How Did Your Thanksgiving Smoke /Dinner Turn Out?

[ronp]

Mine was a dissapointment because of the timing. The bird turned out excellent. Just didn't eat it last night well, a few bites and it was great.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=84583

Had this tonight instead.

Oh well, I hope you had a good holiday.

Post your results.

 

[larry maddock]

you needed more cheeze

 

[mr mac]

Sorry about your day not turning out exactly as planned Ron! Ours on the other hand was great with many more people than we expected and plenty of great food!

Mac

 

[luvdatritip]

and a heaping helping of this...

 

[pops6927]

We did two turkeys for dinner - one was one of those 40¢ Walmart birds - 23½ lbs for the oven, and a 12 lb. Honeysuckle White for the smoker. We're in the process of 'passing the torch' to my oldest son. For 30+ years my wife and I have always done Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, inviting the kids and now grandkids. But, my oldest son wants to learn how, so last year and now this year we've done it at his house. So, I went to his house @ 6:30am Thanksgiving morning and we made the stuffing and stuffed the bird. (Two weeks previous we made the breakfast sausage for the stuffing from pork butts, 24 lbs. of it for our freezers). I make a sausage stuffing - 2 lbs. of breakfast sausage, crumbled and fried, add 1 lb. of melted butter, a bunch of celery and a whole onion med. chopped, mixed into 3 boxes of croutons seasoned liberally with poultry seasoning and add 2 cups of broth from the simmering giblets - mix it all up, stuff both cavities on the bird then the rest into a crockpot. My son even went out and bought a 7 qt. crockpot - it's HUGE! - and filled it with stuffing (he LIKES the stuffing!). Then we injected the breasts with chicken broth (yes, read about the beef broth, will try that next time!) and the thighs and into the oven.

A week previous I'd put down in the curing brine the 12lb. turkey into the crisper of the refridgerator; pulled it out and onto the smoker, smoked it for 3 hours until 165° - I did manage to get a picture of that!



It had a beautiful pink tint and a fantastic smokey ham-kissed flavor!

The big bird got done like an hour and a half before we were ready @ 11 am instead of 12:30 so my son removed the stuffing and left it on warm in the oven. We were afraid it would dry out, but.. it was absolutely delicious - moist and tender in both the breasts and thighs! The injection did the trick! He carved the big bird while I carved the smoked bird - this is what we had left... lol!



didn't get any other pictures than that, my hands were too covered in turkey! We all sat down to a great meal (5 families total - mine, my oldest son's, my youngest son's, oldest wife's parents and also her brother's family too!). Got cleaned up just in time for the Cowboys game (Whaddaya think of them 'Boys?! GO 'BOYS! YEEHAHH!) and a nice turkey-induced nap, too!

 

[mballi3011]

We had a great peaceful day just the wife and I. Layed in bed and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parare. Then just layed around al day and did not to much at all. Then we made the seafood boil with some shrimp, clams, crawfish (frozen) tails and some homemade sausage all over rice it was delious.

 

[chefmike]

I did a couple of fatties for lunch for folks staying at the house, then put one bird on the weber kettle I just got (Thanks to my grandfather, it is an old model SOLID construction). The second bird went in the oven.

Cheese plate was pepperoni (beef) that I smoked last week with a ground turkey fatty (mashed taters, stuffing and cranberry sauce: doing it again for christmas)

They both came out perfect. I heard alot of "This is the best turkey EVER".

The weber is a real joy. I am glad I have given it a home. Nice addition to my growing arsenal.

Great Turkey day.

 

[raceyb]

Ours came out great. The high temp that day was supposed to be 70, if it hit it, it didn't last long. Turkey took about 2 hours longer then planned. Luckily, I had prepped sides and left in fridge so I could time them fro the oven.

 

[got14u]

It's hard to say best ever since I didn't have my mommy with me this year..lol..but the turkey was great !!!

 

[chisoxjim]

Turkeys were good, but its only turkey, I cant get too excited about it(afterall its not pork).

Enjoyed the time with family more than the food.

 

[the iceman]

Didn't go anywhere this year so I just cooked up a 5lb turkey breast. Turned out pretty good.

 

[travcoman45]

The smoked turkey an the fried turkey were great. Everbody ate till they couldn't move. Then had pie!

 

[rickw]

We went to two different dinners, one at the in-laws and one at my sisters. Had a good time at both but had to call it a early night, had to work the next day.

 

[low smoke]

We had wonderful with the family. Did my first two turkey breast on the smoker and turned out great and like better than fried. Also did a ham on the smoker and everyone ate til we were all overstuffed.

 

[alx]

Peacefull....Lot less people

 

[bertjo44]

Very good. Only my 2nd year hosting. I cooked from 4:00PM til 10:00PM on Wednesday then from the time I got up on Thursday til about 2:00PM. Smoked ham and fried turkey were both great. Only thing I was dissapointed in was I made the filling too runny for the deviled eggs and I didn't put enough icing in the pumpkin roll. We finished eating about 4:00PM then I layed miserably on the couch watching football the rest of the day.

 

[csmith2884]

I am in the process of "being passed the torch" (an honor to be sure) girls family has really taken to me since I moved in with her and her 4 kids over the summer. Her mom has slowed down some and 21 people is a lot to get round the table. So I did 2 birds one high heat roasted and butterflied (spachcocked) in the oven and one in the smoker.
Brined both but was not to sure of time in the smoker since this was my first with the propane conversion. Was shocked that it made so much difference from 5 1/2 down to 3 hrs. It rested a bit long but came out well. Sausage dressing,mashed taters and gravy, green bean casserole, squash, cranberries w/orange,apple and pecans all played their parts.
Still learning photos here but some are in the throwdown post.

 

[igolf2]

Only had 25 this year - smoked 2 small Turks and a ham and roasted a 23 Lb.Turk in the oven (wifes Turk) - great spread with all the trimmings.

I think the best thing (no Qview - sorry) was : Every year I make Oyster stuffing (my absolute fav) and this year I tried something a little different :

- I used buttered muffin tins and spooned some stuffing in the cups added one large Oyster, covered with more stuffing and then baked - OMG!! Perfect little stuffing muffins - crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside with that hidden treasure (Oyster) in each one! They were the hit of the day and will be the only way I make stuffing (with or without Oysters) from now on.

 

[grampyskids]

On Thursday I went to the MIL's. Talk about taking one for the team. Turkey overdone and cooked in it's own grease, Stove Top Stuffing, Mashed Taters that could pass for thin set grout, cold veggies and gravy that should have been used for wallpaper past.
Yesterday, I smoked a brined 12#er. Made my Mom's stuffings, made killer gravy and hot veggies. Of course my wife turned her nose up, until she tasted it. 2nds, and 3rds were had as opposed to her Mom's slop.
The weekend ended on a high note for me!

 

[porkaholic]

This year I smoked the turkey, most moist bird I ever smoked. Finally got smart and cooked to temp and not time. With the smoked salmon, fatties, ham and ABT'S this was a great holiday. Our family is now going to have a fattie contest to design the best fattie to be voted on by all. Thanks to all the folks on this forum for the information and ideas given so freely to this new forum member.