Thanksgiving

Dishes

• Roast turkey
• Cranberry sauce - make ahead of time
• Gravy
• Corn pudding - make ahead of time?
• Mashed potatoes - make ahead of time and reheat
• Pecan pie - make ahead of time
• Chocolate chess pie

On an episode of the Wirecutter podcast from early November 2024, Sam Sifton suggested roasting turkey thighs the night before Thanksgiving. Shred them and put them in a slow cooker. Make gravy from the drippings and mix it all up.

On that same episode, he alluded to a Brussels sprout recipe from his Thanksgiving book where he mixes Brussels sprouts, heavy cream and bacon.

Random tips

Make a list of everything you need.

Stage things. Buy ingredients in stages over 2 weeks prior to Thanksgiving based on what will keep the longest.

Some dish washers have a plate warmer function.

Use an InstantPot to warm side dishes.

Turkey

Determining when it's done

The internal temperature must be 165°. Measure the inside of the thigh by inserting the thermometer probe between the breast and thigh on the inside of the thigh, and point the probe towards the thigh. You want to measure the center of the thickest muscle on the bird.

Brining

Dry brine

Described at Serious Eats.

1/2 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt mixed with 2 Tbsp baking powder. Place the turkey on a baking sheet. Holding your hand about 6-8 inches above the bird, sprinkle the brine to cover but not coat the bird.

Let it sit refrigerated for 12-24 hours. The longer the better. It can be brined up to 3 days, but should be covered if brined over 24 hours.

Don't rinse or pat down the bird before roasting.

Wet brine

Cool the brine before applying it to the turkey.

Put ice in a cooler. Put the turkey in a plastic bag. Add the brine to cover the bird, and close up the bag.

Brine the turkey for 12-14 hours. No more.

Pat the turkey dry with paper towels inside and out. Don't rinse the turkey to avoid spreading bacteria.

Tuck the wings behind the back. Tie the legs together with butcher's twine.

Place a disposable foil pan inside another. Place the turkey on a rack inside the pans. Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature before grilling.

Cooking on a grill

Here are instructions from Weber on how to grill a whole turkey on a gas grill.

Soak hickory wood chips in water for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Put the chips in a smoker box.

Turn on the two outside burners and leave the center burner off.

Put a foil drip on the flavorizer bars pan under the turkey with 1 liter of water to collect drippings for gravy.

Allow the smoke from the wood chips to clear before putting the bird on the grill. It will be too smoky otherwise.

Collect the juices from inside the turkey for gravy. Stick a spatula inside the cavity and tip the bird up to drain the juices.

Transfer the bird by sticking a grilling tool inside the cavity and holding it with another tool under the other side of the bird.

cooking times

grill temperature	cooking time per pound
225-250 degrees	23-27 minutes
275-300 degrees	18-21 minutes
350-375 degrees	11-13 minutes

Let the bird rest for 20-30% of the cooking time.