My husband does not hunt with a gun or a bow and arrow. That's not quite true. He did shoot a squirrel once that destroyed my bird feeder. I made squirrel stew. It tasted like chicken.
He fulfills this primal urge to bring home food to his family by hunting for bargains. And a week before Thanksgiving, it came to pass that he went forth, found bargains, and came back with 2 turkeys and 2 pork loin roasts.
I cooked all of them together in the oven--at the same time--to save energy. It was a tight fit.
Then I took the turkey meat off the bones and boiled the bones in the kettle. I sliced the pork loin. Enough meat for a meal was packed into small plastic bags and put in a bigger plastic bag, and put into the freezer.
And I cleaned up the mess on the counter.
The next morning I peeled the fat off the bowl of jellied turkey broth and slopped the broth into a large bag so it laid flat, and that went into the freezer.
And I cleaned up the mess on the counter.
The sale continued. He bought 3 more turkeys. I cooked all of them, I removed the meat and packed it away for the freezer. I boiled the bones for soup.
And I cleaned up the mess on the counter.
He bought a ham. I did not cook it because it was already cooked, but I did remove the meat from the bones and packed it away in bags for the freezer. I boiled the bone to make split pea soup.
And I cleaned up the mess on the counter.
Last Monday, he sent me to the store for 1 more turkey, which I cooked on Wednesday. I did something a little different with this one. After the turkey was thawed, I cut off the thighs/legs, the wings, and part of the back. I put the breast in the oven to roast, and the other meaty pieces went into a gallon jar with brine and seasoning for 24 hours. I was afraid to do the breast that way because I know the meat is already injected with salt and seasoning.
I roasted the legs/thighs and wings. I took the meat off the bones and packed it away in the freezer. I made yet another batch of turkey stock.
And I cleaned up the mess on the counter.
But because there is no more room in the freezer, not even for a flat plastic bag, I have been eating turkey soup for the last 4 days and there are at least 2 more servings left.
In the Christmas Story movie, Jean Shepherd, who does the voice of Ralphie as an adult, narrates after the Bumpuses dogs make off with the turkey
The heavenly aroma still hung in the house. But it was gone, all gone! No turkey! No turkey sandwiches! No turkey salad! No turkey gravy! Turkey Hash! Turkey a la King! Or gallons of turkey soup! Gone, ALL GONE!
7 comments:
Well, I do like cheap eating and bargain turkeys. But I'd say you've gone above and beyond the call of duty. Too much is too much!
Oh my! Your a trooper! No way would I have cooked all those turkeys. UGH!
What are you going to do with all that turkey when you are tired of it already??? Oh man that is a lot of turkey!!
You won't have to buy another turkey for three or four years.
Lulu...I'm entering middle age with spot and wrinkly hands because of hard work. And they are a badge of honor. I love hands that are strong and show the nature of the individual. Hands with character.
My Great Aunt worked in the fine china division at Shenango China her whole working life. Her job was to put the gold foil/leaf on the plates. Her hands were always covered in tape and banged up a bit. I remember looking at those hands as a child like it was yesterday.
My Grandfather worked this nursery and was in the dirt for 60 years. And his hands were always brown, cracked, wrinkled and covered with tape from pushing nails through burlap. I would bump along on the back of the wagon and watch those guys work for as long as they could stand it.
AHHHHHH UUUUGGGGGG....Multiflora rose. The bane of a farmers existance.
Sounds like you were a cooking turkeys til they came out your ears! I like Turkey, sounds like you made the best of it! :)
Post a Comment