Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Thanksgiving dinner is one of the most anticipated meals of the year, carrying with it long standing traditions among families and American culture. Some menu traditions, like turkey, stuffing and cranberries, are almost universal while others are unique.
For those facing their first Thanksgiving cooking experience or those with some trepidations about facing the feat, here are some tips and ideas from cooks with experience.
“People think cooking a turkey is difficult, but it isn’t,” said Helen Appel of Dusty who hosts about 30 people, most of them family members, each Thanksgiving. The Appels raise their own turkeys and the centerpiece of the day’s observance is a bird in the 35 to 40 pound range.
“In this family we have to kill the turkey,” she said.
On Thanksgiving Day, Helen gets up about 5 a.m. to make stuffing and get the turkey in the oven, but the meal preparations really begin earlier than that.
A lot can be done ahead of time, Helen noted. Cranberry sauce and pies can be made and appetizers prepared. Helen buys cranberries fresh while they are in season and then freezes them. She makes a triple batch of roll dough and leaves it in the fridge overnight then shapes it the next day.
She puts the rolls in the oven after the turkey comes out so the rolls are hot for the meal.
As part of the pre-Thanksgiving preparations, the turkey’s neck and gizzards are cooked for the stuffing. Sliced onion and bread crumbs, usually broken up by grandkids, are also readied for the stuffing.
Early in the morning the turkey is rinsed and patted dry inside with a paper towel. Helen suggested stuffing lightly, starting with the chest cavity and then body cavity.
Because of its size, the Appel turkey’s bulk extends out over the sides of their roasting pan. Helen places heavy foil under the bird and extends the foil up around the sides of the bird to catch the drippings.
The oven is set at 325 degrees to start the turkey. Helen pointed out that if you start cooking at a higher temperature, it tends to steam the turkey. She notches the cooking temperature down as the turkey cooks.
Getting the turkey in the oven on time is important. For families that eat at 1 or 2 p.m., that means a very early morning start.
Cooks who turn up the oven to speed up the cooking process risk reducing the quality of the meat.
Depending on weight, a turkey will take six to seven hours to cook, which leaves time for making potatoes and sweet potatoes. Salads and side dishes also can be made in advance. The table can be set and the rest of the meal logistics put in order.
When the turkey is done let it rest for about 15 to 20 minutes. During that time the turkey will absorb the juices.
Rosauer’s butcher Jim Krouse explained resting lets the heat go to the center of the bird, giving the turkey an even heat distribution.
Krouse noted most store-bought turkeys are self-basting, which means they have been injected with broth. About 10 percent of a store-bought turkey’s weight is the broth.
Jim said he gets a lot of questions every year on how to thaw a turkey. The best solution is to thaw the turkey in the refrigerator two to four days before you are going to cook it. It can also be thawed in a sink of cold water at a rate of half an hour per pound.
It is not recommended to thaw a turkey on the counter. If the outside warms up before the inside, it can cause bacteria to grow.
Many store-purchased turkeys come with tender timers that pop when the turkey is done, but you should still monitor the turkey with a meat thermometer.
“Just like anything mechanical, they can malfunction,” Krouse said. If the timer doesn’t pop on time, or doesn’t pop at all, it can result in a very dry or overcooked turkey.
Turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 170 degrees.
Cooked turkey should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 to 3 hours, Helen said. There have been cases of families getting food poisoning from eating leftover turkey that sat out too long.
Some families on Thanksgiving serve ham or prime rib instead of turkey.
Jim pointed out that most store bought hams are fully cooked. A spiral ham only needs to be in the oven at 275 degrees for about two hours or 12 to 15 minutes per pound.
“The main thing is don’t overcook the ham,” he said. Ham should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
In the case of prime rib, he recommended cooking it to the rarest preference and then cooking the individual pieces more than that.
“If you over cook it, you can’t un-cook,” he said.
Gravy can be made from the meat drippings while the main dish is resting.
Appel also recommended not experimenting with holiday guests. Do what you know. If you really want to surprise guests with something new, try it out a week before the event. See if it works and check the amount of time it consumes.
If the new item passes the test run and you feel comfortable with it, add it in to the holiday routine.
Aunt Alice’s Sweet Potatoes
2 cups fresh sweet potatoes
6 Tbsp. margarine
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 – 1/2 cup milk
Boil in water, drain and mash sweet potatoes. Beat all ingredients together and put into 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.
Topping-
6 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup nut
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup crushed corn flakes
Melt together butter and brown sugar. Pour mixture and corn flakes over top of baked sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with nuts and bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.
Pumpkin Pie
For a 9 inch pie
1 3/4 cup mashed cooked or canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup milk
3 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Beat all ingredients together. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until a silver knife—stainless steel will work—inserted 1 inch from side of filling comes out clean. Center may still look soft but will set later. Serve slightly warm or cold.
Jim Krouse’s Special Turkey Stuffing
Stuff turkey full of popcorn. When it blows out the rear, your turkey is done.
(this is not a serious recipe)
Jana Mathia is a reporter at the Whitman County Gazette.
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