Thanksgiving: A Time for Everyone's Favourites

Get this boy away from the city and see what happens!

Pluto, Cassie, Major and Abby in Heaven

This year all across Ontario families were blessed with unprecedented perfect sunshine and warm temperatures....almost too hot for golfing!  With a backdrop of autumn leaves, it was a treat to take our dogs out for hikes by the lake.

In anticipation of a house full of family and friends, we love to prepare each child’s favourites:  for Leslie that means dumplings, Luke loves biscotti, Andy is all about the ribs, Teddy must have stuffing, Reid adores pulled pork, and Samantha loves Granny’s apple crisp.  

When our kids gather together of course there are always a few friends, which adds another thing to give thanks for. 

Here are a few of our tips for the week:

1) One of the goals when closing up your cottage for the season is to make good use of everything that is left languishing in your cupboards.  Our cranberry sauce was created from just this situation:  a small amount of honey, maple syrup and the last splash of orange juice in the carton came together with a bag of fresh cranberries to create something really tasty!

2) You are never too old to learn - do not leave a note on the table for your young adult children after a night of Oktoberfesting, to put the turkey on the barbecue at 12:30.  They most likely will not be awake to read the note! So, our turkey went on at 2. Luckily, there was a very skilled griller in the house to make sure that it was cooked to perfection at the desired time.  Thanksgiving dinner disaster averted!!

Thanksgiving Ribs on the Smoker

Smoking ribs is an all day venture, so we got  organized in the morning, put them on the smoker and walked  away. Theoretically, we used the rest of the day to play a game of golf (or 9 holes, as I did, after all, someone had to get the rest of the dinner organized). 

8 lbs baby back ribs

¼ cup yellow mustard

1 cup spice rub (we mixed 2/3 cup of our Dry Southwest rub with 1/3 cup of brown sugar - or try this recipe)

1 cup barbecue sauce

Dry Rub for Ribs:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons paprika

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon onion salt

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon oregano

Kris’ Barbecue Sauce:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic

1 bottle beer

¼ cup cider vinegar
21/2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp yellow  mustard

4 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp Mexican rub

½ tsp cayenne

1 cup crushed tomatoes, pureed

2 tbsp ketchup

½ tsp salt

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and add the onion.  Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent.  Add the minced garlic, and stir for one minute before adding the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour until beginning to thicken.

  

Prepare ribs by peeling the thin membrane off the back of the ribs. This is most easily accomplished by lifting an edge of the membrane with the tip of a knife, then grasping it with a piece of paper towel and pulling firmly. Coat front and back of each rib with yellow mustard and rub in. Then coat and rub the spice rub mixture over the front and back of each rib. Let sit half an hour before placing on the smoker.

Setting up the Broil King Keg

1.       Pour 3-4” deep layer of True’Cue lump charcoal on the bottom of the smoker.

2.       Use 2 True’Cue match-light charcoal starters to ignite the charcoal.

3.       Open the top and bottom vents to the widest position (#5).

4.       Let the coals burn for 10 minutes until the smoker reaches 200°F

5.       Dial down the top and bottom vents to the #2 position

6.       This should maintain a smoker temperature of 225°F for about 6 hours.

Note:  4” of charcoal will burn for 6-8 hours. 

Place a drip pan filled with water in the smoker. Once the smoker has reached a temperature of 225⁰F, place the ribs on the rack, leaving room all around for air to flow, close the lid and allow to cook at this temperature for 7-8 hours. Start to check for doneness after 6 hours. By gently pulling between 2 rib bones, the meat will come away from the bone easily when they are ready. When you see  that they are getting close to this tenderness, start basting with barbecue sauce.  Finish by cooking for another ½ hour.

Cranberry/Pistachio Biscotti 

 

Follow the link for this Martha Stewart recipe that I have used for years.  It is delicious and EASY!

 

These are great to help your kids when studying.  A cup of tea and a few biscotti will give them a boost and make them feel comfy and relaxed while hitting the books.