Posts tagged: tips
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"
What to Eat Before Drinking All Night on St. Patrick's Day
We're kind of obsessed with St. Patrick's Day this year. From Guinness Floats to Jameson, green beer to endless green shots, we know we'll be feeling the pain come Friday morning. That's why we're giving you a little two-part low down on how to avoid that hangover you are already dreading. So what should you eat before drinking all night on St. Patrick's Day? Let us break it down for ya. First of all, don't skip dinner and eat BEFORE you start drinking. That whole building a base layer for the booze to settle into only works if you're building it before the booze enters your system. Get that nosh in your stomach early so you can change the outcome of your all-night drinking binge.
Second, eat right and eat smart. The best thing to do to avoid feeling like death on March 18th is to eat these killer foods that'll get your mind and body right. Food really does counteract the effects of alcohol... who knew? - Spaghetti (or other carbs) - yep, carbo-load all night long baby. It's a real thing and it works. Try our Pull Apart Bacon Garlic Cheese Bread... - Chicken - protein-rich so it'll stay in ya longer and it will slow the blood alcohol level. That means you can drink longer and enjoy the entire night before you feel like passing out! Go for the small servings like a burrito bowl or even our delicious Sriracha Lime Baked Chicken Wings. - Avocado - protein + healthy fats will actually digest slower than carbs so whip out that guacamole like there's no tomorrow. - Low-fat yogurt - if you're worried about consuming too many calories on this delicious, boozy holiday, start off with some yogurt and granola. You'll get the healthy fats and vitamins in you before you go pigging out on beer and corned beef. - Water - this one's a no-brainer, but don't forget about it. When it comes to hangovers, water does a body good. Pro tip: always take a couple of ibuprofen and chug a gigantic glass of water before bed (or when you wake up with cotton mouth at 4AM). Thank us later.
If you do happen to skip dinner in all the craziness that is St. Patty's Day, never fear. Just load up on nuts and olives at the bar because they've got the fats and vitamins to help you out. Martini with 10 olives, anyone? Happy St. Patrick's Day! Stay tuned because we've got some more knowledge to drop on ya to fight that hellish hangover...
Photos by Meghan Bassett
Grilling 101: How to Prevent Food from Sticking to the Grill
When you are grilling, there's always a little bit of pressure. It's not like cooking in a kitchen where you can control the temperature of the oven or stove within a few degrees. You're working with a grill that can sometimes be unpredictable depending on the weather and you're also dealing with direct fire. One of the most embarrassing things that can happen is having your food stick to your grill. Not only are you creating a giant mess to clean up later, the food itself looks like it's been ravaged by wild dogs. It might taste delicious, but everyone will be looking at it sideways. I mean, no one wants to eat food that looks like it's already been chewed to death. Don't make this rookie mistake, BBQ peeps. Know your Grilling 101 tips and never deal with food sticking to the grill again! Just watch the video below and you will have delicious, tasty food hot off the grill, looking pretty as a picture every time.
[vimeo 174374354 w=640 h=360]
How to Prevent Food From Sticking to the Grill from Pig of the Month BBQ.
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?
