Tom’s Dirty Rice with Turkey Giblets

Posted on by November 30, 2018

This seat-of-the-pants dish turned out great. Great way to use the parts not usually used.

Boiled neck and tail from 14.6 lb. turkey. Sauteed in No. 8 cast iron chicken fryer chopped up liver and gizzard in EVOO with salt and course ground black pepper.

Removed sauteed giblets and added about 3/4 C each chopped yellow onion, bell pepper, and celery. Add 2T bacon grease as looked too dry. Sauteed until wilted then added about 3T all purpose floor and continued to saute until floor turned tan.

Added spices taken from TreeBeards Dirty Rice recipe.

  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/2 t thyme
  • 1/2 t black pepper
  • 1/2 t cayenne
  • 1/2 t cumin
  • 1/2 t garlic powder

Removed meat from neck and tail, chopped. Poured broth into sauteed seasoned veggies and added chopped turkey meat from the neck, diced liver, gizzard, heart and Cajun sausage. Brought to a gentle boil and added 1-1/2 C washed white rice. Stirred to mix and let cook on low heat. Had to add hot water and after returned to simmer turned off and left covered for about 15 minutes as Mary wanted in off her stove so it went into a plastic container to cool.

Had it warmed as leftovers through 12/31/16 and it was very good. At the farm, we put black-eyed peas on top and the last time mixed them in and that was really good.

NEXT TIME – Seemed a little greasy so should have skimmed off the grease after boiling the meat. Seemed like it needed a little Cajun boast and file came to mind.

Christmas 2016 Turkey

Posted on by January 25, 2017

This turkey fry/roast in the Big Easy turned out ok and everyone liked it. The 14.6 lb. bird we bought has 9.5% injected broth, salt, seasonings….

Thursday, 6 pm 12/15/2016, put frozen turkey into igloo cooler in garage to thaw. Ambient temp overnight was in the low 50s. Friday 6pm, ambient temp is low 70s, about 1/4″ is thawed but hard frozen below. Saturday 5am still in the low 70s so added cubed ice to 3/4 way up the turkey. At 9:30 am check IT with Thermoworks and it was 28-30.

Cajun Turkey Injection made 8:30 am Saturday.
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup liquid crab boil
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Tabasco
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Warmed until butter melted and starting to foam.

Dry rub From BigEasy Recipe site for Cajun Turkey

2 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Ancho Chile powder
1 tbsp Cayenne pepper flakes Shook in some when reheated on Sunday as it tasted a bit bland. Maybe a teaspoon.
1 tbsp Onion powder
1 tbsp Garlic powder
1 tbsp Dried thyme
1 tsp Ground bay leaves
1 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Ground black pepper

Sunday – First blue norther had blown in at midnight and ambient temp is 36.

8:30 am Injected Turkey and sprinkled on rub under breast skin and somewhat under drumstick and thigh skin. Rubbed skin with EVOO and sprinkled on a lot of rub and put into refer on sheet pan about 9 am.

10:45 am – Turkey in Big Easy ~2.5 hrs. (10 min/lb.). Given cold day ran BigEasy on high with wire lid.

1:00 PM – Guests arrive

~1:30 – Turkey done when 165 IT in the Breast and 175 IT in the thickest part of the Thigh. Pulled to rest then carve.

3:00 PM – Served.  It had overcooked despite the low ambient temps as with it on high the first 1.5 hours with the wire cap it looked done. But, when inserted the meat probe about 1:00 pm it read 150. The temp rose quickly to 165, the alarm went off and  the residual temp carried it to 175 in the thickest part of the breast,

Pull off and wrapped snugly in aluminum foil and let rest for 30+ minutes.

Very moist while the skin was sorta crispy. Nice flavor although mild. Not spicy at all. Everyone one liked it at the family Christmas dinner this weekend before Christmas next weekend after which we will leave for the farm the day after Christmas.

Mary’s Shrimp Dip

Posted on by May 26, 2024

12/17/2016 – This recipe is Mary’s version of Audrey’s dip that Audrey made for many years for Thanksgiving and is in Frank’s and Peggy’s Thanksgiving family cookbook, 2001 Edition.

  • 8 oz. Cream Cheeze – NOT the low-fat version as it will NOT be the same.
  • 1/4 C fresh lemon juice
  • 1 C Green Onions chopped
  • 1 C Duke’s Mayonaise
  • 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 lb. cooked, chopped shrimp – Shell and devein. Lightly coat with olive oil and season with cajun seasoning tossed to coat evenly. Roast for 6-8 minutes turning once so they are pink and cooked through. Cool, chop, and add to sauce. [This style of cooking the shrimp is Mary’s tweak to Audry’s recipe where the shrimp were boiled in the standard seasoning.]
  • Salt to taste

Made for the 2018 pre-move-to-the-farm Christmas Texas family meal and it was great. Spicy and just right.

The Different Beef Roasts

Posted on by January 13, 2017

Strip loin, short loin, tenderloin, and other noteworthy roasts

Full credit for everything on this page goes to AmazingRibs.com

Strip loin and short loin. This is the section just behind the prime rib, and it contains the last rib, number 13, and it extends back to where the sirloins start. It is very similar in flavor and tenderness to the rib roast because it is primarily the same longissimus dorsi muscle, the muscle that makes up most of the prime rib. When it is sliced into steaks, you have strip steaks (and for the record, Kansas City strips and New York strips are all the same). This primal also contains T-bone steaks and porterhouse steaks towards the rear where the tenderloin attaches to the underside.

Tenderloin. This is the most tender cut on the animal. It is the shape of a baseball bat, just a bit shorter. It can be cooked whole, sliced into filet mingon steaks, and, when trimmed, the center section is a uniform thickness and is called the chateaubriand. Although it is very tender, there is very little fat marbling, and it is less tasty than the meat from the rib sections. It cooks quickly and shrinks little. It is expensive.

Tri-tip. This cut is from the area below the top sirloin and is usually boomerang shaped. It is very popular in southern California, but it is not well known in the rest of the country. Because it is a regional barbecue specialty, I have devoted a whole page to it.

Chuck eye roll, chuck roast, or shoulder clod. The shoulder is a large knot of muscles that work hard, are swaddled in thick bands of fat, elastic connective tissues, an awkward shoulder blade bone, and it has lots of flavor. It lies just in front of the prime rib, and running right through it is the front end of our old friend, the longissimus, the loin muscle that is the bulk of the prime rib, strip loin, and sirloin. The chuck eye roll is the best, called by some the “poor man’s prime rib”, but many butchers don’t separate this cut. If you get the whole roast, be prepared to do some trimming before or after the cooking.

Most chuck roasts have a shoulder blade in it making carving tricky, but chuck roll and chuck tender are boneless, beautiful, and much cheaper than rib roasts.

Top sirloin butt. This is from the section that lies just before the hip and is much less expensive than the other roasts from along the back. It has a big beefy flavor but it is a little tougher. Ask the butcher to take the cap off. The cap is a thin flat muscle beneath the fat cap. If it comes on your roast, you can practically peel it off with your hands. Top sirloin butt makes nice thick steaks. The rest of the meat, roasted low and slow, cut across the grain, can be very easy to chew. There are other sirloin roasts, but this is the most tender.

Round. The rear legs from the hip to the knee are called the round, and there are many muscles in there that the butcher can prepare as roasts. In general this meat is rich in beefy flavor, but it can be tough because the legs get a lot of exercise, so reverse sear is a must, as is slicing across the grain. Some of the roasts from the round are called top round, bottom round, outside round, eye of round, and knuckle.

5 Turkey Injection Marinades ToTry

Posted on by January 7, 2017

5 Turkey Injection Marinades

Condiments and Sauces

Recipe courtesy of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture magazine

Makes enough for 1 large turkey

Ingredients:
Beer n’ Butter Poultry Injection

  • 1/2 pound butter
  • 1/2 can beer
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Tabasco
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

Savory Turkey Injection

  • 1/4 cup light oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon ground thyme
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Cajun Turkey Injection
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup liquid crab boil
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Tabasco
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Tried this one and it was not spicy. Tried it again and added more cayanne and still not spicy. Need to try adding file’.

Hot and Spicy Injection

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 4 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
  • 3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Italian Herb Injection

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 cup red wine
  • 1 tablespoon Italian Seasonings
  • 2 tablespoons dried basil
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons dried sage
  • 2 tablespoons dried marjoram
  • 2 tablespoons savory
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  

 

 

Check these other very special Holiday helpers.

Holiday Desserts

Holiday Party Recipes

Favorite Holiday Recipes

If Turkey Rubs are your thing
Caribbean Turkey Rub –
Mediterranean Turkey Rub –
Savory Roasted Turkey Herb Rub –
Method:

Beer n’ Butter Poultry Injection

Use this injection marinade to reach deep into the meat of poultry. It works really well on turkey. Make sure the mixture is warm to keep the butter in liquid form. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over a low heat. Stir and heat until salt is dissolved and the sauce is even and runny. Keep warm (but not hot) to inject.

Savory Turkey Injection

This is a flavorful injection marinade for turkey. Remember to get it spread out evenly so you don’t end up with pockets of the marinade in the meat. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for a few minutes while stirring. You want to make sure the mixture is well mixed and that any herb is small enough to fit through your needle.

Cajun Turkey Injection

This is the classic solution injected into the meat of turkeys which are fried Cajun style. By getting the flavors inside the meat you won’t have to worry about the hot oil washing them off. Make sure you distribute the injection evenly so you don’t get large pockets of the mixture. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat until butter is melted. Stir and continue heating until sauce is very liquefied. Inject while still hot enough to stay liquid.

Hot and Spicy Injection

This injection marinade adds real heat under the skin of any poultry. If you want a little fire in your bird this is a great sauce to use. Make sure you only put small amounts in each place end up with large pockets of hot sauce.

Combine all ingredients and stir until the salt dissolves.

Italian Herb Injection

Lots of injection marinades are built around Italian flavors. This one is mild in heat, but rich in herb flavors. Make sure that your herbs are finely ground. If you need to run it through a spice grinder or mortal and pestle. Combine all ingredients and mix well. This marinade will settle so you need to give it a stir every time you reload the needle.

Turkey Parameters- thaw, brine, inject

Posted on by July 21, 2017

Safely Thawing and Brining a Frozen Turkey in a Cooler

Below is by Noboundaries at SMF.  Chef JJ said: “That will work.”

How to Thaw in a Cooler:

1.  Put a frozen 18 lb turkey in the 28-quart cooler.  Leave it in the original vacuum wrapping. 

2.  Cover with cold water, close cooler, and walk away.  If using a regular cooler, not an Xtreme cooler, figure 30 minutes per pound to thaw.  If using an Xtreme cooler, triple that.

3.  When the required time is up, check the temperature of the water close to the bird, but not touching.  It should be 34-39°F.  A thawed bird will feel spongy to the touch.  If not thawed, you can feel hardness below the skin. 

4.  When the bird is thawed, leave the cold water in the cooler. 

How to Prep Turkey for Bag Brining in a Cooler:

1.  Prepare your favorite brine.  If using an “enhanced” bird, one that has been pre-brined, cut the salt in your brine in half or the bird will be too salty.  

2.  Put a cookie sheet on the counter, the kind with a 1/2″ to 1″ lip around the edges to catch liquid and brine. Place the thawed bird on the cookie sheet.  Remove the original turkey wrapping and discard.

3.  Remove the neck from the main cavity and the internal organ bag from the neck cavity.  Save or discard, depending on your preference (I smoke the neck and use the organs in gravy).

4.  Inject your favorite brine recipe into the breast of the bird.

5.  Using a Ziplock XL Storage bag (10 gallon size, $5.99 for four bags at Amazon as an add-on item, it is food-safe), slip the turkey into the bag like putting a pillow into a pillow case.  Turn the bird so it is breast side down in the bag.

6.  Lower the open bag into the cold water in the cooler, but don’t allow any of the water to get into the bag.  Pour the brine into the bag.  Seal the bag, letting the water squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag.  Double check that it is sealed (experience talking).  Dump some ice into the cooler. 

7.  Let brine for 12-24 hours.  Check occasionally for ice still present in the water.  Add more if needed.

8.  After brining period, discard water, brine, and Ziplock brining bag.  Prep bird for the smoker.  Thoroughly clean the cooler.

Below was posted by Chef JJ

Thawing Times from USDA/FSIS

“The Big Thaw”
Turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature during “the big thaw.” While frozen, a turkey is safe indefinitely. However, as soon as it begins to thaw, any bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to grow again.

A package of frozen meat or poultry left thawing on the counter more than 2 hours is not at a safe temperature. Even though the center of the package may still be frozen, the outer layer of the food is in the “Danger Zone” between 40 and 140 °F — at a temperature where foodborne bacteria multiply rapidly.

Refrigerator Thawing

When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator allow approximately 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds in a refrigerator set at 40 °F or below.

Refrigerator Thawing Times – Whole turkey:

  • 4 to 12 pounds — 1 to 3 days
  • 12 to 16 pounds — 3 to 4 days
  • 16 to 20 pounds — 4 to 5 days
  • 20 to 24 pounds —5 to 6 days

A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days before cooking. Foods thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking but there may be some loss of quality.

Cold Water Thawing

Allow about 30 minutes per pound.

First be sure the turkey is in a leak-proof plastic bag to prevent cross-contamination and to prevent the turkey from absorbing water, resulting in a watery product.

Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed.

Cold Water Thawing Times 

  • 4 to 12 pounds — 2 to 6 hours
  • 12 to 16 pounds — 6 to 8 hours
  • 16 to 20 pounds — 8 to 10 hours
  • 20 to 24 pounds — 10 to 12 hours

A turkey thawed by the cold water method should be cooked immediately. After cooking, meat from the turkey can be refrozen.

Brining

In addition to below see Chef JJ’s Compiled Turkey Process for his brine recipe.

From Chef JimmyJ at SMF –  Edited for format only to put into numbered steps.

  1. Put it in the brine on Wed night, it should be thawed or real close.
  2. Soak 24 hours then Thurs night, pull and pat dry.
  3. Set the bird on a rack in a roasting pan and refer uncovered until smoke time on Saturday. Basically, you are getting a 24 hour Brine time and 24 hours of Drying Time. This will still be a juicy bird but the Skin will be a much better quality color wise and will get crispier if you like that sort of thing…JJ
His critique of the above:
USDA Guidelines like these are available, online, for the average cook, may very well have no idea what they are doing….We at the SMF follow and post guidelines because we simply don’t know who is reading our posts…That being stated…Many techniques have been developed to enhance the Flavor, Moisture and Tenderness of Poultry…Many of these techniques in and of themselves have Antibacterial Properties or Retard Bacterial Growth…When proper safety measures are combined with any one or more of these techniques, the Suggested TIME Thawed before Cooking Guidelines can be Safely expanded to accommodate the Enhancing Techniques…Example:

  1. Guideline states Turkey thawed by cold-water method should be cooked immediately…we now add a brine containing sufficient levels of Salt, Sugar and/or Acid to retard or eliminate bacterial growth for an additional 2 days…SAFE…
  2. The bird is removed from the brine, containing similar or reduced levels of Bacteria, patted dry and place under Refrigeration for an additional 2 days at Temperatures that Retard Bacterial Growth…SAFE…
  3. The Bird is now removed from refrigeration and Washed, Removing significant quantities of Bacteria that may have multiplied in the last 48 hours… SAFE…
  4. A Rub containing any number of Desiccating Ingredients, which include Salt, Sugar (with proven Antibacterial Qualities) and an assortment of Dry Herbs and Spices, are applied to the Bird and placed Back under Refrigeration for 12-24 Hours…SAFE…
  5. The Bird is now placed in an Oven or Smoker at the ABOVE Stated 325*F which has been established through testing not only gets the outer 1/2 inch of Exterior and Cavity (unstuffed) meat above 135*F in 30 minutes, which reduces any residual Bacteria by 99%…Can take the entire Muscle Mass of Birds up to 20Lbs to 165*F, causing complete Active Bacteria Destruction…SAFE!
  6. Note: The 325*F is from the example above…Safe cooking of Poultry happens at 225*F and up…JJ

Thaw properly, Brine under refrigeration with Salt, 1/2 to 1 Cup per Gallon of Water. Allow to dry under refrigeration to enhance pellicle formation and support the formation of crispy skin during roasting, Apply rub with or without fat and refrigerate…Roast or Smoke at sufficient temperatures to get the Turkey IT above 135*F in 4 Hours or less, Roast to 165*F IT in the Breast and 175*F IT in the thickest part of the Thigh and ENJOY YOUR TURKEY…..Watch for little BONES they AREN”T SAFE!!!!…JJ

Alternate – Advice to a guy about crisp skin on a turkey in the moist MES he said:  “Hey Buddy, Smoke that turkey at 225*F to about 140*F IT then stick it in the Oven at 400*F to finish the cook to 165-170*F…JJ”

Click for Turkey Injection recipes from Louisiana

Charro Beans – Development of Our Recipe

Posted on by July 26, 2021

This post contains the link to the inspiration for our beans that is at MyLatinaKitchen.com and the cooks that led to our recipe for charro beans. First made these on Dec. 11, 2016 based on the recipe linked below. Simple but creates a nice broth where adding the fresh veggies shortly before serving makes it a great dish. See the process below used on Sep 2, 2017 during Hurricane Harvey for what worked great. The recipe we make now that evolved here is Mary’s Charro Beans at this site.

Continue reading →

Pork Loin Steaks

Posted on by January 25, 2017

12/11/2016, Sunday

The loin was about 12″ long. Sliced it into 3/4″ steaks and put them into the little Brinner pail with the following brine about 4 PM, Saturday the day before the cook.

Pork Brine [these ingredients were what was on hand and not a special concoction]

1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar
1/8 C Mustard
1/2 C Pickling Salt
1T Cloves heaping whole
4 bay leaves
1/2 Gal Water

The Pork Brine recipe I started with was from Chef JJ but did not have some of the ingredients. Here it is.

2-12oz.Cans Apple Juice Concentrate
1C Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4C Molasses
1/4C Mustard
1/2C Kosher Salt
2T Pickling Spice (optional)
1T Sage, rubbed
1 Gal Water

Made schmaltz yesterday from fat off a tray of thighs so had about 1/2 C. Ground 2T of cajun seasoning in the coffee grinder so it would not clog the injection needle. Melted the schmaltz and stirred in the ground seasonings about 8 AM Sunday so it has time to meld before injecting.

Injected three and salt and peppered two for lunch to include Kelley and the girls. Grilled on the gas grill that did not have time with the old burners to get hot enough to add sear marks. But that helped do them gently to IT of 140. They were good, moist and tender but not enough spice to make them great. They were a tad salty as I did not wash them off when pulled from the brine vat.  Brining and injecting even lead to Mary saying they were good. They had brined for about 18 hours.

Burnt Ends ToTry

Posted on by December 14, 2016

From AmazingRibs.com

Make burnt ends

Normally the fact that the two ends [of a roast] are overcooked is no problem because there are usually two folks who want their meat well done. But if everybody wants theirs medium-rare, here’s what you do: Make burnt ends. Take the end cuts off with all their lovely dark brown crust, dunk them in some gravy, and put them back on the grill just like the two ribeye steaks they are. Put them on cut side down, and sear them, but don’t burn them. Then bring them inside and cut them into amazing tasty crunchy cubes, dunk them in the gravy again, and share with everyone. This means you need to order more meat than usual.

Copied from post at SMF by Gary Hibbert

Burnt Ends

For a long time now I’ve been reading posts on burnt ends but they all used the brisket point as a meat source.  Since both Miss Linda and I hate fat and make a point of always trimming it off any meat on our plates, I had absolutely no desire to cook up something like a brisket point and cube it up into bite size chunks of fatty meat.

Lately, however, there have been more and more posts about using different cuts of meats for burnt ends.

As it turned out, I had a piece of uncooked meat (already rubbed and sitting in the fridge) left over after my stuffed loin smoke.  Coincidence?  I think not.

I fired up the MES and filled the AMNPS with pecan.  As soon as the MES was sitting at 235* and the pecan smoking nicely, the meat went into the smoker.

After about 1 ¾ hours the IT was sitting at 140 to 145* (depending on thickness) so, after cranking the MES to maximum temp and refilling the AMNPS with hickory pellets, I pulled it and headed into the kitchen. I cut the meat into chunks (couldn’t really call them cubes) and tossed them with more rub, making sure all sides were coated.  I chose Honey/Garlic BBQ sauce, as that is Miss Linda’s favorite, giving each piece a good coating.  At this point in the proceedings, I felt obligated to perform a quality test.  The meat was unbelievably tender, except for the thinner pieces.  Then it was back out to the smoker.

Since tenderness was no longer an issue and I didn’t really expect much canalization, I decided to just leave the meat in the smoker long enough to really set up the BBQ sauce.  As it turned out, supper wasn’t ready for another 2 hours, so that’s how long the chunks stayed in the MES.  I brought them in when it was time to plate the meat, along with the rice and corn.

Pork Spare Ribs

Posted on by December 11, 2016

11/19/2016, Saturday

Trimmed loose pieces off to smoke for seasoning and rubbed all with Stubb’s hot pork rub three hours before the cook. First cool day of fall with Ambient temp at 165 and low humidity due to cold front late yesterday.

1:30 PM – Heated the MES up to 240 (set at 260) and put in the meat bones up on third grate from the top with Trafalger hickory pellets in the Amazn tray.  Chefworks air probe is clipped on the grate between meat and glass door on left side.

2:00 – MES back up to 245 and rising. Air probe is at 205. Good stream of TBS.

2:15 – MES has coasted up to 274 and air probe is at 223.

3:00 – MES is 265 and air probe is 226.

4:30 – Smoke has burned out (1.5 rows) so pulled, wrapped and put into convection bake oven set at 350. Before wrapping flipped it over to meat side up, noted meat is dry, poured and painted in Senate BBQ sauce.

6:30 – Bend test failed as it fell apart. Very tasty and very moist. The sauce had cooked in and was very light; i.e. only a slight BBQ sauce flavor.

Conclusion:  Need to set MES to reach proper temp on cooking grate. Two hours at 350 wrapped was too much. Three hours smoke at 225 grate temp plus an hour in the convection oven at 350 would have been about right.