my first turkey: part two.

Not the drool-inducing photograph I was going for, but regardless of the somewhat mediocre outcome, I must document my first Thanksgiving turkey.

After getting lost in the completely over-saturated internet recipe world, I was really feeling the too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen anxiety. There are so many opinions about how to best prep your bird (wet brines, dry rubs, aromatics, injectors) and how to cook it (roasting in a bag or out, grilling, deep frying), I was ready to throw the dang bird out with the brine.

What's a first-time turkey cooker to do?

I sifted through recipes, articles, and blogs and finally decided to try the suggestion to Judy bird my Willie bird. I had planned on using a brine, but never got around to cleaning out my bucket. Besides, who can really fit a bucket into their fridge when it is already bursting with feast fixings, pie prep, and perfectly paired craft beers?

Unfortunately, as a result of my second-guessing I started a day too late. On Tuesday, I hastily made a fragrant rub of kosher salt (3 1/2 tablespoons for my 17 1/2 pound bird), lemon zest, and fresh thyme. The turkey was then coated, bagged, and shoved back in the fridge. Since I didn't have the recommended 72 hours for the rub, I cut out the drying time and just took the turkey out of the bag on Thursday morning, drying it as much as possible I could with paper towels. After a second rub of brown sugar and more thyme, I crossed my fingers and shoved it in the oven. 400 for 30 minutes, then down to 325.

I don't know if the rub affected the cooking time, but it cooked far faster than anticipated. The temperature read at 180 after 2 hours. Overdone. But not tragic. With major help from the ladies (and thanks to the man for keeping my wine glass full), the turkey was tucked into a foil tent while the sides were finished and "dinner" was on the table at 1.

The turkey wasn't half bad. The skin was crisp and flavorful even though the meat was touch dry, and a dollop of homemade cranberry-orange sauce covers many mistakes. I won't digress too far into my dietary restrictions, but a huge perk of holiday hosting is that I am able to indulge my inner control freak and prepare dishes that I can eat. For the first time in who knows how long, I had a colorful, well-balanced Thanksgiving dinner; feasting on turkey, cranberries, brown rice and raisin couscous, a yummy salad topped with my birthday pomegranates, and apple crisp for dessert.

I know, all that really matters was the time with family. Everyone was happily well-fed, no one died, there were leftovers for days, and the plumbing in our building didn't cause our loft to be covered in hot pink sludge until much later that evening.

And I did not have a nervous breakdown.

my first turkey: part one.

My emotions range from excitement to complete terror at the idea of cooking my first Thanksgiving turkey.

I know what you're thinking.
"You say you're a meat lady and have never cooked a turkey??? Just cook the damn bird already!"
This will actually only be my second Thanksgiving back on meat and last year, we were traveling. So no more excuses. This year, I'm gonna do it.
Otherwise, the weight of the 18-pound bird will forever be on my shoulders. And in my refrigerator.

I suppose it is a right of passage; cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the in-laws and expecting sister-and brother-in law.

On Saturday, in lieu of my birthday trip to Catalina to see (and hopefully eat) buffalo, the man and I did a bit of turkey homework. At first, I was discouraged because we didn't have the opportunity to plan ahead and order a special heritage bird, but we found we could get something nice and tasty. Our butcher friends at the 3rd and Fairfax Farmers' Market helped us out and we purchased an all-natural* free-range Willie Bird from Puritan Poultry.

My only real objective is that the bird not kill anyone.
But preferably, it will be perfectly seasoned, moist, have a lovely brown crispy skin, and supply us with piles of leftovers to feast on for days.

I'm not completely settled on my prep and cooking methods. All I know is that the dressing will not be stuffed into the bird. Our guests will be told that it is purely to keep the meat juicy, but my real reason will be to keep the bread and meat separate so that I can enjoy it free of wheat-worries. I'm also thinking that a brine will be happening, if I can find a suitable bucket. The brine "recipes" I've found are widely varied, so I think I'll be going with water-kosher salt-brown sugar-apple cider-and whatever herbs I have on hand, perhaps followed by a light dry rub.

We even spent the last $25 Bed Bath & Beyond gift card from our wedding on an inexpensive roasting pan.

I'm ready.

Wish me luck!

*Why not organic? Honestly, we were told that these were the best. Willie Bird does raise and sell organic birds, but not at our source. And really, it would have been pushing it price-wise.

a new project? homemade jerky!

lately, my man has been very into snacking on jerky, but i get totally grossed out when i read the ingredients of the supermarket packages he stocks up on. i have yet to find a regular brand that doesn't contain corn syrup, lots of random soy products, and, worst of all, MSG. i would love to snack on jerky, but please, can't they hold the chemicals?

but guess what? i found this amazing site-- a compendium of jerky recipes! isn't the internet great? and we're not just talking beef, there are recipes for all sorts of meat jerkies (is that a word?)-- buffalo, fish, rabbit, alligator, even tofu!

it looks incredibly easy (most of them are just dried in a regular oven) and very tasty... might have to try it soon!

i know it is not seasonally appropriate, but this recipe looks simple and satisfying--

Cranberry (Thanksgiving) Turkey Jerky

2 pounds of turkey (or any meat type)
fresh cranberries
brown sugar or regular sugar
an orange
water
salt & pepper (optional)
Directions:
1.Before you touch your ingredients, go ahead and cut your meat into slices about 1/4″ thick.
2.Next, you can either chop up your cranberries in a blender or food processor to make more juice or line the bottom of a cake pan with the cranberries and smash them with a fork adding just a little water.
3.After you have done that, lay your strips on top of the cranberry juice and salt and pepper both sides, if you like, you do not have to season at all if you’d like to maintain more of the sweet taste.
4.Sprinkle on your sugar (but not too much if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth) and squeeze that orange to zest your meat strips with a light orange flavor.

5.Let marinate in the fridge for as long as you’d like, flipping the meat strips ever so often to soak in that juicy cranberry flavor.
6.Once you have let it sit to your preference, set your oven on the lowest temperature and transfer that cake pan from the fridge to the oven, leaving the door propped open for ventilation. Dehydration takes anywhere from 3-9 hours in an oven but check periodically. Take out if you like it more chewy or leave in longer if you like it more crispy!

check back, i'm sure i'll be trying it soon.

turducken: a history

i assumed the turducken was purely a result of the glutenous food fascination as of late in this fat-obsessed culture of ours,* but no! it actually has a history, and a widespread and royal one at that. look at that bursting goodness!

the edwardian-era ballotine is an early version. it consists of a piece of meat, fish, or poultry that has been boned, stuffed and then rolled and tied into a bundle. it is allegedly a frequent request of the queen and can be prepared for up to 21 people! maybe they start with an ostrich or something.

the french have their twist too, creating the largerst recorded nested bird roast in th early 19th century with 17 birds- a bustard stuffed with a turkey, a goose, a pheasant, a chicken, a duck, a guinea fowl, a teal, a woodcock, a partridge, a plover, a lapwing, a quail, a thrush, a lark, an ortolan bunting and a garden warbler. the final bird is small enough that it can be stuffed with a single olive; it also suggests that, unlike modern multi-bird roasts, there was no stuffing or other packing placed in between the birds. fyi-- this dish probably could not be legally recreated in the modern era as many of the listed birds are now protected species.

and i'm inclined to poke around and find out if this ever happened!

here's a great step-by-step on how to prepare a bird to be stuffed another bird:

1. Locate the wish bone, slice down either side and remove.
2. Cut the skin down the center of the back, neck to tail.
3. Begin separating the skin and meat from the carcass using small cuts, beginning at the neck. 4. Remove the humerus, which is a saber-like bone near wing.
5. Cut through the wing joint.
6. Work down to the oyster, cut through and separate the thigh joint from the carcass. Cut meat away to the keel bone or center of the breast. (Do the other side)
7. Pull the whole carcass free of meat.
8. Holding the thigh joint scrape the meat to the knee.
9. Cut around the cartilage and locate the top of the leg bone.
10. Scrape to the end of the drumstick.
11. Cut the end of the drumstick with poultry shears {or a very sharp knife}. Turn leg right side out. (Do the other side)
12. Holding the top of the wing joint, scrape the meat to the first joint.
13. Snap the bone out of its joint. (Do the other side)

*if you haven't seen this site, get on it.

healing powers of the chicken.

so, i'm feeling a bit under the weather today and spent the night last night chugging large amounts of broth (yes, i burnt my tongue. hmmph.) i got to thinking about whether chicken soup really is a miracle cure for what ails you and whether the chicken is special (why are turkeys left out of this?)
i thought maybe it was psychological-- a comfort food that mom made when you were sick it was cold outside, but it does seem to have some real healing benefits. not surprisingly, many of them come from the veggies and not just from the chicken.

chicken:
chicken contains an amino acid called cysteine, a substance released when boiled. this amino acid is similar to the drug acetylcysteine, which is prescribed by doctors to patients with bronchitis. it thins the mucus in the lungs and hot chicken vapors have been proven more effective than hot water vapors in clearing out your nose.

carrots:
carrots are the best natural source of beta-carotene, which body converts to vitamin a. vitamin a helps prevent and fight off infections by enhancing the actions of white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses.

garlic:
garlic has powerful antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal properties . it is used to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and assists in treatment of heart disease and cancer.

onions:
contain protein, calcium, vitamin a, b complex, c and e. they also contain sulfur compounds and have anti-inflammatory effects. like garlic, onions contain the antibiotic oil allicin, which gives them their pungent flavor.

celery:
celery is a carminative, diuretic, tonic, and nervine. used to promote restfulness and sleep, celery is also excellent for relieving rheumatism and gout. its high magnesium and iron content is invaluable as a food for blood cells and because of its anitspasmodic properties, celery is good for all lung conditions, including asthma and bronchitis.

parsley:
parsley contains two components that provide unique health benefits-- volatile oils including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene and flavonoids including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin. the activity of parsley's volatile oils qualifies it as a "chemoprotective" food- a food that can neutralize particular types of carcinogens like benzopyrenes from cigarette and charcoal grill smoke.

sea salt:
sea salt in particular contains a natural balance of sodium, magnesium and potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure and promote good health. mineral salts create electrolytes that carry electrical currents to cells throughout the body. electrolytes are necessary for enzyme production and enzymes are responsible for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, muscle function, hormone production, etc. electrolytes and enzymes are linked to healthy immune function, proper regulation of bodily fluids, and adrenal health.

black pepper:
black pepper contains volatile oils, alkaloids, proteins and minerals. it aids in healing by acting as a circulatory stimulant, diuretic, cerebral stimulant, infection-reducer, diaphoretic (induces sweating), astringent (tightens mucous membranes) and stimulates sinus drainage.

so and if you choose to use turkey instead, i think you can still feel like you're getting good healing powers from the veggies as well as from the turkey because turkey is naturally low in fat without the skin, containing only 1 gram of fat per ounce of flesh. a 5-ounce serving provides almost half of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid, and is a good source of vitamins B, B1,B6, zinc and potassium. these nutrients have been found to keep blood cholesterol down, protect against birth defects, cancer and heart disease, aid in nerve function and growth, boost the immune system, regulate blood pressure, and assist in healing processes.

sources:
http://www.naturalnews.com/021260.html
http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhealthinformation/a/turkeyhealth.htm

recession-proof your meats

a relevent discussion for today may be how to maintain a realistic food budget and still eat good-quality products... here's my eating/cooking/shopping tips of the moment:

eat in! why go out for a steak dinner when you can make a great one at home? even if you buy the best cuts of meat you can find, i guarantee it will be cheaper than paying for a mid-quality restaurant steak. steak cooking is so easy with just a few tools. i usually just marinate it for a few hours in red wine (or 100% cranberry or cherry juice), olive oil, garlic and onions, then sear it in my fabulous cast iron skillet while the oven preheats to 400ish, transfer to a baking dish and cook until the internal temperature reaches about 135 on your trusty meat thermometer for medium rare. while your steak is in the oven, reduce your marinade juices with the meat juices in the skillet for a tasty sauce. don't forget to let your meat rest before slicing! you'll have a perfect steak every time with almost no effort. (and look here! slashfood finally confirms that my dad did teach me the best way to season cast iron.)

stock up on stocks! not the store-bought ones- make your own. much cheaper if you do it frequently, and so much tastier! i buy cheap hunks of meat and boil them to death with onions, garlic, lemon, and whatever fresh herbs i have around. then, i freeze the stock in small containers and use it in soups for weeks-- and you also have lots of low-fat cooked meat to shread on salads or fill sandwiches for days! my favorites are the turkey thighs from whole foods-- huge hunks or organic turkey for less than $3 a pound (or 99-cents a pound if the butcher mischarges you like he did me this week)= yummy food for days. one more plug for whole foods: they also sell additive-free bacon. no nitrates for this lady!

don't disregard "big box" or discount stores completely! costco's meat sells for about a third of the price of grocery store meat- and often is higher in quality. not for the faint of heart- unless you're feeding multitudes of people or shop with meat-loving friends- dividing and freezing that ten-pound pork loin will be necessary. fresh and easy also has decent meats for cheap if you have one in your area-- just make sure to read the labels carefully. their sell-by dates can be tricky, and not all of their meats are happy.

simply eat smaller portions of meat! in meal prep, i try to fill half of our plates with fresh fruits and veggies and cheap, healthy staples like brown rice or sweet potatoes. then, we can be satisfied with little bits of the good stuff without breaking the budget. remember, meat portions need only be about four ounces, or the size of your palm or a deck of cards.

that's all for now! happy (cheap) eating!