T–2 and counting. Are you ready for Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is all about tradition….until I went on a Modernist Cuisine binge with my Thanksgiving Recipes. Hopefully the classic cornbread stuffing and basic grilled turkey made up for it:
- Rotisserie Turkey, Injection Brined
- Pressure Cooker Mashed Acorn Squash
- Cornbread and Sage Sausage Stuffing
- Grilled Turkey with a simple Dry Brine
Thanksgiving Tips
I have some suggestions for a successful Thanksgiving - and you don’t have to go all Modernist for it to work.
- Cook your turkey on the grill (Why you should grill your Thanksgiving Turkey)
- Dry Brine your turkey (Rotisserie Turkey Dry Brined with Orange and Spices - it should be salted and in the refrigerator tonight.)
- Use your grill’s rotisserie, if you have one (Video: How to Truss and Spit a Turkey for the Rotisserie)
- Cook the turkey breast to 150°F to 155°F (Turkey temperature: the 150 question)
- Save the carcass for turkey stock to make the best soup ever (Pressure Cooker Turkey Stock Revisited).
DadCooksDinner Thanksgiving Recipes
My favorite Thanksgiving recipes on DadCooksDinner:
- Rotisserie Turkey Dry Brined with Orange and Spices on my Weber kettle (I keep mentioning this one because it is my favorite turkey recipe ever.)
- Cajun Dry Brine Rotisserie Turkey (on my Weber Summit, if you want gas grill instructions)
- Bacon Wrapped Rotisserie Turkey
- Basic Wet Brine Rotisserie Turkey
- Dry Brined Rotisserie Turkey Breast (For a small thanksgiving dinner, a turkey breast is the perfect size)
- Spice Rubbed Turkey Breast
- Grilled Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Drip Pan Sweet Potatoes (if you have the turkey on the rotisserie, don’t let the drippings go to waste.)
- Bread Stuffing with Cranberries and Apples
- Chestnut Stuffing
- Pressure Cooker Giblet Gravy (A pressure cooker isn’t absolutely necessary, but it speeds things up).
*What? I don’t have a mashed potato recipe? Again? Here, use this one from Pam Anderson. I really need to fix that.
Thanksgiving Question
This year’s question from a reader:
How much of a load is too much of a load for these little electric rotisserie motors, and how long does it take to balance the bird on the spit?
I get both of these questions a lot, to the point that I wrote posts about them. The answers:
- The rotisserie motor can handle a 24 pound turkey. I could probably go larger on my Weber kettle, but that was the biggest bird I could find last year, and it fit with room to spare.
- I don’t worry about the counterweight. I run the spit through the cavity of the bird, and that seems to balance it well enough for the rotisserie.
Have Fun
I try to remind myself: Thanksgiving isn’t entirely about the food. (No, really.) I tend to get wrapped up and forget the family will be fine as long as they get that one favorite side dish. (Yes, even if it’s cranberry sauce straight from the can, with the ridges on the can still visible. Shudder.)
One more thing
Please, don’t go shopping on Thanksgiving, no matter how tempting the deals are. Black Friday keeps inching further and further into Thanksgiving, and it is up to us to push it back, using our power as consumers. If no one shows up until Friday, they won’t open on Thanksgiving. Fight the power!
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| Cartoon by: Randy Bish |
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Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Add 1 cup of soaked wood chips when you start cooking (wrap them in an envelope of aluminum foil if you don't have a smoking box). That's enough to smoke a turkey - you don't need to add more.
Scarlets24 says
And my final question (sorry) is about the smoking of it. I will be using wood chips (as I don't have access to get a chunk of wood). Should I replenish the chips during the cooking time, and if so, at what intervals and for how long?
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Set up with two burners on one end of the grill, with the legs closest to the heat (as picture in this post:) https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/2011/11/rotisserie-turkey-with-cajun-dry-brine.html (Ignore the infrared burner)
I'd guess 2 1/2 hours for a 15 pound turkey; it took me 2 hours for a 12 pound bird, and 3 hours for a 24 pound bird. Start checking the temp at about 1 1/2 hours.
Scarlets24 says
Thanks for the reply Mike. My other question is regarding the setup of the grill. I will be cooking on a gas grill with 4 burners. Would I be best to set it up with the two burners on at one end of the grill, and have the turkey up the other end with the legs closest to the heat, or have the turkey in the middle with a burner on at each end and the two in the middle turned off? And if I can maintain a 350 degree heat, how long do you think for a 15.17lb bird? I will use a thermometer to check the temp, but could do with a rough idea to plan too.
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Yes, increase the brine ingredients by 25% - 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal Kosher, etc... For the orange zest, use a big orange.
Scarlets24 says
Hi Mike, greetings from across the pond! I am going to try your dry brined turkey this Christmas. I have got a 15.17lb (6.88kg) turkey. Your recipe says to use a 12-14 lb bird, should I increase any of the brine ingredients for this slightly bigger one?
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
You're welcome. (And - the French in-laws? Wow.)
Raphael says
Mike, thank you for the thoughtful and delicious recipes. I made your dry brined orange spice rotisserie turkey and pressure cooker gravy and it was excellent. The turkey even got approval from French in laws. Your instructions were superb and trussing video incredibly helpful. Your book is my rotisserie bible and your website a terrific resource. Thank you.
Autumn says
Loved the cartoon! The festival of consumerism (my phrase for black friday) can wait for it's own day.
And support Small Business Saturday!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
You're welcome. Good luck tomorrow!
K_Dilkington says
Thanks a ton!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Here's a picture of a polder style thermometer inserted into the breast: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SOgTj5Vi6zc/UpJ_Y0b3hzI/AAAAAAAAJ0g/Nt3RmMN7Rf8/s1600/DSC_0774.jpg
Go straight in, 3 to 4 inches deep , depending on the size of your bird.
(Pic from my grilled turkey post: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/2013/11/grilled-turkey-dry-brined-grilling.html 😉
K_Dilkington says
To augment this recipe, could you post a photo or a sketch of taking the temperature of the turkey on the rotisserie in the breast. I'm always unsure of where the best part is to measure the temperature.
K_Dilkington says
many thanks for the quick response. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
I use the bag of turkey parts that comes with the bird to make my gravy: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/2011/11/pressure-cooker-giblet-gravy.html
I usually have a second bird going in the oven, so that's where I get my drippings to add to that gravy…but if they're burnt, that gravy is good on its own.
If you want drippings from the rotisserie, add water and some aromatic vegetables to the drip pan. It will slow down the mallard reaction, but it won't stop it entirely, and over the long cooking time the turkey should brown just fine.
(Also, this works better if you're using a gas grill - I tend to wind up with ashes in my drip pan when I use the charcoal grill, and ashes don't make good gravy.)
Good luck
K_Dilkington says
Mike, question about gravy. Do you have any recipes for making gravy from the drippings or making it during the rotisserie cooking? I'm currently planning on using the recipe from amazingribs.com (even though that guy is anti-rotisserie), but I'm not sure if having the liquid in the drip pan will screw with the malliard reaction and lead to less browning of skin. How do you make gravy for this bird? Many thanks, love the page and the book.