Was my busiest Thanksgiving pit wise ever. I actually had multiple pits fired up. Kept my families stuff separate from charity birds I was cooking and then had a 3rd pit fired up for the duck.
FYI - DUCK does not cook like Chicken or Turkey. It is an entirely different beast. Will say it tasted great but I highly doubt I ever do another.
Started the week with 14 birds hanging out in my fridge, defrosting. I'd like to think they became good friends and helped each other come to terms with their fate. (I'm sick and need help, I know this but I roll with it).
After hanging in the fridge for several days ... I started my prep on the birds that I was brining. I did not brine all the birds, I injected some the morning of the great bird fest. This was due to room limitations and well, curiosity for brine vs injection.
The went in the brine Wednesday morning around 5am. This was to allow them to get between 12 and 16 hours of brine. As I pull them out of the brine Wednesday night to air dry in the fridge over night before going on the pit the next day.
After the Turkeys were brining, and with the assistance of my wife, the Duck was next on our list. This is where the prep went different. We defrosted it, then rinsed it, made several pin pricks in the skin all over, then suspended it and rinsed it with boiling water for 15 minutes. After this, it went in a marinate over night.
This is our main turkey Wednesday night, around 10pm, out of the brine, rinsed off, paper towel patted dry, and getting ready to go in the fridge. This helps dry the skin out and gives a better crisp / texture to the turkey.
While the birds were doing their thing, decided to knock out my pecan pies. Another brethren (Peeps) turned me onto smoked Pecan Pie! So freaking good! Mixed up the filling (sorry Peeps, no bourbon - wife wouldn't let me) and put them on the pit for 90 minutes.
Our main bird air dried in the fridge overnight, lightly rubbed down with EVOO, and some homemade rub.
Here are some of the other turkeys going on the big pit - these ones were injected.
These two were brined and wend on the pit EARLY Thursday morning for 11am pickups. One was cajun style so after smoking at 325 ... It was cranked up to 425 for a bit.
Here is the crispy cajun...
This is our main bird - 14.25lbs, smoked at 325 for roughly 3 hours. Pulled when thighs hit 165 degrees (breasts I put a piece of foil over for the last 30 minutes - and probed at 170).
Odd bit for you on this one - I foiled the wing tips but not the legs ... I thought it would have been opposite for the effect.
The duck smoked low and slow @225 for 2 hours then cranked up to 445ish for 2 hours. It had some citrus stuffed inside and sewed shut.
Spiral cut ham from the store, rinsed thoroughly, then put on the pit for 2 hours. After 2 hours I started putting a glaze on every 15 minutes for 3 applications. Total cook time was around 3 hours.
And the feast begins - many happy food babies!!! 1 smoked turkey, 1 smoked golden crispy duck, 1 smoked glazed spiral cut ham, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, Waldorf salad, homemade rolls, cranberry sauce (some of this is off camera to the right on the counter), with Ginger Ale / Apple Juice, and for the more adventurous Ginger Beer - non alcoholic.
Dessert: 2 smoked Pecan Pies, 1 homemade apple pie, 2 homemade pumpkin pies, 1 store bought Costco Pumpkin pie...
All in all was a great day. Fed my family and friends. And replicated most of this for 9 other families. When I was growing up there were 2 years where my dad was between jobs and we didn't have much in the way of extra money. Someone knocked on the door, never saw their face, but there on the porch were two big boxes of food. All the fixings for an amazing Thanksgiving Dinner. A few weeks later someone knocked on the door and again all the fixing for dinner and a big box of wrapped gifts. Out of all the holidays I remember that year the most. So when I can, we pass it on. This year just so happened was a great year so we passed it on.
I am truly grateful for my family and friends. For the job that I have and for the blessings in my life.
Happy Thanksgiving y'all and Merry Christmas!
Gerry
FYI - DUCK does not cook like Chicken or Turkey. It is an entirely different beast. Will say it tasted great but I highly doubt I ever do another.
Started the week with 14 birds hanging out in my fridge, defrosting. I'd like to think they became good friends and helped each other come to terms with their fate. (I'm sick and need help, I know this but I roll with it).
After hanging in the fridge for several days ... I started my prep on the birds that I was brining. I did not brine all the birds, I injected some the morning of the great bird fest. This was due to room limitations and well, curiosity for brine vs injection.
The went in the brine Wednesday morning around 5am. This was to allow them to get between 12 and 16 hours of brine. As I pull them out of the brine Wednesday night to air dry in the fridge over night before going on the pit the next day.
After the Turkeys were brining, and with the assistance of my wife, the Duck was next on our list. This is where the prep went different. We defrosted it, then rinsed it, made several pin pricks in the skin all over, then suspended it and rinsed it with boiling water for 15 minutes. After this, it went in a marinate over night.
This is our main turkey Wednesday night, around 10pm, out of the brine, rinsed off, paper towel patted dry, and getting ready to go in the fridge. This helps dry the skin out and gives a better crisp / texture to the turkey.
While the birds were doing their thing, decided to knock out my pecan pies. Another brethren (Peeps) turned me onto smoked Pecan Pie! So freaking good! Mixed up the filling (sorry Peeps, no bourbon - wife wouldn't let me) and put them on the pit for 90 minutes.
Our main bird air dried in the fridge overnight, lightly rubbed down with EVOO, and some homemade rub.
Here are some of the other turkeys going on the big pit - these ones were injected.
These two were brined and wend on the pit EARLY Thursday morning for 11am pickups. One was cajun style so after smoking at 325 ... It was cranked up to 425 for a bit.
Here is the crispy cajun...
This is our main bird - 14.25lbs, smoked at 325 for roughly 3 hours. Pulled when thighs hit 165 degrees (breasts I put a piece of foil over for the last 30 minutes - and probed at 170).
Odd bit for you on this one - I foiled the wing tips but not the legs ... I thought it would have been opposite for the effect.
The duck smoked low and slow @225 for 2 hours then cranked up to 445ish for 2 hours. It had some citrus stuffed inside and sewed shut.
Spiral cut ham from the store, rinsed thoroughly, then put on the pit for 2 hours. After 2 hours I started putting a glaze on every 15 minutes for 3 applications. Total cook time was around 3 hours.
And the feast begins - many happy food babies!!! 1 smoked turkey, 1 smoked golden crispy duck, 1 smoked glazed spiral cut ham, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, Waldorf salad, homemade rolls, cranberry sauce (some of this is off camera to the right on the counter), with Ginger Ale / Apple Juice, and for the more adventurous Ginger Beer - non alcoholic.
Dessert: 2 smoked Pecan Pies, 1 homemade apple pie, 2 homemade pumpkin pies, 1 store bought Costco Pumpkin pie...
All in all was a great day. Fed my family and friends. And replicated most of this for 9 other families. When I was growing up there were 2 years where my dad was between jobs and we didn't have much in the way of extra money. Someone knocked on the door, never saw their face, but there on the porch were two big boxes of food. All the fixings for an amazing Thanksgiving Dinner. A few weeks later someone knocked on the door and again all the fixing for dinner and a big box of wrapped gifts. Out of all the holidays I remember that year the most. So when I can, we pass it on. This year just so happened was a great year so we passed it on.
I am truly grateful for my family and friends. For the job that I have and for the blessings in my life.
Happy Thanksgiving y'all and Merry Christmas!
Gerry
