What other things can I cook other than turkey for thanksgiving?!


Question: I hope you can really help me with this because I want to prepare for thanksgiving. I also want to do something different other than just cooking a turkey.


Answers: I hope you can really help me with this because I want to prepare for thanksgiving. I also want to do something different other than just cooking a turkey.

A good fresh pork roast is always nice and people don't make them very often any more. Ham is also a traditional option.

If it is a small party of people you really want to impress, you might try either leek-stuffed pork tenderloin or leek-stuffed beef tenderloin.

Leek-Stuffed Tenderloin

Tenderloin #
1 bunch Leeks
Butter
Salt
Pepper

Remove silver skin and gristle from Tenderloin and cut Tenderloin along side several times so that you end up with a large flat piece of meat (or butterfly it).
Saute Leeks (use both white and some green parts) in Butter with Salt and Pepper and allow to cool.
Season Tenderloin with Salt & Pepper.
Spread cooled Leeks on Tenderloin.
Roll Tenderloin back into original shape & tie several times with twine.
Roast in hot oven (425 degrees) until desired doneness.
Allow to rest ~10-15 minutes.
Slice and enjoy!

#--a single pork tenderloin will serve 2-4 people; a beef tenderloin will usually serve 6-10 people (beef tenderloins vary more in size than pork tenderloins do).

I would add a Green Salad; Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes; Asparagus or Brussels Sprouts; Fresh Rolls; and maybe a Carrot Souffle to either one for a great Thanksgiving meal.

Happy Thanksgiving!

ham it is sooooo good oh ya and corn potatoes and gravey

Rack of Lamb, Prime Rib Roast, Beef Tenderloin roast, Pork Crown roast....Leg of lamb, Whole duck or goose, (one of my grandmas did a duck and a goose every year!)...All kinds of things. It really depends on how many you're serving and what you want to spend! Or you could keep it more simple and do a ham or oven roast...really, you know no matter what you make, it's gonna be darned good! It's Thanksgiving!
Happy Holiday!

I know some people have fried chicken...This year my family has chosen to BBQ on the grill...In past years I bake a ham---can't go wrong with that!!

Last year my wife made a very large pork roast with steamed rice, green beans, gravy, rolls and brownies for Thanksgiving dinner. It was different and we had lots of leftovers for lunch. We even had enough pork leftover that my wife shredded it, mixed it with B-B- que sauce and froze it for sandwiches.
(this year so noone has to cook we're going out to dinner. let someone else do all the work !!! :-) )

You could cook a roast beef with carrots and potatoes all in the roaster.
Roast Chicken or rice stuffed
Cornish hens are nice.
Cabbage rolls plus sides with it, like salad and soup.
Baked Atlantic salmon is a lighter type of meal but you need other side dishes with it.
Just try looking up "dinner menu suggestions"
You can see all the suggestions that will give you some ideas for your own dinner preparations

Cornish Hens
Some people will have ham

Prime Rib, Crab is in season, Ham is the obvious alternative, goose, duck, salmon, clams, lobster, oysters, muscles, Do a New England Clam Bake! Go Chinese with Peking Duck and other Chinese dishes.
Here's some recipes from my cook books I have written.

Dave’s Slow roasted Prime Rib
"Cast Iron Covered Wagon Cooking 3, Cooking for Crowds" by David Herzog

3 whole 7 bone prime rib roasts (15 to 22 lbs.)
1 cup black pepper
1 cup granulated garlic
? cup granulated onion powder
2 cups kosher salt
2 40 lb. bags water softener rock salt crystals (do not use granules)

In a medium bowl, combine pepper, garlic, onion and kosher salt. Stir well. Rib spice mixture all over all sides of each roast, set aside on a sheet pan. Pour a 1” layer of rock salt in the bottom of a 22” Maca Dutch oven. Place one roast to one side but not touching the cast iron. Pour in enough rock salt to cover the roast half way, then layer rock salt around the roast. Place the second roast in the void of rock salt and fill in the gap between roasts with a ?” layer of rock salt. Pour in enough rock salt to fill the second roast ? way. Place the third roast over the first roast and pour in rock salt for a ?” layer between the first 2 roasts. Fill the remaining space with rock salt, covering all of the meat. Place the lid on the oven put 2 rings of briquettes under the oven and 2 ? rings on the lid. Bake the roasts for 3 ? hours maintaining the coals as needed.
Serves 45 to 70 1 lb. servings
90 to 150 8 oz. servings
The key is keeping the meat and everything else DRY This is very, very important. I let the roasts set out for about 2 hours before starting the cooking process. This makes a more tender piece of meat when it is cooked. I rub the prime rib roasts with my favorite mixture of seasonings and set the roasts aside. In the mean time I start 3 Weber charcoal chimneys full of charcoal. Next, I place 1" of rock salt into the bottom of my 22 Maca. Then I put 2 roasts onto the rock salt in the bottom of the oven. I pour in more rock salt to cover the 2 roasts about 1/2". Then I place the next 2 roasts ontop of the first 2 and fill the oven with more rock salt and cover with more rock salt. It takes about 50 to 60 pounds of rock salt and I use water softener salt because its $12.00 per 80 pounds, compared to 1.59 per 5 pound box of ice cream salt. NOTE there is no difference! Cover the Dutch oven and I place 1 chimney of briquettes in a ring around the bottom and 1 1/2 on the lid. 3 hours later I have 95 pounds of delicious prime rib ready to be devoured!

Here is why the meat does not get salty. MOISTURE. Plain and simple. You need moisture to get the saltyness into the meat, thats why the rub flavors get into the meat and not the rest of the salt. I've heard many cooks who spray water over the salt to "harden it" what that moisture does is alow the salt to penetrate the meat and makes it more salty. When you pack the roasts into a dry oven, the rock salt acts much like cast iron and transferrs the heat directly to the meat in a even fashon all around the meat, leaving no hot or cool spots. The rock salt also makes a great moisture bearier, keeping the juices inside the meat. That's how it works in a nutshell.

Burgundy Goose (Duck) with Raspberry Sauce
"Cast Iron Covered Wagon Cooking" by David Herzog

Marinate 4 skinned, boned breasts 1-2 hours:
? c. vegetable oil
? c. soy sauce
? tsp. pepper
1 c. burgundy

Bring to a boil:
1 c. raspberry jam or jelly
? c. water
1 Tbs. brown mustard
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
(If desired, add salt, pepper, or caraway seeds)

Brown meat in marinade mixture, about 10 minutes each
side. Ladle about ? c. raspberry sauce on each plate. Top with 1 breast on each plate.
Serves 4

Cajun Corn with Crayfish
"Cast Iron Covered Wagon Cooking" by David Herzog

6 ears corn on the cob
1 Tbs. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
? c. green bell pepper, chopped
? c. red bell pepper, chopped
1 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. red pepper, ground
? lb. crayfish tail meat (substitute shrimp meat if crayfish is not available)

Cut corn from cobs in two or three layers so that kernels
are not let whole. Scrape cobs to remove remaining juice and pulp.

Heat oil in a 10” or 12” Dutch oven, over medium heat.
Add onion and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn, water, salt, black and red pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add crayfish; return mixture to a simmer. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or just until crayfish turns opaque.
Serves 6

Hawaiian Roast Pork with Fresh Pineapple Salsa
"Cast Iron Covered Wagon Cooking" by David Herzog
Rub:
1 Tbs. salt
1 ? tsp. five-spice powder
? tsp. dry mustard powder
? tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs. molasses

Pork:
1 4 to 5 lb. boneless pork loin
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

Salsa:
3 c. fresh pineapple (1 lb.)
2 or 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, minced
? c. red onion, minced
1/3 c. fresh cilantro, minced
? c. lime juice
? tsp. salt

In a small bowl, combine all rub ingredients; mix well. Rub over pork loin. Cover, chill, or refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat a 12” deep Dutch oven to 425o. Place a cake cooling rack in the bottom of the oven and fill bottom of oven with ?” water. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until browned.

Reduce heat to 250o; bake an additional 2 to 3 hours or until internal temperature reaches 150o, checking to make sure there is always water in the bottom of the Dutch oven.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all salsa ingredients; mix well. Cover, and chill or refrigerate.

Remove oven from heat, let roast rest in oven 15 to 20 minutes. Whisk Dijon mustard into pan juices. Slice pork; place on serving platter. Pour mustard sauce over slices. Serve hot with salsa.
Serves 12

Good Luck!





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