If you know the least about me, you'd know I have a non-eating problem. As occupational hazard that comes with such condition, I'm not that big into cooking. My dad and me being in the same kitchen is similar to dropping water on a pot of hot oil. So let's just say I wasn't exactly thrilled when the responsibility to cook Thanksgiving dinner somehow befell on me. Let me repeat that: not thrilled!
My mother is still out of the country until further notice. No further notice has ever been given, but she's still not back. She's working. Or something. Anyway! My older brother will be stuck with his side of the family Thanksgiving dinner. The rest of my younger siblings are useless and I am guilted into this for being the responsible one. Or at least the one that cares enough. In addition to dinner, it appears two of my siblings will be joining the uniformed services, so they leave the first week of December, and hence this dinner is kind of important. Or something. I don't get along with either very much, so I'm indifferent (or heartless--your pick).
My game plan: assuming the turkey my parents bought a year ago on Thanksgiving that's still on the freezer doesn't get up and walks away after I unwrap it, I'll try to cook it. None of us are turkey fans, and the few times my mother has tried, it hasn't been a good experience. Chicken is still the most popular, so I'll cook 1-2 if I can find some affordable whole chickens. Plus the turkey.
Then there are big meatballs, rice and pigeon peas, potato salad, spaghetti and pastelitos (mini empanadas), which are pretty much what our big dinners are about. My dad will help, of course, but I think that's as far as the assistance portion of the dinner goes. No idea on the budget, but I know it won't be cheap. And we don't have the recipe for the meatballs. Hmm... I'll get creative and try my hand at making bread while I'm at it, since there was a special kind of break from back home (called telera) that is not something we can find in the US, and it could be a fun excuse to bake.
Then we take some nice, smiling photos, play with the babies if present, and disperse to our rooms. Super fun togetherness time! Not.
Turkeys are pretty easy. First make sure to take it out of the freezer and put in fridge on Monday, Sunday evening would be even better. I always make ours in the aluminum foil pans you can get at the grocery store (pretty cheap too). Take the gizzard pack out of the turkey. (I forgot that once!) I use butter to rub on the skin of the turkey and sprinkle what ever seasoning you like on it. Tent the turkey, which is just taking a big piece of foil and folding it over the turkey loosely. Just have to remember to baste it every so often so it doesn't dry out. Good luck and the rest of the menu sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI was definitely gonna buy some disposable pans. Last thing I need to do is worry about clean-up. And thanks for the tip about the gizzards... I probably would've forgotten to look there. Can't say I've ever made a chicken (in the US, anyway), whole. Back home, you get the gizzards separately.
DeleteFirst make sure that old frozen bird didn't get freezer burn.
ReplyDeleteIf so, toss it and buy a new bird.
Instead of having to baste that danged thing do what I do.....cook it upside down. No, you don't hang upside down, you place the bird in the pan with the breast side down. That way, as the dark meat cooks gravity pulls the oils/moisture out of that part of the fowl into the white meat/breast to keep it from drying.
We never present the whole bird on the table(like in that famous Norman Rockwell painting)so it doesn't matter that the breast skin isn't all nice and toasty. We slice it pre-table.
Also after you take your cooked bird out of the oven, let it rest(don't cut into it!!)for 30 minutes or so. That gives the juices time to reabsorb into the meat. If you cut your turkey immediately after cooking, the juices all run out and you get dry poultry.
Also look up "spatchcock cooking"(where you remove the backbone and flatten your bird to cook it)as that will cut down how long you cook a turkey so you are not spending all day in the kitchen. If you aren't stuffing the turkey, this method is good for roasting or grilling your bird.
http://www.nytimes.com/video/dining/100000002547372/how-to-spatchcock-a-turkey.html
and this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Lie172c3Y#t=67
I had heard about the breast-down, which was my initial plan... though flipping it will be a task in itself. I should take pics of this whole affair. Would be a fun memory. Who knows when, if I ever, I'll have such an opportunity again.
DeleteSpeaking of which, how do I know if the bird is frozen burnt before Thu if I put it out by Sunday?
DeleteIf nobody really cares about turkey, I would stick to chicken just because it's easier :) Honestly, if it all falls on your shoulders, simplify it! Whoever joins you for dinner can bring a side and you can do the main dish. Anyway, good luck :)
ReplyDeleteIt's only going to be family, so nobody will be bringing or helping with stuff. I would stick with just chicken, but my dad is adamant about keeping the Thanksgiving theme going.
DeleteOh dear Tanner! I wish I could help. I love to cook, and will probably get shoved aside at my brother's house - his wife (I dearly love her) prefers to be alone in the kitchen!
ReplyDeleteIn another vein, it's pretty cool you've got two sibs headed for the military! Care to expand on that? I have 100%, total, respect for our service members. I worked for the US Army for 15 years, they're special people.
Peace <3
Jay
Not much that I know of... I will say that I do respect them for taking this step, but that's going from 0-10% respect to +20% respect. I still am not a fan. Brother is going to navy, I believe he will be stationed in SC, and no idea about sister, besides that she is going to the airforce. I get most of these news from my older brother. I don't keep up with the younger ones at all.
DeleteWell you could order a complete dinner from acme or shoprite or.......if you like chicken better make that! Its about the traditions you make. But if you make the turkey picture it like a giant chicken and take a drink every time you open the stove(that has helped me through many a thanksgiving) . I do the same thing as Sluggy and also slice pre table! OMG me you and sluggy are turning into one person. :) But I am glad I am only having 15 ppl this year instead of the usual 28
ReplyDeleteHaha. US Thanksgiving dinner doesn't really appeal to us that much, so I can't even get a get-outta-jail-free card on this one. I may try to pre-slice the bird. And as they say, brilliant minds think alike! It will only be 5~8 of us though. I'd surely panic with more. I wonder if I can fit 3 birds into the oven... hmm...
DeleteHow about three rotiseri(sp) chickens already cooked from the market then just heat them up. I am all about making it easy this year.
DeleteOh so your Thanksgiving is going to be almost as good as mine?
ReplyDelete