Time to talk about some Thanksgiving turkey

By Lethbridge Herald on October 11, 2024.

LEAVE IT TO BEEBER
Al Beeber – Managing editor

While listening to the Bay City Rollers channel on the Sirius/XM app as I wrote this column – yes, I was sober – I started thinking about Thanksgivings past.

When we were young Thanksgiving was always a true symbol of autumn. Leaves were on the ground, the weather was cold, football was in season and NHL hockey was starting. It was the start of the high school basketball season and there was anticipation about playing shinny on ponds or doing some road hockey.

For me, it didn’t have all the hype and unrealistic expectations or expected disappointments of Christmas – Thanksgiving was really enjoyable.

In my adulthood, I’ve tried to do my share of Thanksgiving cooking with the traditional turkey of course and this weekend I’m torn about how I’m going to do one. It’s become really convenient to buy one of those pressed Butterball or generic turkey breast ones in a box that simply can be thrown into the oven for a few hours with no need to baste.

But it’s not the same as cooking a full turkey. There’s something missing – like the aroma of bird and stuffing emanating throughout the house. Real aroma, not like fake pumpkin spice, for example.

Geez, I forgot how many good songs the Bay City Rollers had. But I digress here – it’s Thursday morning, not Saturday night. Did I say I’m sober?

For a few years, I tried smoking a turkey on Thanksgiving but there’s no chance the smoker will be cranked up this weekend as I do yard work because I stuffed it, so to speak, in the storage shed under my deck until spring.

 My plan instead is to throw a bird into the oven on Sunday for a traditional turkey dinner that day since everyone in the house is working on Monday.

But smoked turkey, if done right, is unbeatable. That, however, is the key. It takes a few days in a brine with some spices before being patted dry and cooked low and slow in the smoker with the right wood chips, or pucks as my Bradley uses.

I haven’t used the smoker yet this year and maybe only once or twice last year because of the time and attention needed to do a smoking job that won’t cause meat to be dry or over-smoked. That’s why I tend to go light on the actual smoke – I just want it to lightly kiss the turkey or chicken, fish or pork loin, not slobber on it like a Saint Bernard. Not that I know any, do I Kona?

I learned in 2009 the hard and expensive way how to overdo a turkey. 

On that Thanksgiving, the bird I did in advance was so smoked I’m surprised nobody called the fire department.

 It was like a campfire with a hint of seasoning – but luckily I’d done it a day in advance so had time to make amends and cook one the traditional way. 

So until I thought better of it, this weekend I did feel like tempting fate again with the plan to get a bird going on the patio about 6 a.m. after the first walk of the morning and in between college football games and yard work, spending the day tending to it. 

But now bright and early Sunday the official turkey will be hitting the oven as long as I don’t end up slicing open a finger like I did three years ago trying to cut off some plastic ring on it, prompting a visit to the pharmacy to load up on liquid and real bandages plus lots of tape instead of driving to the ER like I should have. Which could be fodder for another column. Like the time I threw a Saran Wrap box in the direction of my cat Tigger who had climbed onto the kitchen table, coincidentally on Thanksgiving, ripping a finger to shreds on the serrated edge of that box – which had to be one of the stranger visits ER had to deal with. Until a few other trips of mine. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

SPC MEETING: Followers of city council will notice that acting as Economic and Finance Standing Policy Comittee, its members met on Thursday to address numerous submissions and a couple of presentations. Due to the fact I’m doing all the page layout this week except sports for four of five editions plus trying to cover meetings, do interviews and take photos I didn’t have time yesterday to do any writing on some of those matters but in Saturday’s paper, readers will see some coverage. 

Thanks for your understanding and patience.