5th Annual Playford Thanksgiving Shindig

Thanksgiving is all about family, friends, turkey and beer, right? Well, it is for me and Rich. Our tradition started in 2005 when Rich and I were dating. I invited him down to the beach to spend Thanksgiving with my family, but it wasn't just that...I also told him he was in charge of cooking the turkey. What an introduction to the whole family! To prepare Rich decided to have a trial run and use all of our friends as guinea pigs. The first year was a fried Turkey, a case of beer and a bag of Fritos. Five years later...1 smoked turkey, 2 fried turkeys, a ham and a Po'Man's tenderloin...with all the fixin's. We now invite everyone we know and their friends and open the dining room table up to all casseroles, sides, snacks and desserts. Each year something new is added, last year Potato Soup and Apple Cider...this year, a smoked turkey. 

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Just chillin'. Waiting on my smoke sauna.

The Smoked Turkey
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Living in Memphis and eating a LOT of Neely's wings and ribs, AND having a new smoker, we started with the Neely's Smoked Turkey Recipe then added a few things.

The Turkey 

21.8 Lb Turkey

The Brine

1 gallon water
2 cups salt
3 cups apple juice
1 cup bourbon
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 cup brown sugar

Put the turkey in double lined garbage sack. Mix all ingredients until salt and sugar have dissolved then pour on top of the bird. Place the bird in a cooler with ice. Brine turkey over night and turn every three hours. Take him out in the morning, pat him dry and rub him down!

The Rub

2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sage
1 1/2 tablespoons thyme
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon of Rich's Rub (recipe calls for Neelys' Rub, but since Rich makes his own, we use our stuff)
Coat turkey in olive oil (like suntan lotion, get all parts) and massage the mixture into the bird.

Light the fires and kick the tires.

The Smoking

4 cups wood chunks, we use a combination of of hickory and apple
1-2 bags of charcoal, depending on weather and cooking time, if you're a smoker, get two, you'll use it eventually
Apple juice in spray bottle
1 cup bourbon

Soak the wood chunks for about an hour. Light the charcoal in a chimney starter. When charcoal has ashed over, pour into smoker. Place wood chunks on top of coals. Put a tin pan on the smoker with water and bourbon. Place turkey on grill, breast up. Insert a probe thermometer in the fat part of the thigh. Now you're smokin'. A watchful eye is necessary. This gives Rich a reason to drink beer and stare at fire. It's a man thing, I guess. Keep coals hot and smoker temperature around 225ºF. Add coals and wood as needed to maintain temperature. Cover bird with foil when he gets golden (about 30 minutes). Cook 4 to 5 hours until thermometer reads 160ºF.
Let rest for 20 minutes and carve!

Fire started at 6:00, bird went on at 7:00 am. and done by noon.

Webb's Big Day in Church

My son Webb is going to be Christened this Sunday. After the ceremony our family will join us for lunch, the menu closely resembles my niece's Baptismal Brunch.

The Ham was done by my father, Webb (my son's namesake). I asked for a recipe and as usual got two different ones. One from my father and one from my mother. My mother said pierce the meat. My father shaking his head no in the background and mouthing silently, "DO NOT DO THAT!" This argument went on for a while and I never really got the true recipe. I plan on making it for Thanksgiving, so I will post the recipe then.

My Godmother Christine made and brought the grits. She used the Paula Dean recipe. Any southerner knows you can trust Paula Dean with grits, especially the cheesy kind.


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Burch's Christening Spinach Madeline

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Elizabeth Burch Franklin, born October 15, 2001 was christened in Tunica and my sister-in-law, Penny, served Spinach Madeline that was delicious. I helped make it and squeezing the spinach of juice was definitely worth it.

3 pkgs frozen chopped spinach

1 1/2 stick margarine

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

3/4 cup Parmesean cheese

1 1/2 cup sour cream

1 can artichokes, cut in half

Cook and drain spinach. (Squeeze it if you have to get all the moisture out.) Saute onions in butter. Mix all ingredients together and bake 30 minutes at 350°.

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 Curried Fruit

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This is a classic in Greenwood for brunches. It’s a great warm fruit dish and goes well with a lot of different foods. Feeds a lot and is surprisingly good!

1 can pears

1 large can sliced peaches

1 large can pineapple chunks

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons curry powder (the good stuff, it makes a difference)

Drain fruit well. Melt butter, sugar and curry. Don’t cover. Bake at 325° for one hour.

Home for the Holidays

The other half and I hosted our first Christmas in 2009. For 35 years I have had the exact same meal on December 25th. My mother had that same meal 30 years prior. We call it the Lott Christmas Dinner. Being a new Playford, it was time to start another tradition and combine the Lott meal with a Playford twist. Prime Rib has been a standard for the Playford's and as my husband says...who wants a Turkey a month after Thanksgiving? After LOTS of research, we watched Alton Brown work his magic on a standing rib roast. We followed Alton’s cooking method and it was the best meat we have ever served. This may become the NEW Playford tradition. FYI: My father was VERY reluctant about the cooking time of this beef...he is more of a quick-fire grill meat cooker. Today, he says nothing about our cooking skills and proclaims it was the best meat he ever had.

NOTE: You must have a digital thermometer for this to turn out to complete perfection.

THE STANDING RIB ROAST

Alton Brown's Standing Rib Roast

1 10lb 4-bone-in standing rib roast from the loin end
Canola oil, to coat roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to cover entire roast
1 cup water
1 cup red wine
4 fresh sage leaves
2 pats butter

DRY AGING THE MEAT

Place the roast in tupperware with a kitchen towel underneath it to drain juices and a towel on top, this draws the moisture out and helps intensify the flavor of the meat. Keep meat in icebox for 3 days. Check towels to make sure they are not soaked, if so, replace them daily. Once meat has aged, trim off any hard parts.

COOKING THE ROAST

Once dry aged meat is trimmed, coat with oil and rub salt and pepper all over. Leave out for atleast 3 hours. The meat must be at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 250º on convection. Place a probe thermometer into the center of the roast and set for 118º. Turn the oven down to 200ºF and roast until internal temperature is achieved.

Remove the roast and turn oven up to 500ºF. Cover with heavy-duty foil. Allow the roast to rest until an internal temperature of 130ºF. is reached. Place the roast back into the preheated 500 degree F oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and transfer roast to a cutting board. Keep covered with foil until ready to serve.

Place the roasting pan over low heat and deglaze with 1 cup of water. Add the wine and reduce by half. Roll the sage leaves in between your fingers to release the flavors and aroma. Add to the sauce and cook for 1 minute. Add a few pats of butter to make it glossy, strain and serve on the side.

Can also serve with Sour Cream, Blue Cheese and Horseradish sauce.