What's for Dinner?

[Boatboy24]

Looks perfect, Craig!

 

[ceeaton]

It had really good flavor but dried out a bit. That's the problem with the pre basted or injected turkeys. Really can't brine them too long or they get saltier than the seven seas. Kids still scarfed it down, so that's what is important.

Took the leftover cage and was planning to make soup this morning, but when I got home from a visit to my brother's house I noticed the outside temp had actually risen to 45*F, so my walk-in cooler (the garage) wasn't cold enough to safely keep the cage overnight. So I popped it in the crock pot on low and woke up to an amazing smoked turkey smell.

Will make a nice turkey soup we'll have tomorrow for dinner.

 

[geek]

Had this antipasto and then Salmon last night. At an Italian restaurant.

All delicious ..!!!

 

[Runningwolf]

It had really good flavor but dried out a bit. That's the problem with the pre basted or injected turkeys. Really can't brine them too long or they get saltier than the seven seas.

I'm going to brine for the first time this year. I read you always want to rinse the turkey down inside and out before cooking to avoid the saltiness.

 

[Boatboy24]

Had this antipasto and then Salmon last night. At an Italian restaurant.

All delicious ..!!!

View attachment 25885
View attachment 25886

Looks like your lipstick came off on your wine glass.

 

[geek]

[emoji3][emoji3]
The restaurant owners are our friends and her dad (Italian) makes wine.
I tasted and smelled a bit of oxidation and wife told me "I like your wine much better..!!"
[emoji12][emoji12]

 

[ceeaton]

I'm going to brine for the first time this year. I read you always want to rinse the turkey down inside and out before cooking to avoid the saltiness.

The weber site warns not to use a self basting or injected turkey. They suggest using a natural as is turkey w/no additives if you are going to brine it. http://virtualweberbullet.com/turkey3.html

 

[Runningwolf]

I've been reading that also. People said the brine is superior to injection because the entire bird gets the flavor rather than just ribbons of it. I'm a newbe at it so I'm just going off of what others say on the smoking forum.

 

[ceeaton]

Okay, now it's time to start using some turkey leftovers. How about some grilled quesadillas for lunch?

 

[Boatboy24]

Ah, but you CAN brine a 'self basting' turkey. I'd prefer a natural 'non enhanced' bird, but you can go either way.

http://virtualweberbullet.com/whole-turkey-brined-butterball-self-basting.html

 

[ceeaton]

Having the other white meat, pork. Soaked it in some pineapple juice with cumin. Seared on the grill, then baked in the oven topped with pineapple slices. Will serve with a green vege (green beans?), baked mac and cheese, leftover smashed taters and sauerkraut. Eyeing up a bottle of Viognier or Pinot Grigio for my wife, I'll drink something red though it doesn't pair well with the food. That's the foods' problem.

 

[Boatboy24]

@ceeaton: Pinot and pork go well.

Tonight we're doing filets grilled over charcoal and a kiss of pecan. Grilled fingerling potatoes and salad. Also making a red wine reduction sauce to go with the steak. Pairing it up with some of my Trader Joe's Amarone.

 

[Boatboy24]

A pic, so it did happen. This was the best RW reduction I've made. Probably because I started it early and had the patience to do it right. I'm especially pleased with it because I used a kit wine for it. (Eclipse Stags Leap Merlot)

 

[sour_grapes]

I spent much of yesterday and much of today making a real, honest-to-God demi-glace sauce from scratch. This is a "mother sauce" that you can use to build other sauces. I used it to make a Bordelaise sauce (not unlike Jim's wine reduction in the post above). I served this over a faux-Kobe (i.e., Wagyu beef) sirloin. This turned out heavenly. Sides were roasted potato slices and braised Lacinto Kale.

 

[JohnT]

Turkey!!

I always cook stuffed turkey in the oven. For those of you who are doing the same, here is what I do...

First, I truss the bird (a la Alton Brown)...

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auQB7D_xB0I[/ame]

I then stuff it. That's right, I said stuff it. They say you should not stuff a turkey, but I have been eating stuffing for 54 years and have never gotten sick.

Then I also use the "diaper" method (again, a la Alton Brown)...

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaKOLGIcMGE[/ame]


I absolutely swear by these two methods!

 

[ceeaton]

@JohnT, I wish I could stuff a turkey again. Would have to use Gluten Free breading or make a separate turkey for my 10 yr old son. The heavier grains just don't smell right, I want it like when my Mom or Grandma made it when I was a kid. We just do it in a ceramic covered dish which I uncover for the last 15 minutes to brown it up. Smells so good!

Jim and Paul, you are both getting too high end for me, plus kids from 7 to 16 don't allow for too fancy of a meal. Jim, that looks very good, Paul, no picture, doesn't count.

 

[Boatboy24]

Leftover night.

 

[Boatboy24]

Jim, how handy are you? I made a temperature controller for my crockpot. I used a commercial temperature controller that turns a solid-state relay on and off. My temperature controller was fairly expensive, but now they are available for dirt cheap: STC-1000http://www.amazon.com/Lerway-All-Purpose-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat/dp/B008KVCPH2

You could brew up your own sous vide rig (assuming you have a crockpot or ricecooker) for less than $50.

I'm not that handy. But as luck would have it, I got an email from Anova this afternoon and was able to score their SV unit for $99. I couldn't resist. Merry early Christmas to me!!!

 

[PierreR]

This years venison tenderloin, wrapped in home cured/smoked back bacon, seared in a cast iron fry pan, with thin cut shallots. Deglazed with red wine, and reduced. Served with herbed red potatoes.

For desert, homemade chocolate marble cheesecake. Now to settle into a food coma!

 

[Boatboy24]

Looks amazing @PierreR !