Thanksgiving Pioneer-Style Herb Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

Turkey:
One 17-pound whole fresh turkey, rinsed well and patted dry
1 1/4 stick (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 large stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large onions, quartered
8 cups homemade chicken stock

Sage Gravy:
Turkey neck
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

Directions
For the turkey: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.

Combine the butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with half of the carrots, celery, and onion. Rub the entire turkey with the herb butter and season liberally with salt and pepper.

Put 4 cups of the chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Place the remaining vegetables on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Put the turkey on top of the vegetables, put in the oven and roast until lightly golden brown, 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the warm chicken stock every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160 degrees F, about 2 to 2 1/4 hours longer.

Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a baking sheet, tent loosely with foil and let rest 20 minutes before slicing.

For the sage gravy: Strain the cooking liquid from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan (should be about 4 cups, if not, add more stock to make 4 cups). Add the neck, bring to a boil, add the sage leaves, remove from the heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the sage leaves.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced. Whisk in the sage-infused stock and cook until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and chopped sage.

SOURCE

Coleslaw with Creamy Cumin Vinaigrette

Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon olive oil
Zest of 1 lime, finely grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small head napa cabbage, finely shredded
1 large carrot, grated on the large holes of a box grater
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, julienned
1 small yellow bell pepper, julienned

Directions
Whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, dill, sugar, celery salt and cumin seeds in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cabbage, carrots, onions and peppers, and toss to coat in the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours before serving.

SOURCE

Open-Faced Pitas with Rotisserie Lamb with Pomegranate and Mint, Grilled Tomatoes, and Greek Slaw

Ingredients

Rotisserie Lamb with Pomegranate and Mint:

• One boneless half leg of lamb (about 4 pounds), butterflied
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary1 Spanish onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup pomegranate molasses
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Juice of 2 lemons

Greek Slaw:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus for garnish
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped to a paste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
• 1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 6 ounces crumbled Greek feta
• Cherry tomatoes, on soaked skewers, for serving
• Canola oil, for brushing
• 8 warmed pita breads, with or without pockets, for serving
• 2 lemons, for serving

Directions

For the rotisserie lamb with pomegranate and mint: Sprinkle both sides of the lamb with salt and pepper. Roll the lamb and tie with twine. Cut small slits over the entire lamb, using a paring knife. Fill each slit with a slice of the garlic. Put the lamb into a large plastic resealable bag.

Whisk the pomegranate juice, wine, olive oil, oregano, rosemary, onions, bay leaves and lemon juice in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the marinade over the lamb, in the bag. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Place the bag into a large bowl. Refrigerate the lamb for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours, turning the bag a few times during that time.

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the grill to medium-hot heat.

Whisk the pomegranate molasses, mint, mustard and lemon juice in a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Skewer the lamb onto the rotisserie and grill until a meat thermometer registers 135 degrees F for medium doneness, 1 1/2 hours to 1 3/4 hours. Begin brushing the lamb with the pomegranate molasses mixture after about 45 minutes of grilling.

Meanwhile for the Greek slaw: Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, dill, honey and garlic in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the red and green cabbage, carrot and feta. Toss to combine. Cover the slaw and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and loosely tent with foil. Wait 15 minutes before slicing.

While the lamb is resting, brush the tomatoes with canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the tomatoes until they are charred on both sides and just soft, about 4 minutes.

Slice the lamb. Lay the warm pita breads on a large platter. Top with sliced lamb, grilled tomatoes and the Greek slaw. Squeeze the lemons over the top and serve.

SOURCE

Honey-Rum Pinto Beans with Burnt Ends

Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
8 ounces double-smoked slab bacon, cut into small dice
1 medium carrot, grated on the large holes of a box grater
1 medium Spanish onion, cut into small dice
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Two 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained, rinsed well and drained again
2 cups Bobby Flay's Mesa Barbecue Sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce
1 to 2 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium canned broth, plus more if needed
1/4 cup clover honey
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few cups burnt ends from Smoked, Spice Rubbed, Texas-Style Brisket
Handful torn fresh parsley leaves


Directions
Put the canola oil and bacon in a medium cast-iron or enamel coated cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until crisp. Add the carrots and onions to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, about 1 minute. Add the beans, barbecue sauce, 1 cup stock, honey and brown sugar and mix gently to combine; season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer, about 20 minutes. Check to see if the mixture is dry, and if it is, add a little more stock. Continue simmering until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the burnt ends. Garnish the top with the parsley and let sit 10 minutes before serving.


Smoked, Spice Rubbed, Texas-Style Brisket:
3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon allspice, ground
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon mustard seeds, ground
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
One 8 to 10 pound brisket, untrimmed
3 cups oak or pecan wood chips, or 6 big chunks, soaked in cold water for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours
2 cups apple juice (in a spray bottle)


Mix together all the spices in a bowl. Liberally rub the entire brisket with the spices, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Remove the brisket from the refrigerator 1 hour before beginning the smoking process to take the chill off, and remove the plastic wrap.


Get your smoker running at 225 degrees F with hardwood charcoal and a few handfuls of soaked wood chips. This temperature should be maintained throughout the entire smoke. (If you are using a grill: Set up the grill for indirect heat, banking the coals on one side of the grill and scattering the wood chips on top. Maintain the temperature at 225 degrees throughout the smoking process, adding chips as necessary until you wrap the brisket in foil.)


Place the brisket fat-side up on your smoker grate and close it up for the long smoke.


Open your barbecue smoker every hour or 2 and spray the brisket liberally with apple juice to help keep the meat from drying out. Also keep apple juice in the water pan if you are using a water smoker.


When the internal temperature reaches 165 to 170 degrees, after about 4 hours, wrap the brisket in aluminum foil and continue to cook for another 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. This little trick is a big help in getting the meat tender, especially for beginners. Figure that a brisket smoked at around 200 degrees will take about 1 1/2 hours per pound. The brisket is done when the internal temperature reaches 185 degrees F. Remove and let rest 20 minutes before slicing. Remove the foil from the brisket over a large pan or disposable pan and reserve the liquid. Cut off the brisket points and reserve for Honey-Rum Baked Pinto Beans with Burnt Ends.


SOURCE