Posts tagged: how to
The Pig's Top Turkey Tips
Thanksgiving is ONE WEEK AWAY! It always sneaks up on us and no matter how well-prepared we think we are, there are some last minute questions that always come up. We're rounding up our top Thanksgiving tips for you this year to make sure you're on your game! Look no further pig-lovin' friends, we've got your Thanksgiving covered.
Don't forget how long defrosting a turkey actually takes! You can thaw your bird either in the refrigerator or cold water. If you're using the refrigerator, use the equation of 1 day to thaw for every 4lbs of meat. Short on time? No problem. Cold water thawing is much faster at a rate of 30 minutes to thaw for every pound.
No one likes lumpy gravy... Bust out the sieve or strainer! This will get all those gross lumps right out. You can also use your good ol’ blender to puree the lumps outta there.
Did you mail-order a Pig of the Month BBQ Feast, Whole Turkey, or Smoked Turkey Breast? First off, high five for being a Thanksgiving genius. You just made your life SO much easier. Now that you've got the main attractions covered, it's time to think sides that go with all the POM deliciousness. If you want to make something extra, go for the veggies. For a quick fix, grab your fav veggies, chop them up and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder or chopped garlic. Roast on a lined, rimmed baking sheet at 400 degrees until tender. Have everyone else bring the rest of the fixings and kick up you feet to watch the Thanksgiving parade.
Come on, you can do better than plain ol' canned cranberry sauce. We'll solve this with one word – ORANGE. Add about 1 tsp of orange zest and 1/2 Tbsp of orange juice (or more if you prefer). This will brighten up that plain old canned cranberry sauce so much that your guests will be asking for the recipe. Shhhhh, we’ll keep the secret for ya!
Aren't Thanksgiving leftovers the BEST? Answer = YES. The best (and safest) way is to cool everything down. Pack leftovers in shallow containers instead of big deep containers so they cool faster. Yes, it’s a bit of work with all those containers and playing refrigerator Tetris, but the small containers will help your leftovers stay fresh and take up less space in the fridge!
This is the tip that will save you countless times in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. Chicken stock is your ultimate Thanksgiving savior. Simply keep a large saucepan of chicken stock warm on the stove throughout the day. It can rescue dry stuffing, too-thick gravy, dry turkey, and countless other emergencies that pop up at the absolute worst time. Anything you have leftover can be stored or frozen for later use, or use it as a base for leftover turkey soup! Who's ready to conquer Thanksgiving? You are! Don't forget to check out our mega list of 50+ Thanksgiving tips for even more turkey day wisdom! If it's all too much and you're tired of basting a bird for 6+hours, let us do all the work and order you smoked turkey today! Ships free with code "novship"
The One Trick to Microwave Perfect Bacon
We've all been there in a pinch. The oven is taken, you've got 5 things working on the stove and you still need to cook up some bacon. This is the moment that knowing the one trick to microwave perfect bacon really comes in handy! There may be some naysayers out there that don't believe that microwaving bacon really works. Well, we're here to prove you wrong. If you do it right, you'll get that oh-so crispy, swoon-worthy bacon every time.
So what's the one trick you need to know? It's simple - paper towels. You might be scratching your head right about now - I mean, we don't blame you. What's so special about paper towels? We swear, paper towels really are the key here. They soak up all that extra grease as the bacon cooks in the microwave so you end up with bacon that is anything but soggy. No globs of gross, pathetic bacon here. We respect our bacon WAY too much to let that happen on our watch. Are you ready to know the secret of the paper towel power when it comes to microwaving bacon?
Here's how to do it right, every single time: Step 1: Line a baking dish (one that'll fit in your microwave, of course) with not one, not two, but THREE layers of papers towels. Step 2: Add bacon in a single layer and cover with another two layers of paper towels. Step 3: Microwave the bacon for 1 minute per slice of bacon. Check on it and cook in 30-second additional increments as needed. The price time will depend on the thickness of the cut and how much you are cooking at one time. Step 4: Once cooked through, transfer the bacon to a clean plate (NOT lined with paper towels) so the bacon slices don't stick to the paper towels as it crisps up. Step 5: Enjoy deliciously cooked bacon, right from your microwave! Did we just blow your mind?
