Thanksgiving Eve Barbecue

Are you In Bayside tonight? Have I got a deal for you. Check out Three Brothers Butchers on Bell Boulevard. Get some meat in your belly with all that beer!

Known as one of the hottest bar nights on Bell Boulevard, Thanksgiving Eve has been celebrated by the Three Brothers as young college students, as longtime Bayside residents, and now as a local business. Serving Bayside's BEST BBQ for over 5 years, 3BROS will be open all night tonight to accomodate revelers' hunger for:

• Pulled Pork
• Brisket
• Baby Back Ribs
• Smoked Chicken

Stop in for a quick bite on the way to the bar, crawling from one to another, or before you head home.

Thanksgiving Ingredients: Wood

I hear you, "WTF? Wood is an ingredient?" You bet your sweet bippie wood is an ingredient. When I started cooking with live fire, way back in my Boy Scout days, I was told not to cook with pine. "It makes food bitter," said my Scoutmaster. I didn't really believe him and thought it was just his way of keeping the kids out of his hair. You see, the campgrounds of Long Island were littered with pine branches and finding hard woods for the fire was a most time consuming job. But, we were kids and trying to earn merit badges, so we sought out the hard wood.

Fast forward a few years and I'm camping with some high school buddies. We were hungry after a day of hiking and I built a fire out of pine and whatever other woods that were easily available in this Long Island campground. I wanted a fire. I wanted to eat. I didn't care about the old Boy Scout advice.

Wally's mom made us a baked ziti for the trip, one of her signature dishes and highly enjoyed whenever we where at her home. I wrapped the pan carefully in foil and placed it on the fire, where it sat until it was hot and bubblely. We un-wrapped the ziti and dove in. 5 hungry teen boys shoved that ziti in our mouthes. 5 hungry boys immediately spat out the ziti!Never in my young life had I tasted a more awful food - bitter, smoky and just plain disgusting. I never experienced that from the boy scout campfires.(I hope Wally's mom isn't reading this - it wasn't her cooking, but mine that ruined her food) But I learned my lesson. Only use hard woods for live fire cooking.

So why am I telling you all this tale of woe? Because I'm expecting you to cook your bird over a live fire this Thanksgiving and I'm going to tell you which wood to use. Each wood listed here reacts with the meat differently and injects its unique flavors. Each wood on this list was specifically chosen because it works well with poultry.

ALDER - Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.

ALMOND - A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.

APPLE - Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns the skin dark brown) and pork.

BIRCH - Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.

CHERRY - Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some List members say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor. Cherry is my absolute favorite for smoking pork and imparts a beautiful red color to the finished product.

CRABAPPLE - Similar to apple wood.

GRAPEVINES - Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.

MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.

MULBERRY - The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple. My friend Phil calls this "cotton candy" wood because the smoke smells a lot like cotton candy.

ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

PEAR - A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.

PECAN - Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.

SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.

For a more detailed list of all woods, including hickory, mesquite, oak and others that work best with other foods, and what wood not to use, check out this post from 2004 that dives into the subject more deeply.

Photo of the wood pile courtsey of www.mayang.com/textures Used with permission.

Thanksgiving Recipes: Michael Voltaggio's Turkey Brine

Recently I had the good fortune to stumble upon a Williams-Sonoma technique class for a "Contemporary Thanksgiving." While that class focused on an incredible sous vide then deep fried turkey, it did give up one technique that the outdoor cook can use for this Thanksgiving - brining. If you're going to smoke (like the bird pictured above,) fry or grill your bird it will benefit greatly from a little brine!

Brining is an age old secret technique used to add moisture and flavor to meats. I usually save my brining for poultry, but it can be used on just about any meat. OK, so brining adds moisture and flavor but how does it work? Darned if I know. There's a few theories and you can read about them on The Virtual Weber Bullet. Go ahead, it's a good read. I'll still be here when you get back.

So with all that contridictory information filling your head - are you ready to brine? I'll bet you are. Without further ado, here's Michael Voltaggio's Turkey Brine.

Ingredients:

• 21⁄2 gallons (10 l) water
• 1⁄4 cup (23g) whole cloves
• 1⁄4 cup (32g) peppercorns
• 1⁄4 cup (18g) coriander seeds
• 1⁄4 cup (23g) allspice berries
• 1⁄4 cup (41g) yellow mustard seeds
• 21⁄2 cups (625g) kosher salt
• 21⁄2 cups (545g) firmly packedlight brown sugar
• 2 each grapefruits, oranges,lemons and limes, halved and juiced, rinds reserved

Method:
In a large stockpot over high heat, combine the water, spices, salt and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the citrus juices and rinds. Refrigerate the brine until thoroughly chilled. Place the turkey into the cold brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. Make sure the turkey is full submerged in the brine.

This recipe makes enough brine for a 10 to 12lb turkey. Need more brine - increase the ingredients proportionately, based on the size of your bird. Don't just up the water content.

One last note: Don't try this on a Butterball or any other enhanced turkey. Use a natural "no added ingredients" bird. Check the label - the only ingredient should read TURKEY

Thanksgiving Is Coming!

Yes, Thanksgiving is just down the road, so from now until the big day, I'll be focusing on recipes for your Thanksgiving feast that can be cooked on a grill, smoker, fryer or other outdoor cooking device. Live fire cooking is what it's all about here!

Today we'll start with an appetizer; Marinated Portabello Mushrooms with Asiago Cheese. This recipe comes to us from the fine folks at Weber, was created by the talented Jamie Purviance and is published in Weber's Way to Grill. Portabello Mushrooms are so large and "meaty", they could serve as a first course to your crazy vegetarian friends and relations! You've been warned son.

Marinated Portabello Mushrooms with Asiago Cheese

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper

Main Ingredients:

• 6 large portabello mushrooms, each 5 to 6 inches in diameter
• 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1-1/2 cups grated Asiago cheese

Directions:

1. In a small bowl whisk the marinade ingredients, including 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

2. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth or paper towel.
Remove and discard the stems. With a teaspoon, carefully scrape out and discard the black gills from the mushroom caps. Place the mushrooms, cap sides up, on a rimmed plate and brush them with the marinade. Turn the mushrooms over and brush again with the marinade. Let marinate at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).

4. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs with the parsley.

5. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the mushrooms, gill sides down, over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until the mushrooms begin to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Brush the cap sides with some of the remaining marinade from the plate, turn them over, add 1/4 cup of cheese on top of each mushroom, close the lid, and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, 4 to 6 minutes. During the last minute of cooking, place the bread crumb mixture evenly on top of each mushroom. Remove from the grill, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Serves 6

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Recipe

Looking for something to make with all that left over turkey? Here's one of my favorites, Leftover Turkey Pot Pie. It's really simple and filling. I do cheat and use pre-made pie crusts from the store, but hey, I never liked baking anyway.

Leftover smoked turkey makes a great pot pie as well.Feel free to change up the vegetables; leftover string beans, broccoli and/or corn make great additions. I even tried it once with left over glazed carrots! You can see some corn in the picture below. It's from a pie I made last year.

Ingredients

• 1 package pre-made refrigerated pie crusts enough for a (10 inch) double crust pie (Not the pre-made pie shells - buy the sheets)
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups cooked turkey cut up
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F . Roll out bottom pie crust, press into a 10 inch pie pan, and set aside.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion, celery, carrots, parsley, oregano, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the turkey and flour. Add the milk, and heat through. Stir the turkey mixture into the vegetable mixture, and cook until thickened. Cool slightly, then pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling. Flute edges, and make 4 slits in the top crust to let out steam.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
   

Thanksgiving Recipes: Crandberry Sauce

This is one of the easiest recipes you'll ever find. It's simple, straight forward and delicious. This recipe puts the canned stuff to shame. This is my adaptation of the recipe for Cranberry Sauce as found in The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

• 12 oz fresh cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (more or less to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
  

Wash the cranberries. In a pot, bring the water to boil and add the cranberries, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from burning. Mash the cranberry mixture with a potato masher. Cook over low heat for an additional 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the sugar and salt and cook for 2 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a serving container and refrigerate until solid. (Usually overnight)

The photograph of cranberry sauce comes to us from A Pinch of Health - Australian Low Carb Forum

How to Brine a Turkey

The fine folks over at Cookshack, bless their hearts, released a video on how to brine a turkey just in time for thanksgiving. The video starts a little slow as they show images of the corporate logo and then then the recipe card for the brine. Don't adjust your monitor, there really is no sound for about the first 30 seconds of the video.



This reminds me of school. Dry, dull and a little crazed, but the information is right on. The crotch shot is a hoot. Guys, hire a professional videographer next time!

You Ready?

So boys and girls, the holiday where we all pig out is about to hit. Are you ready? I'm thinking about what I'm planing to cook this Thanksgiving and how I can save money this year. It's an interesting conundrum as the holidays are the few days of the year where I don't take food costs into account. Well, I don't abandon those thoughts totally. I still need to keep it within reason but the reason gets a little flexible!

I've been missing the smoke lately, so I'm thumbing through my barbecue, grilling and smoking cookbooks looking for inspiration. I'm toying with the idea of preparing my entire Thanksgiving feast on the smokers, but that would probably be overkill. Some things lend themselves to the flavors of the flames and frankly some things don't. Ever have smoke Lasagna? Yuck.

Here's what I'm thinking for our feast this year. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I try to keep the day a mix of our traditional dishes and a few surprises.

For an appetizer, I'm thinking about Confetti Filled Ham Spirals based on the recipe from Sublime Smoke by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. I haven't made these in years but they're always a big hit. I'll put up the recipe in a separate post, cause this one is going to be long enough.

Other appetizers include grilled shrimp or oyster cocktail, filberts, dried figs, assorted cheeses, chips and a good Texas manufactured peach salsa. Why filberts you may ask? I don't know, but my mother always put a tray off filberts and figs out at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It may be a throwback to our English heritage as The Nut Factory includes them in their English Mix and it's not a holiday to me without them.

I'm thinking about making a seafood soup this year, but two of our guests don't like seafood and one is still in his vegetarian mode. I may make a cheddar potato soup from New Recipes from the Moosewood Restaurant, but that can be a meal in itself. Who knows, we usually don't do soup, but I love soup and would love to include it as part of our meal. Maybe a simple Cream of Mushroom Soup would be best; it's so much lighter.

I will be making a turkey, but I haven't decided how yet. I may brine it, I may not. Maybe I should just order a Turduken. Oh, I don't know.

One thing that usually decides it for me, is that I prefer my turkey stuffed and a brined or smoked turkey doesn't lend itself to stuffing easily.

For side dishes, I'm looking at recipes for Spaghetti Squash, (which is the only squash I really like), Lemon Leeks, to replace our traditional Pearl Onions in Cream Sauce (which only my mother eats) and Saffron and Ginger Sweet Potatoes. (Both the recipes for Lemon Leeks and Saffron and Ginger Sweet Potatoes can be found in Sublime Smoke.) Other sides will include mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables, a green salad of some sort, green beans, sweet corn and some sort of mushrooms if I don't make the mushroom soup. (I think we've got all our colors covered!) There will be home made biscuits and other breads as well. I hope I can get through the day without any grilled TOFU.

Of course I'll be making my famous Clove and Cinnamon scented Cranberry Sauce. The recipe is one I created from a basic recipe found in the Fanny Farmer Cookbook, which I have modified and adjusted greatly over the years, so much so that it no longer holds much in common with the original. If you've never made cranberry sauce from scratch; you're doing yourself a disservice. It's easy and so much better than anything canned.

On a side note, I wonder what the technical differences are between "scented" and "flavored." I don't really know, but scented sounds so much more refined and seems to be the popular adjective for menus these days.

And finally, we'll be having desserts. I've asked my mother to make her apple pie using a lard crust that is just out of this world. (No, that link isn't to her recipe. Her recipe is much older.) She tells me that she's been using the same recipe since the 1940's, but I know that's not exactly true. She did abandon the lard for another shortening for a least a decade and it made a huge difference in the flavor and flakiness in the crust. Mom will also make a pumpkin pie for my wife and my wife will make a cheesecake for my son. Maybe I'll contribute some sort of baked pears.

Sounds like a plan doesn't it? I hope I remember to take pictures!