Photos of recipes from the new book Tender Grassfed Barbecue
Photos of recipes from the cookbook Tender Grassfed Meat
Thanksgiving Tips Collected Here
By Stanley A. Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat and Tender Grassfed Barbecue
Here are links to the Thanksgiving tips that I gave in blog posts last year. (Each post below has links to the next tip and/or the last tip at the bottom.) Happy Thanksgiving!
Selecting the Turkey
Brining the Turkey
Stuffing the Turkey
Roasting the Turkey
Turkey Broth from Leftovers — Paleo, Primal, and Delicious
Thanksgiving Tip #4: Roasting the Turkey
By Stanley A. Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat and Tender Grassfed Barbecue
Many people are intimidated about roasting the turkey—I find it very easy. No need to turn the turkey over, or cover it with foil, or deep fry it in gallons of boiling fat, or cook it in a plastic bag, or any of the other modern methods that have been invented.
This roasting method is intended only for a turkey that weighs no more than twelve pounds when purchased.
In my opinion, I think the most delicious turkey is one that is:
- Completely natural, with no added ingredients such as added liquid
- Brined and stuffed
- Roasted in the oven, no turning required
- Basted a few times
My previous three tips have covered Selecting the Turkey, Brining the Turkey, and Stuffing the Turkey.
Now we come to the easiest part, the roasting.
I take the turkey out of the refrigerator. I adjust the oven rack to the second lowest position, and then preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
I make the stuffing, and put it in the bird.
I place the turkey in a lightly greased,sturdy roasting pan, breast side up, directly on the pan. No rack is used.
I cover the turkey with melted, salted butter, of good quality. This will take at least a quarter cup, but do not be afraid to use more if needed.
I then place the turkey in the preheated oven.
I baste the turkey every half hour with the drippings in the pan. After an hour and a half, I baste it once with fresh orange juice.
I roast the turkey until a meat thermometer, inserted in the thickest part of the breast, reads at least 165 degrees (which is the minimum safe temperature recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture). Because modern birds have such big breasts, the dark meat will be ready before the white meat, contrary to what most cooking authorities say. Depending on the size of your turkey, your oven, and the temperature of the bird when you put it in the oven, it can be ready anywhere from an hour and a half to two and a half hours. It is important to use the thermometer, and not guess.
Finally, I only let the turkey rest for the amount of time it takes me to get all the stuffing out of the bird and into a serving dish, about ten minutes. Most authorities recommend that you let it rest much longer than that, but that often results in cold or lukewarm turkey. If you have brined the turkey, it will be juicy even if some of the juice comes out.
This is the way I make the Thanksgiving turkey every year, and it is always delicious.
Disclaimer: Information found on the Tender Grassfed Meat site, including this article, is meant for educational and informational purposes only. Any statements or claims about the possible health benefits conferred by any foods or anything else have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. None of the content on the Tender Grassfed Meat site should be relied upon for any purpose, and nothing here is a substitute for a medical diagnosis or medical treatment.
For More Thanksgiving Tips:
Thanksgiving Tip #1: Selecting the Turkey
Thanksgiving Tip #2: Brining the Turkey
Thanksgiving Tip #3: Stuffing the Turkey
And finally: Turkey Broth from Leftovers — Paleo, Primal, and Delicious
Thanksgiving Tip #3: Stuffing the Turkey
By Stanley A. Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat and Tender Grassfed Barbecue
Stuffing a roasted bird is one of the oldest ways of cooking it, and is traditional in many lands. The stuffing can provide wonderful flavors to the roasting bird, while providing a delicious side dish. Until recently, all stuffings were cooked inside the bird. But things have changed.
Now, because of health concerns, cooking the stuffing inside the bird has fallen into disfavor.
Any food can be dangerous if it is not properly processed, stored, or prepared. I do see a concern with having the interior of the stuffing in a huge turkey not being thoroughly cooked, but I do not use huge turkeys. And I do see a concern with letting the stuffing sit inside the bird at room temperature for an extended period of time, but my turkey goes into the oven right after it is stuffed.
I use a brined turkey, with the salt in the brine offering some protection, and my turkey is never over twelve pounds. I use quality ingredients, put the turkey in the oven right after stuffing it, and my stuffing is always cooked through and hot all the way through, cooked right in the bird. Since no one who has eaten my stuffing has ever been ill or even uncomfortable from it, I am confident in eating it, though I cannot guarantee anything.
If you wish to follow the experts’ advice, and cook the stuffing outside of the bird, I cannot give you any tips, because I have never done it.
Do not rely on anything I have said regarding food safety, as I am no expert, and I am only describing how I personally cook stuffings. The decision is yours.
Many Options for Stuffing
There are many options available for making a stuffing. You can use almost any kind of bread, including nut breads, gluten-free breads, or any kind of bread crumbs. Or use cooked rice, even crumbled nuts. You can flavor the stuffing with many kinds of vegetables, sautéed in butter or something else, moistened with eggs, fruit juice or cream, seasoned with any of a vast array of herbs and spices. Some people add innards, or sausage, or chestnuts, or walnuts, or other nuts, and the variety of what you can do is so great that it can be very confusing. You can also use a quality stuffing mix, hopefully organic, with no soybean oil or canola oil added, and add various thing to it as well.
This is what I do. I start with plenty of butter, which I melt in a big frying pan. I then add a large amount of chopped onion, chopped celery, and sometimes peeled and chopped apples, and sauté them in the butter slowly until they are soft and lightly colored.
Then I put the stuffing base, whether it is bread cubes, or crumbs, or an organic stuffing mix, into a big bowl, and add the sautéed vegetables and the butter they were sautéed in. I stir it, and then add enough lightly beaten eggs, including the yolks, to moisten the stuffing, and mix everything well. I will then add any extra ingredients, such as chopped herbs, chopped nuts, maybe some orange or apple juice to make sure the stuffing is moist enough, and whatever else I want to put in it.
The stuffing then goes into the previously brined and drained turkey, both the cavity and the hollow area in front of the breasts, which is covered by a big flap of skin. Most recipes will tell you not to pack the stuffing too tightly, and to leave room for expansion, but I pack it in, and leave the opening to the cavity open, so the stuffing can expand out that way if it does expand.
The bird goes into the preheated oven right after the stuffing is in.
I have not given amounts because so much depends on personal preference, and the size of the bird. I have found it best to make sure that the stuffing is moist before it goes into the bird, but it should not be soaking wet.
A stuffing like this is not only delicious as a side dish, but adds a wonderful flavor to the whole turkey.
Disclaimer: Information found on the Tender Grassfed Meat site, including this article, is meant for educational and informational purposes only. Any statements or claims about the possible health benefits conferred by any foods or anything else have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. None of the content on the Tender Grassfed Meat site should be relied upon for any purpose, and nothing here is a substitute for a medical diagnosis or medical treatment.
Previous Tip: Brining the Turkey
Next Tip: Roasting the Turkey
Thanksgiving Tip #2: Brining the Turkey
By Stanley A. Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat and Tender Grassfed Barbecue
Most of the cooking problems that people run into when roasting a turkey, such as the breast meat getting cooked before the dark meat, the meat drying out, the turkey being tough, having to turn the turkey over, etc. can be avoided by simply brining the turkey.
Brining will help keep the turkey moist and juicy, and add wonderful flavors that will make the turkey absolutely delicious. Brining penetrates the meat with the ingredients of the brine, resulting in the interior meat being flavored as well as the outside. And brining is very easy to do, at least with my method.
My basic brine is to add three tablespoons of unrefined sea salt to three cups filtered water, and stir the mixture with a spoon until the salt dissolves into the water. I then add a cup or two of organic apple juice, and three cloves peeled garlic.
Next, depending on what flavors I want, I will add various fresh or dried herbs, such as sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, or any combination of them. A few branches will do if you are using fresh herbs, and a few teaspoons will do if you are using dried herbs. You can also add various spices such as black peppercorns, a clove or two, or whatever spice you want to flavor the turkey.
Once the brine is made, I take out anything that is inside the cavity, such as a bag of innards and the neck. Then I rinse the turkey with cool filtered water. Then I pour the brine into a large stainless steel bowl large enough to hold the turkey. I then carefully lower the turkey, breast side down, slowly into the brine. Then I add enough filtered water to cover the turkey. It is okay if part of the back remains uncovered. The back will be up since the breast side is down.
I do this the day before Thanksgiving, then refrigerate overnight.
The quantities I gave are for a turkey no more than twelve pounds. I do use a lot less salt in my brine than most recipes call for, but this amount works perfectly for me and does the job well.
Using this brine makes cooking so much easier and flavorful that I always brine every turkey I roast.
Previous tip:Â Selecting the Turkey
Next tip: Stuffing the Turkey
Thanksgiving Tip #1: Selecting the Turkey
By Stanley A. Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat and Tender Grassfed Barbecue
The centerpiece of most Thanksgiving dinners is the roast turkey, which is too often disappointing. There is an incredible and confusing variety of turkeys that are available at Thanksgiving. After much experience, I have come up with my own rules for choosing a turkey.
First, the turkey must not be too large, generally, smaller turkeys are:
- More tender and flavorful
- Easier to cook
- Quicker to cook
I prefer turkeys that are no more than 10 to 12 pounds in weight. If you are feeding a crowd, it is better to cook two smaller turkeys than one huge one.
Second, buy a truly natural turkey, without additives.
This means a turkey that does not have anything added to it at all, and just consists of the turkey itself. In other words, turkeys that have liquid solutions added to the bird are to be avoided. It is important to read the label, as you may find that various substances have been added to the turkey.
Third, it is also important to know what turkeys are available in your area, and to purchase from a producer who is known to have quality turkeys. We always buy our turkeys from the same producer every year, and we are never disappointed.
Next tip: Brining the Turkey
Enjoy the Thanksgiving Feast Without Fear
By Stanley A. Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat and Tender Grassfed Barbecue
Classic roast turkey with its delicious skin. Credit
When a holiday approached, our ancestors, all over the world, anticipated the feast with great joy, happiness, and anticipation. The feast would be prepared by skilled cooks, from the best traditional foods available, and would provide a happy time where everyone would enjoy the fun, happiness, satisfaction and joy of sharing a special great meal.
Yet in modern America, the approach of the holiday feasts is cluttered with a blizzard of cautionary articles, posts, and warnings that could ruin the joy of any meal. Avoid fat, avoid eating too much, avoid gaining weight, avoid eggs in the stuffing, avoid the skin on the turkey, avoid cooking the stuffing in the bird, avoid calories, avoid, avoid AVOID!
In other words, avoid the traditional joy of the feast and worry about what you eat, even on the holidays.
Most of the people who have lived on this earth would be puzzled by this kill-joy attitude.
I advocate enjoying the holiday feasts, and the traditional dishes that have been used to celebrate them.
The Claim that Animal Fat Is Bad for Us Has Been Debunked
Most of the fear of the feast is based on fear of fat. This fear is based on the debunked belief that animal fat is always bad for us. This is just not true, as documented in the book The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet, and many other credible sources, including articles in the New York Times and Time magazine.
My Thanksgiving Plans
I have seen ads for Thanksgiving which featured mounds of different kinds of steamed vegetables. I have seen vegetarian “roasts” made mostly of soy, in the shape of a turkey. I have read articles advocating roasting a turkey breast instead of a turkey, with the skin to be trimmed off and discarded before serving. None of these things are traditional, and none of them are for me.
Instead, we will have a traditional Thanksgiving feast, including:
- Roast whole pastured turkey, brined in my secret apple brine, and basted repeatedly with pastured butter while roasting
- Stuffing made from homemade cornbread; roasted chestnuts; onion and celery which have been cooked golden in plenty of pastured butter; as many whole eggs as it takes to moisten the stuffing; various herbs; and the minced heart and liver of the turkey; roasted inside the turkey in the traditional way
- Sweet potatoes, roasted whole until meltingly soft, and served with plenty of pastured butter
- Fresh cranberry sauce
- Sliced onions, cabbage, and apple, sautéed in plenty of melted bacon fat, with the bacon
- Gravy, made from lots of fatty turkey drippings, and homemade turkey broth, and the flavor-rich scrapings from the pan the turkey is roasted in
- And finally, a homemade pumpkin pie
And we will most definitely eat every last bit of the crisp, buttery, wonderful turkey skin.
Now, that is a feast to look forward to!
Disclaimer: Information found on the Tender Grassfed Meat site, including this article, is meant for educational and informational purposes only. Any statements or claims about the possible health benefits conferred by any foods or anything else have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. None of the content on the Tender Grassfed Meat site should be relied upon for any purpose, and nothing here is a substitute for a medical diagnosis or medical treatment.
This post is part o Fat Tuesday and Real Food Wednesday blog carnivals.
This Thanksgiving, Cook It Yourself
By Stanley A. Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat and Tender Grassfed Barbecue
The centerpiece of the traditional Thanksgiving feast.
Thanksgiving gets a great deal of attention every year. For many, it is a time for families to see each other over a large traditional meal. Thanksgiving is the American feast. I like the idea of being thankful for the good things in my life. I happen to love the tradition, and to love eating the old favorites, prepared from real food. Yet I must confess something. I also love to cook the Thanksgiving feast.
Yes, it is a lot of work. Especially when you add the trimmings, such as homemade stuffing and real gravy, made with fresh broth and the magnificent turkey drippings. But to see the joy it brings to those who eat it-that is truly fulfilling. And chances are that your work will be very much appreciated.
And I want to confess something else. It is not that complicated. If you get real ingredients, even average cooking skills will result in a wonderful meal. I make a turkey, a stuffing, roast some vegetables in the pan with the turkey, roast some sweet potatoes on the side, make some simple boiled vegetables, and a wonderful gravy from the drippings. None of these items are difficult to prepare. It is just that there are a lot of them, and some are time consuming. The solution is planning and organization.
I plan the cooking of each dish, organize the ingredients, start early in the morning, and it always goes well. And the smell of the roasting turkey, lovingly basted with butter, is just magnificent.
Often, you can also get family members and friends to help with some of the tasks, and it can become a fun project, with a result that everyone will enjoy.
It has become common for supermarkets to offer people a full Thanksgiving meal, which just needs to be reheated, for a large amount of money. I am certain that no reheated meal from a store can possibly compete with a home cooked meal of real food. Food prepared for people you love or like, with love, has a special quality all its own.
After the feast, turkey leftovers are considered a problem by many people. Not me. Here is a link to a recipe for the turkey broth I make after every Thanksgiving, which uses those leftovers to create a wonderful traditional broth:
Turkey Broth from Leftovers — Paleo, Primal, and Delicious
Happy Thanksgiving! May you and yours eat well!
This post is part of Real Food Wednesday blog carnival.