And we had this stuff called jello pretzel salad. Kind of amazing.

[btfoom]

11 hours ago, LadySkinsFan said:

Roasting a Cornish Hen since it's just me. Will make dressing, have already prepared mashed potatoes, and make gravy from scratch.

Happy Thanksgiving to all ESers and family and friends!

First, sounds great. Second, if near Annapolis, let me know and you should join us next year.  No reason to eat alone, especially a great dinner like that>...

So, we have an extra uncooked turkey breast.  I'd like to cook in on the grill - never tried it before.  I have a 4 burner grill and my brother in law said I should 'indirect heat it' by using the outside burners. Anyone know how to do this?  Any good rubs to put on it before cooking?

Lastly, he brought a sweet cake to mark my wife's last chemo-therapy.  Here it is (and yes, it has 3 layers of chocolate cake with vanilla frosting in between):

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

12 minutes ago, btfoom said:

First, sounds great. Second, if near Annapolis, let me know and you should join us next year.  No reason to eat alone, especially a great dinner like that>...

So, we have an extra uncooked turkey breast.  I'd like to cook in on the grill - never tried it before.  I have a 4 burner grill and my brother in law said I should 'indirect heat it' by using the outside burners. Anyone know how to do this?  Any good rubs to put on it before cooking?

Lastly, he brought a sweet cake to mark my wife's last chemo-therapy.  Here it is (and yes, it has 3 layers of chocolate cake with vanilla frosting in between):

You would turn on the two outside burners, place the turkey in the middle and let it cook.  Same principle as cooking a beer can chicken on a grill.  How long to cook it depends on the size and what temp you want to do it on.  Here is a guide off Weber's website:  http://www.weber.com/weber-nation/blog/how-many-minutes-per-pound-will-my-turkey-take

[LadySkinsFan]

35 minutes ago, btfoom said:

First, sounds great. Second, if near Annapolis, let me know and you should join us next year.  No reason to eat alone, especially a great dinner like that>...

So, we have an extra uncooked turkey breast.  I'd like to cook in on the grill - never tried it before.  I have a 4 burner grill and my brother in law said I should 'indirect heat it' by using the outside burners. Anyone know how to do this?  Any good rubs to put on it before cooking?

Lastly, he brought a sweet cake to mark my wife's last chemo-therapy.  Here it is (and yes, it has 3 layers of chocolate cake with vanilla frosting in between):

 

Thanks for the invite for next year. I hope to be in Austin with my family! I used to live in Cape St. Claire, my daughter graduated from Broadneck. Last time I visited Parole, I didn't recognize the place!  My daughter worked at Tower Records near the Amish market. It's been a couple of years since I've been over there except to drive by on 50.

Hope your day was good.  I had some invites but wanted to stay home.  I was missing my mom and brother today and would have been not good company.

[Zguy28]

My BIL served a boneless turkey breast instead of a whole turkey and it was delicious.

[TheGoodBits]

I've decided that fried turkey is the only turkey worth eating.

[Popeman38]

I made a 12 pound bird on the grill. Beer can turkey with cider, garlic, and onion in the middle, and garlic powder, onion powder, and Pepper Plant seasoning on the outside. Ridiculously juicy breast and tasty, crispy skin. Only complaint is the kettle wasn't tall enough and had to move to gas. 

 

Edited November 25, 2016 by Popeman38

[TheGoodBits]

Grabbed the last masterbuilt electric turkey fryer off the shelf at Lowes this morning. The turkey I ate yesterday inspired me, and we're hosting my family for dinner tomorrow. Grabbed some Tony Chechere's butter injectable marinade for it as well. 

[steve09ru]

Got a dehydrater for housewarming gift so testing it out with some ground beef (didn't have time to get any good cuts).

 

Kneaded and mixed in some various items (soy, Worcester, buffalo, vinegar, cayenne, red pepper, and a few others).  Doing a pound of spicy/hot and pound of light (took away buffalo and added a1).

 

what does everyone else use for jerky?  Any preferences or recommendations?