How to Prepare Delicious Turkey for this Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is indeed the best time of the year. Not only do you get the much-needed break, but you also get to spend some quality time with your loved ones. Isn’t it what you look forward to the entire year?
If the answer is yes, you’re in for a treat. In this article today, I’m going to share with you my secret Thanksgiving recipe to make your day more special. All my friends and family members long for delicious Turkey I make on every Thanksgiving dinner.
I’m sure you’re thinking if it’s that good? Yes, it’s amazing. It’s my grandmother’s recipe that my mother and I both follow. Let me share it with you so that you know what you need to do this year on the Thanksgiving dinner, have a look:
Turkey on the Grill
What’s the first thing that comes into your mind when you think about the Thanksgiving feast? Isn’t it a slow-grilled Turkey? That’s right, guys. Turkey defines the true essence of Thanksgiving. It’s one item you must not miss out on.
Alright. Let’s not waste any more time and get to the secret recipe I promised to share. Here are the ingredients you’d need to prepare a scrumptious grilled Turkey:
- One Turkey (14-15 pounds)
- 2-3 tablespoons of freshly ground pepper
- Chinese salt as per the taste
- Half a cup of extra-virgin olive oil mixed with truffle oil
- Half a cup of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
- A few pieces of chopped garlic, onion wedges, and sage sprigs to fill up the cavity
Directions to Prepare
Preparing Turkey isn’t as complicated as it seems. It’s easier than you think. I’ve divided it into four steps to further simplify it.
Step One: Wash Turkey thoroughly and make sure it’s dry before moving to the stuffing part. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to an hour and meanwhile, prepare the stuffing.
Chop a few pieces of garlic and onion, add them to a mixing bowl. Then add the sauce of your choice to it. I prefer Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce. After that, add sage sprigs to the mixing bowl and your stuffing is ready.
Now stuff Turkey with the prepared mixture or aromatics of your choice. In case you want to add or subtract any spices, you can. Please ensure to close the cavity properly so that the stuffing doesn’t come out.
Step Two: In this step, you need to prepare your grill. Start with opening the grill vents and put a chimney starter inside. I suggest you put 40-50 charcoal briquettes first and let them burn into ashes.
When done, remove the chimney starter and take out the roasting pan in the center. After that, add coal evenly to each side of the pan. Make sure not to spill ashes into the pan since it’s going to collect the Turkey drippings that you can use as gravy later.
Step Three: Okay. It’s time to prepare Turkey for the fourth and final step. Take a small mixing bowl and add pepper, salt, and oil to it. Mix them well and apply them to Turkey with the help of a brush.
It will ensure Turkey doesn’t go dry when grilled. It will also add a distinct taste to the skin of Turkey, which can sound tasteless otherwise. Thus, you must not miss this step.
Step Four: The final step is to grill Turkey. You need to place it on the top grate and cover it up with the grill lid. Make sure Turkey stays directly over the roasting plan.
Keep adding the charcoal briquettes on the sides of the roasting pan after every few minutes, let’s say after 30-45 minutes. Grill it for 2-3 hours. They say Turkey with stuffing requires heat for 10-12 minutes per pound.
Also, check the meat if it’s properly cooked before removing it from the grill. You can do that by inserting a thermometer into the stuffing. If it reads 165 degrees or above, your Turkey is good to be removed.
Oh, and please wait for 15-20 minutes before cutting it.
A Few Other Delicacies to Accompany
Of course, you’re not going to serve Turkey alone. You must have a few delicacies to go with it. After all, who doesn’t like variety, especially when it comes to holiday feasts? The following are a few things you can serve in combination with Turkey:
Sides with Grilled Turkey
I cannot have grilled Turkey without the side of mashed potatoes. Can you? The meal feels boring without a side. Isn’t that right? Thus, I always give my guests a variety of sides to choose from.
First and foremost, I always prepare mashed potatoes. It’s the simplest recipe ever. If you want it to make it a little fancier, you can add cheddar cheese to it. Secondly, there’s always room for sautéd vegetables. They’re loved by everyone and not to forget, they’re healthy which makes them an even better option.
Moreover, cranberry sauce is a must. Although my recipe for grilled Turkey is juicy itself, cranberry sauce is still mandatory. You can also keep honey mustard or barbecue sauce, whatever you like.
The Mandatory Dessert
I often joke about it that the food goes to my belly and dessert goes to my heart. But jokes apart, it’s actually true. My meal, whether it’s my everyday meal or holiday feast, remains incomplete without a post-meal dessert.
For Thanksgiving this year, I’ve planned to make weed brownies. I’m sure you’ll be surprised to know it, but trust me; it’s a great idea. It will add a dash of fun and life to my otherwise boring dinner.
Weed brownies are simple to prepare. All you need to do is add some weed buds to your traditional brownies’ recipe. There’s no harm in having a little fun, especially at the Thanksgiving party, so you should try it as well.
Beverages
Lastly, what’s the point in hosting a Thanksgiving dinner without beverages? Yes, wine or champagne is essential. It’s another thing that completes your meal. My friends and family usually prefer wine, so I keep it in stock whenever they come over.
You can choose your signature dinner beverage according to the preference of your guests. If you ask me; I suggest red wine. I believe it makes the best combination with grilled Turkey. But again, it comes down to what you and your guests like.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving party, my friends. Have a blast!
