Back to Butter: A Traditional Foods Cookbook - Nourishing Recipes Inspired by Our Ancestors (21 page)

20-pound (4.5 kg) turkey, defrosted if frozen

3 teaspoons (18 g) sea salt, divided

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper, divided

3 celery stalks, cut into 4-inch (10 cm) pieces

1 full head unpeeled garlic,
1
/
4
inch (6 mm) of top and bottom cut off

1 large yellow onion, peeled and halved

1
/
2
cup (120 ml) bacon fat (
page 33
)

2 quarts (2 L) homemade chicken stock (
page 82
)

2 quarts (2 L) homemade beef stock (
page 84
)

Thanksgiving Eve (around 7 p.m.) or Thanksgiving Eve-Eve, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6). Place a rack toward the bottom of the oven and remove the other racks (to fit the bird easily). In the bottom of the roasting pan, lay 2 long strips of heavy-duty aluminum foil along the center of each side, crossed like a plus sign. The strips will need to be long enough to cover the bird (like ribbons on a present). Rest a rack inside the roaster on top of the foil.

Wash and dry the bird. Season the cavity with 1
1
/
2
teaspoons (9 g) of the sea salt and 1 teaspoon of the pepper. Place the celery, garlic, and onion into the seasoned cavity, and sew up both ends of the turkey with needle and thread.

Liberally coat the exterior of the turkey with the bacon fat and season with the remaining 1
1
/
2
teaspoons (9 g) sea salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Set the turkey, breast side down, on the rack. Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the top and sides of the turkey. Cover with parchment and close the foil strips up over the turkey and parchment, creating a tent. The turkey must be completely sealed in with no openings for heat to escape.

Roast for 1 hour, then lower the temperature to 250°F (120°C, or gas mark
1
/
2
). Roast overnight or for a minimum of 12 hours. DO NOT PEEK! After 12 hours, carefully unwrap the foil and parchment, and lightly pull on one of the drumsticks, which,
when ready, will easily pull away from the bird with a gentle twist. Until this is possible, continue roasting and checking in 1-hour increments, but be diligent about resealing the foil. Don’t rush completion! Keep in mind that dinner is still many hours off!

When the turkey is fall-apart tender, remove from the oven, open the parchment-foil tent, and allow the meat to cool to the touch.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4) (or just increase if it’s still on). Remove the skin from the bird and set aside. Cut the turkey into pieces, being careful to keep the breast and drumsticks intact, and stack the meat into a cast-iron Dutch oven. Place the white meat on one side of the pot and the dark meat on the other for ease of serving. Use enough stock to completely cover the meat with equal parts chicken and beef stock. Place the lid on the pot and store in the fridge until 2 hours before serving.

Once the bird is in the fridge, arrange the skin in a single layer on a sheet tray. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, turning the skin over after 15 minutes, until crispy. Let cool and store in a sealed container at room temperature.

Two hours before mealtime, warm the turkey. If the oven is occupied, simmer the covered pot over low heat until heated through. If the stove is occupied, place in a 300°F (150°C, or gas mark 2) oven until hot. Either option will make your home smell of roasted turkey, when in fact the turkey mess will have been cleaned up long ago!

When ready to serve, carefully lift the tender meat from the hot stock and place on a serving plate. Reserve the stock that’s left behind for a great leftover turkey soup! Arrange the skin “cracklings” on the side of the plate. Serve and enjoy—without a messy kitchen!

YIELD: 14 TO 16 SERVINGS WITH PLENTY OF LEFTOVERS

RECIPE NOTES

• As with all meats in this book, we strongly suggest local and pastured. It will make all the difference!

• Parchment paper is placed between the turkey and the aluminum foil here to limit aluminum exposure to the food. Aluminum cookware is a controversial topic that may or may not present a health risk, so we err on the side of caution.

Aunt Mimi’s New Potatoes, Green Beans, and Bacon with Dill

My aunt came up with this dish long ago based on summer’s bounty. The fresh, spring taste of green beans and new potatoes are combined with the rich addition of bacon and butter to create a satisfying and comforting family dish. Start at the farmers’ market and end with a happy family!

1 pound (454 g) bacon, cut into
1
/
2
-inch (1.3 cm) pieces

3 tablespoons (54 g) sea salt, divided, plus more to taste

1
1
/
2
pounds (680 g) fingerling potatoes, scrubbed, bad spots removed

7 cups (about 2 pounds [908 g]) fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces

3 tablespoons (42 g) butter

3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons (12 g) chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Fill a large-size pot with 3 quarts (2.7 L) water, cover, and bring to a boil.

While the water is heating, in a large-size sauté pan over medium-high heat, sauté the bacon until very crisp but not burnt, approximately 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the cooked bacon to drain on a paper towel. Reserve 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the bacon fat.

Once the water has reached a boil, add 2 tablespoons (36 g) of the sea salt and the potatoes. Lower the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and boil for 5 minutes, then add the beans and remaining 1 tablespoon (18 g) sea salt. Raise the heat to bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and boil for 15 minutes, or until the beans are crisp tender and the potatoes are fork tender (do not allow them to get past this).

While the vegetables are boiling, melt the butter in a small-size saucepan, then add the reserved bacon fat, olive oil, dill, and parsley. Stir to combine.

As soon as the vegetables are cooked, remove from the heat and drain in a large-size colander. Return the vegetables to the hot pot, then pour the butter mixture over the hot vegetables and carefully fold to distribute. Season to taste with additional sea salt and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

I’d say this is the best pork tenderloin I’ve ever had. The marinade is delicious, but it’s the layer of sweet onion that roasts beneath the tenderloin that sets the dish apart. Keep this dish in mind for entertaining!

FOR MARINADE:

1 tablespoon (10 g) minced garlic

1
/
4
cup (40 g) grated sweet onion

1 teaspoon powdered mustard

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) melted bacon fat (
page 33
)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 pound (454 g) pork tenderloin

FOR TOPPING:

3 tablespoons (45 ml) ghee (
page 22
), divided

5 (
1
/
4
-inch, or 6 mm) slices from the center of a sweet onion

1
/
4
cup (40 g) diced sweet onion (use ends of above onion)

4 strips uncooked bacon, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1
/
2
teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste

To make the marinade:In a zip-top bag, combine the marinade ingredients. Squeeze lightly to mix, and then add the tenderloin. Squeeze lightly to cover the meat. Seal the bag. Allow the meat to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. If you have more time, allow the meat to marinate in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Take the meat out of the fridge 1 hour before roasting to bring to room temperature, which allows the roast to cook evenly.

To make the topping: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C, or gas mark 7). In a 7 x 11-inch (17.8 x 28 cm) glass baking dish, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the ghee. Place the dish in the oven as it preheats for 2 to 3 minutes, until the ghee is fully melted.

Remove the pan from the oven and line the onion slices down the middle of the pan in a single layer. Each slice should slightly overlap the next, creating a “roasting bed” for the tenderloin. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the onions with the melted ghee in the pan. Set aside.

In a small-size bowl, use a fork to toss the diced onion, bacon, sea salt, and black pepper. Evenly spread one-third of the bacon mixture across the top of the onion slices and set the rest aside.

Remove the tenderloin from the bag, leaving the excess marinade behind, and set on a plate.

In a large-size cast-iron skillet over high heat, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ghee. Carefully add the tenderloin
and quickly (1 to 1
1
/
2
minutes per side) sear the meat on all sides until browned. Remove immediately and lay the tenderloin across the bed of onions. Carefully press the remaining bacon mixture on top of the seared tenderloin, allowing the excess to fall into the pan. Season one last time with a liberal amount of freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reaches 150°F (66°C). Pork is well done at 160°F (71°C), and will continue to cook during the next and final step, so take it out at 150°F (66°C) to avoid overcooking.

Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice and serve with the extra bacon and onion topping heaped over the sliced tenderloin.

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

Sweet Ham Loaf