Current Events > Tips for cooking Thanksgiving for the 1st time? >_>

(+) Yeah! (+)

I break my hymen this Thursday. I hope I cook a good turkey and sides. Nervous as fuck >_>

Turkeys take forever to thaw so I hope you've already gotten that going. Also, brining the bird the day before cooking is the best way to prepare imo, always results in damn good turkey

Deep fry the turkey. I am not work so I don't have my rub ingredients so I will most thay later. If you don't want to deep fry be like sub zero and remove the spinand flatten the turkey before you cook it

make a bed of vegetables to line the turkey pan with and cook the turkey on top of. i like to do potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and whole cloves of garlic. they will get roasted and absorb the juices from the turkey and will be really tasty, and also help the turkey cook more evenly and impart some flavor to it.

also, cook the turkey upside down for most of the cooking time so that the juices flow downward into the breast meat to make it nice and moist. flip it right side up for about the last 45 minutes or so so it browns on top.

Have the turkey thawing a day or two early. Brine the turkey the day before cooking. Break the turkey into parts if you want to cook each meat type optimally, it'll also cook faster than just doing the whole turkey all at once.

Save the turkey juices to make the gravy and also for the stuffing.

Use a potato ricer for the mashed potatoes and use more milk/cream than you think. It'll absorb it and it won't dry out.

Canned cranberry sauce is better than making it yourself.

Ur a gurl?

Crisco the turkey before you put it in, and use cheesecloth to hold it in.

Baste every 15 minutes.

For sides, pickled beets, deviled eggs, and stuffing (does not have to be in the turkey, just use Stove Top!)

Vegetarian thanksgiving a thing?!

DB_Insider posted...

Ur a gurl?

do you think only "gurls" cook for Thanksgiving?

MI4_REAL posted...

For sides, pickled beets, deviled eggs, and stuffing (does not have to be in the turkey, just use Stove Top!)

you mean mashed taters, corn, and rolls

Mac and cheese, and green bean casserole are good too

What cj said really, but if not frying (for many reasons) lots of garlic butter injections.

Get a turkey injector, press fresh garlic (at least one whole big white clove) into a sauce pan and saut it with at least one whole stick of salted butter and cook until a light golden brown.

Inject that shit into the center of the meat all over the bird and try not to overcook. (Obv light instructions, Im sure you are looking up more detailed instructions elsewhere but Ive brought a turkey like that to functions where three different people prepared them mine was gone completely the others were half there.) Also use a creole seasoning plus onion and garlic powder rub inside and out.

Really shouldnt have tapped this all out on my phone >_>

Don't fuck the turkey

MC_BatCommander posted...

Turkeys take forever to thaw so I hope you've already gotten that going. Also, brining the bird the day before cooking is the best way to prepare imo, always results in damn good turkey

Yeah, I got it in the fridge. Should I leave it in room air? Or in water? Or is the fridge fine?

DB_Insider posted...

Ur a gurl?

It's me, Neon >_> Come on brah lol

Frying turkey? Thaw if it is frozen or you risk burning your house down when dumping it in the oil.

Baking? Make sure to baste regularly to keep it moist because dry turkey sucks.

i always follow Gordon Ramsay's Christmas dinner video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO5DF8soxwM

How many people?

maybe invest in some food warmers if youre making a big spread

lww99 posted...

you mean mashed taters, corn, and rolls

Mac and cheese, and green bean casserole are good too

Been a long time since my parents did all of that, they cannot do it anymore.

Mashed potatos are a must. I was never a fan of the rolls, but they also must be included. And celery stuffed with pimento spread.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm not gonna fry it, but all that other stuff sounds good

DoesntMatter posted...

do you think only "gurls" cook for Thanksgiving?

Did u know most Sushi master were male for some reason

Also yams, ehh...never cared for those.

MI4_REAL posted...

I was never a fan of the rolls

biscuits. no.
hawaiian sweet rolls from a package? oh yes.

DKBananaSlamma posted...

It's me, Neon >_> Come on brah lol

Oh my god I almost...https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/9/7/AAe7Y8AAD5iR.png

Spatchcock the turkey so it cooks more evenly (remove the spine and flatten it).

Brine it in the fridge overnight or 24 hours. Basically rub it in salt and leave it in the fridge uncovered to dry it out.

Take it out 2 hours before cooking, and get some herb butter ready. Softened butter with fresh Sage, rosemary and thyme. Rub it all over, including under the skin.

Cut a head of garlic in half and put that under the turkey, as well as some leftover herbs and olive oil.

As for sides, biggest tip for mashed potatoes is warm up equal parts butter and milk and pour it in the potatoes while hot. You can also make things like ham, mac and cheese, rolls, cassaroles (green bean), pies. If you want more elaboration on that stuff I'll write something up.

Mods really hate cockraches

DB_Insider posted...

Oh my god I almost...https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/9/7/AAe7Y8AAD5iR.png

Haha DB_Insider almost nutted to Neon cooking.

kingdrake2 posted...

biscuits. no.
hawaiian sweet rolls from a package? oh yes.

theyre so fucking good.

they also make great bases for sliders when you wanna make leftover sammiches.

lww99 posted...

theyre so fucking good.

they also make great bases for sliders when you wanna make leftover sammiches.

fuck yes. hell, i don't even wait for it to be leftover, i make sliders on Thanksgiving night. pile on some turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy. yummmmmm.

Dont forget the cranberry sauce

Seaman_Prime posted...

Dont forget the cranberry sauce

cranberry sauce can gtfo and foad and diaf, that can-shaped shit is not welcome on my plate or in my sliders

Are you hosting?

Seaman_Prime posted...

Dont forget the cranberry sauce

I'm just opening a can and pouring it lol. I got too much other shit to worry about >_>

AmericaTheBrave posted...

Are you hosting?

Yeah

Heres mine brining

Salt, *brown sugar dear lord I missed thatblack peppercorns, oranges, lemons and bay leaves unless I missed something:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/5/2/AAdEX3AAD6Fg.jpg Honestly though, the garlic butter thing I mentioned is 10x more important.

If you have your own turkey then plunge your hand inside of it. There should be a bag that contains the turkey's neck, heart, and liver. If you boil these giblets then chop them up into tiny bits you can combine with some flour, butter, and stock into a delicious giblet gravy.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/5/7/AAEhCpAAD6Fl.jpg

Make some soup.

In the fridge is fine.

Yes to the giblets post.

Don't cook stuffing in the bird. Stuff it with cut up onions, celery, and parsley for moisture and flavor, and use a turkey bag. Seriously, especially as a first-time cook, use a turkey bag. You can find them in the section with other bags, or even on a display this time of year.

Longer at a lower temp typically is better. Look up the calculation for how many minutes per pound.

Turkey bag is def a good idea btw

Also, if you don't have one, go out immediately and go buy a meat thermometer!

Alteres posted...

Turkey bag is def a good idea btw

A couple people irl told me that. I never knew the power of it >_>

DKBananaSlamma posted...

I never knew the power

everyone knows the power now.

Brains!.

My parents said were doing a taco night on thanksgiving

I mean I aint mad at tacos but I wanted to make yummy thanksgiving sliders. Hmph

lww99 posted...

My parents said were doing a taco night on thanksgiving

I mean I aint mad at tacos but I wanted to make yummy thanksgiving sliders. Hmph

I've made turkey meat tacos before. They're pretty good >_> You can't really tell the difference with the seasoning either

Great success

No one ate the cranberry sauce tho lol

DKBananaSlamma posted...

No one ate the cranberry sauce tho lol

Some people cannot eat cranberries, my parents cannot do it anymore. I forget why,. Same thing as grapefruits I would think.

MI4_REAL posted...

Some people cannot eat cranberries, my parents cannot do it anymore. I forget why,. Same thing as grapefruits I would think.

my grandfather was on coumadin and pop-science at the time had him thoroughly convinced cranberries would likely kill him while taking the medication. he went without for a decade, despite loving cranberries. when he knew he likely didn't have another thanksgiving in him anyways he just fuckin gorged himself on every cranberry dish he could.

Try cook Bikers cranberries next tc.