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Thanksgiving Montage

This season, you can find a beer-ful Thanksgiving inside one box! The Fall-Winter Montage offers up the quintessential variety for your holiday cooking and pairing needs!

Cook!

90 Shilling-Brined Roasted Turkey90 Shilling turkey

1 8-12 lb. turkey
1 ½ tablespoons black peppercorns
8 cups of water
6 bay leaves
1 ½ cups Kosher or sea salt
2 onions (quartered or wedged)
½ cup allspice berries
1 cup brown sugar
3 bottles of 90 Shilling
2 cups of ice
1 ½ cups chicken broth

 

In a large pot, add the water, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice, bay leaves, and one onion. Bring to just barely boiling and remove from heat. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved, then cool completely.

Add the ice and 90 Shilling and stir. Make sure the liquid is cooled to room temperatures so as not to cook the turkey.

Add the turkey to the brine (breast side down), and cover to keep it submerged. Refrigerate overnight (16-24 hours).

Preheat the oven to 350° and place oven rack on the bottom shelf. Lift the turkey out of the brine and pick off any remaining peppercorns, allspice berries and bay leaves and pat dry.

Transfer the turkey to a large roasting pan (breast side up). Scatter the remaining onion pieces in the pan and add the broth (you can stuff the bird how you like…onions, lemons, celery,  etc.).

Roast the turkey for about 3 hours or until the meat thermometer reads 165°. Transfer the turkey to a platter/board and let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.

IPA mashed potatoesIPA Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs. potatos (Russet or Yukon Gold) peeled and cubed (1″ pieces)
1 head of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bottle (12oz.) of Odell IPA (room temp)
1/3 cup of heavy cream
4 tablespoons of butter

Put potatoes in a pot of cold water with 1/2 bottle of IPA and add salt. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes until fork tender. Drain and return to the pot.

Sauté  the garlic in olive oil over medium heat until golden. Add cream, butter and remaining IPA and cook until warm.

Mash in potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pair!

Savory – Slightly hoppier than the classic Saison, Wellspring Dry-Hopped Saison is crisp with notes of lemon pepper, subtle banana and clove with an earthy and slightly spicy hop finish. This Roots Relese brew pairs well with savory holiday dishes like roasted turkey and herbed stuffing.

Sweet – Isolation Ale is a sweet caramel malty ale that is balanced by a subtle crisp hop finish. The cake-like & caramel malt flavour compliment traditional fall desserts like spice cake or pumpkin pie.

Thankful Pairings

 Click here to find the Fall-Winter Montage, and have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

Friek Brine Smoked Turkey

1                 TurkeyFriek-Bottles-200x300

1                 750 mL  Friek from Odell Brewing

4                 Tablespoons of Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

2                 Tablespoons mixed peppercorns

1                 Tablespoon allspice berries

6                 Bay leaves

4                 Cups cold water

 

BBQ

15 lbs of Charcoal, with 5 pounds reserve, if necessary

5 lbs of Apple Wood Chunks

Several Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

 

Rinse the turkey off and towel dry. In a large saucepan over a medium-high heat the Friek Ale to a simmer. In a mortar and pestle bruise the peppercorns and allspice and add to simmering ale. Add the salt and stir to dissolve, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves and simmer some more. Shut off heat and continue to stir, adding the water to cool slightly. Arrange the turkey in a large plastic bag and store in a glass, (non-reactive), bowl or pan and pour the cooled brine over the meat. Turn the meat once to completely coat with brine, cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or more. Turn the meat over once after 6 hours in the brine.

I use a large converted oil drum BBQ with a chimney vent. For a kettle BBQ you should use a smaller turkey. Make a pile of charcoal on the left side of the BBQ, nearest the bottom vent and arrange the grill racks on the opposite side. Insert the metal probe for the digital thermometer so that it is suspended over the area where the meat will be smoking. Place a large heavy-duty aluminum hotel pan filled with water directly under the grill racks. Light the coals and get them plenty hot. Meantime, put the wood chunks on to soak, along with the rosemary sprigs.

When the coals are good and white spread them out flat, rearranging any black coals on top of the white ones. Add about 1/2 of the wood chunks to the coals being careful not to put the fire out! Place the rosemary sprigs on top of the wood chunks. Blow on the coals to get the smoke going, close the lid and open up the flue and chimney vent. When the temperature inside of the BBQ reaches 200 degrees F, open the top and arrange the turkey pieces on the grill rack. Close the top and start the smoking process. Do not open the top unless absolutely necessary for at least 45 minutes. Add more fresh coals and the other half of the wood after 45 minutes of smoking.

Turn the turkey pieces over to get smoked on both sides. You should only have to smoke the turkey about 45 to 55 minutes more. Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. About 155 to 160 degrees F for the breasts, and 145 to 150 degrees F for all the other pieces should do the trick. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and tent with heavy duty foil for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with a homemade cranberry sauce.