Smoked Turkey Is the Best Choice for a Lazy Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving chefs fall into two main camps: turkey purists, who like to perform various forms of fat and sodium alchemy on their birds, and turkey-hating punks who are willing to serve anything but not. Somewhere in the middle are lazy people who like turkey, but not the kind of effort it takes. One protein everyone will love is a whole pre-smoked turkey.
A whole smoked turkey is essentially a turkey ham, making it the perfect Thanksgiving decoration for the really lazy. It is effortless, tastes delicious and, most importantly, remains turkey. Like ham, you can buy whole smoked poultry at most holiday turkeys ( including online ). It is completely cooked and tastes equally well hot or at room temperature, which may be its best feature. If you want a hot turkey, preheat it in a low-temperature oven according to the manufacturer’s instructions; if not, just leave it at room temperature while you focus on other things. Either way, a low-maintenance preparation schedule gives you the opportunity to diligently prepare the side dishes that we all know are the true meaning of Thanksgiving. The only downside is that smoked birds don’t have necks or offal for gravy, so if you’re making your own this year, ask the butcher if they have any they can sell you.
Traditionalists are probably holding onto pearls now, which is understandable. If you’re looking forward to the annual ritual of hunting, pickling, and cooking poultry, buying a pre-cooked poultry should sound like heresy. But if your vision for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner calls for minimal turkey intervention, try the smoked one. You may never return.