22 Tuesday Nov 2011
Posted in Making Charcuterie, Sausages, Thanksgiving Challenge, Turkey
Last year, you may remember that I did a month’s worth of Thanksgiving testing. This year, nothing. As many people do, I alternate Thanksgivings with my lovely spouse. Last year, we attended two local Thanksgiving meals where I had the free reign to make what I want, so I needed tons of testing. This year, we are headed to Oklahoma and I am limited as what my contribution will be, but I pretty much knew which direction that I wanted to go. Continue reading »
26 Friday Nov 2010
Posted in Condiments and Pickles, Thanksgiving Challenge
Since starting the blog, I have extolled the writing of Michael Ruhlman and Linda Ziedrich. Both Charcuterie and The Joy of Pickling are two of my favorite (and most used) cookbooks. Around Halloween, Ruhlman posted a recipe of Ziedrich’s for pickled green tomatoes on his blog and days later, I found some beautiful green tomatoes at the Green City Market on the cheap. Continue reading »
24 Wednesday Nov 2010
Posted in Condiments and Pickles, Thanksgiving Challenge
The final installment of the Thanksgiving Challenge is pickled cranberries. These cranberries were originally meant for mostarda, but I forgot to pick up a few ingredients during the shopping trip from hell. I kept composure for the most part despite calling a gaggle of herb poachers a combination of curse words that was both unique and non-sensical. Continue reading »
22 Monday Nov 2010
Posted in Bacon Projects, Thanksgiving Challenge
With Thanksgiving only days away, those who have not planned for what they will be making have fewer and fewer options. Even worse, is trying to go grocery shopping in the evenings leading up to the holiday. With that in mind, this recipe takes just a few minutes and a few ingredients.
Bacon and maple are a natural pair. This recipe does not use actual bacon, but rather bacon fat along with maple syrup (and a touch of chipotle) to glaze pecans. The result is a sweet, salty, and crunchy snack. The pecans also have a real smokiness resulting from the chipotle powder and also from the smoky fat from the most recent batch of bacon smoked over whiskey barrel wood. Continue reading »
17 Wednesday Nov 2010
Posted in Making Charcuterie, Pâtés and Terrines, Thanksgiving Challenge, Turkey
Turkey-Sweet Potato Terrine with Dijon and Cranberry Mostarda
The Thanksgiving Challenge has its most visually appealing candidate so far. This terrine made from a turkey leg quarter, a roasted sweet potato, pancetta, and a heaping spoonful of trotter gear is not just a looker either. Despite serving it cold, it features the strongest flavor of turkey so far in the challenge.
Eventhough this terrine combines two of the most traditional Thanksgiving flavors, this terrine could be served anytime. By keeping the sage out of the terrine, the flavors of turkey is intense without tasting like a tube of Jimmy Dean sausage or a box of Stove Top Stuffing. Continue reading »
15 Monday Nov 2010
Posted in Condiments and Pickles, Thanksgiving Challenge
Cranberry Mostarda on Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast on Mashed Celery Root
Perhaps the most ridiculous of all Thanksgiving culinary traditions is cranberry “sauce”. The ribbed edges from the tin can are not for your pleasure. To me, spending all day cooking a whole turkey, to varying degrees of success, and then opening a can of “sauce”, slicing it (slicing sauce?) and putting it on top of it is like spending all day cleaning your house and then hanging those little pine-y tree scenters all over the place. Continue reading »
10 Wednesday Nov 2010
Posted in Making Charcuterie, Offal, Pâtés and Terrines, Thanksgiving Challenge, Turkey
Turkey livers. That little parchment bag that you accidentally cooked inside your turkey five years ago contains one. I am guessing that your butcher would be happy to give you a few as a gift with your next meat purchase. It is this time of year where, I am guessing, that more turkey livers get trashed than in the rest of the year combined. Use these delicious gifts. Use them to make turkey liver mousse. Continue reading »
03 Wednesday Nov 2010
Posted in Confit, Making Charcuterie, Thanksgiving Challenge, Turkey
In the third part of the Thanksgiving Challenge, the topic, turkey thigh confit, is something worthy of entree status. Even still there will be no dry white meat, no patriarchal carving status and no giant turkey bags. Well, we still have turkey bags although they are much, much smaller — more specifically, unless you have a quart of duck fat, you only need two vacuum seal bags. Continue reading »
27 Wednesday Oct 2010
Posted in Making Charcuterie, Smoked Meats, Thanksgiving Challenge, Turkey
The second entry in a series of posts on different ideas for Thanksgiving dishes is turkey pastrami. You may see this in the cooler at your grocery store, but making it yourself (or buying it from someone who makes it with care, like City Provisions in Chicago) will produce a product totally elevated from your Jenni-O Turkey Pastrami. Continue reading »
20 Wednesday Oct 2010
Smoked Turkey Rillettes: Using revised recipe
From Belly to Bacon Note: The smoked turkey rillettes won the challenge, but in my second turn I altered the recipe and got a much smoother texture. I have revised the recipe below and added the photo evidence above.
Smoked Turkey Rillettes
It is coming up to the time of the year where in every food magazine, there will be at least two articles about what to with leftovers from Thanksgiving. Is that really the goal? To use up what we didn’t want the night before.
Now don’t get me wrong. I love Thanksgiving. My family has a lovely Thanksgiving with a huge group of sixty people gathering in one spot for sweet potatoes, dressing, and, if there is space, a little turkey. I would put my grandmother’s dressing up against anybody’s, but if you don’t have a go to dish, then why not try to make something new? Continue reading »
