Turkey and Venison - 2012 Thanksgiving Cook

This Thanksgiving I tried some new things. If you can’t experiment on friends and family who can you experiment on? I planned to cook two turkeys and was trying for a crispy skin. In the past my turkey skin, while tasty, has been rubbery. Two ways I tried to fix this were by drying the turkey after brining and cooking hotter than I normally do. I also cooked a leg of venison. This was something new for me. I have smoked smaller cuts of venison before but never a whole leg.

I did some research on the web to find out the best ways to achieve my turkey cooking goals and to cook the venison. I then planned it out and created a schedule of what I needed to do when. It made the whole process and cooking go much easier. Below is all the information on what I did.

'tis the Season

Hanging out by the grill.

I love the summer. The heat, the weather, the long days, sitting outside and hanging out by the grill or smoker. Cooking up some tasty treats and drinking a cold beverage. It makes grilling and smoking so easy.

But I also love the Holiday season, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In my mind, they are like a big, warm, fuzzy blanket that I can wrap up in and stay warm. I love the food, the traditions, the music, the lights, the fun and getting together with family.