Making Thanksgiving More Interesting: Turduckenit

Making Thanksgiving More Interesting: Turduckenit

I interviewed Chefrain today at Honky Tonk BBQ, and watched him debone a turkey in about 20 minutes. It was pretty incredible, very quick and efficient.



Thus began an all animal-in-animal meat orgy.



First, Chefrain laid in a seared duck breast, deboned, of course. The spice mixture is a Paul Prudhomme product.



Then the chicken. If all we were making was a Turducken, this game would be over.



But this is a Turduckenit…so here comes Peter Cottontail.



Not enough meat you say. How about some andouille sausage?



A sprinkling of cornbread, a slight bow to the vegetable kingdom.



Now, sew up the sucker.



Finished, this is one plump pile of meat, the turkey basically a bloated bladder of deliciousness, ready for 12 hours in the Southern Pride, and it looked great, interesting.



Turkey, a potentially dry and bland bird, is rendered juicier with the introduction of lush duck and pork products. Would I eat it? Hell yes. No mole required.

With the pork-packing andouille, this is really more like a Turduckenitig.

Hammond

Love it ! now thats thinking out of the box. Do they sell them ? Love to get one for the table

bronco wrote:Love it ! now thats thinking out of the box. Do they sell them ? Love to get one for the table

Chefrain had orders for six this year, several from LTHers, but I believe the ordering period is closed. You can get his contact info at:

http://chefrain.com/20below/?cat=13

You can listen to my interview with Chefrain -- Composer of Turducken, Stewer of Goats -- tomorrow on WBEZ's 848 at 9 AM & 8PM, or anytime thereafter on podcast:

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/program_848.aspx

bronco wrote:Love it ! now thats thinking out of the box. Do they sell them ? Love to get one for the table

Too late for Thanksgiving but you can order one from Hebert's Specialty Meats in Maurice, LA.

http://www.hebertsmeats.com/turducken.asp

Just wanted to report on my turducken (no "it") from Chefrain. SENSATIONAL!!! I was a little skeptical about tuducken--thought it seemed like a gimmick but one of my family members recommended it so we got one. We went an applewood-smoked bird (or I guess birds). Nothing like a little duck-fat infused turkey. Chefrain did a great job with this. I will post pictures when I get them sent to me. I would highly recommend trying one if they are available next year. The only downside--it made my conventional roast turkey with cashew stuffing look bad.

I just ordered my turducken from Chef Efrain (http://turduckenizit.eventbrite.com/). He is apparently only making 20 this year.
I am not shilling--I've never met Chef Efrain [my uncle and cousin picked up the bird(s) last year]. I am a turducken convert after last year. If anyone wants to try something new this year, I heartily recommend this.

HI,

I will ask the vulgar question: how much will it cost? How big do they estimate it will be?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

I will ask the vulgar question: how much will it cost? How big do they estimate it will be?

Regards,

From the website linked by thaiobsessed:

Turduckens are $9/lb and will range from 14-16 pounds, enough to feed 20 and then some

Cathy2 wrote:how much will it cost? How big do they estimate it will be?

On the site listed above it says "Turduckens are $9/lb and will range from 14-16 pounds, enough to feed 20 and then some."

How would one carve one of those monsters? I suppose you could just cut across what was the backbone but then you'd be left with discs the size of a plate. Of course you could just cut it up and let it fall to pieces but that wouldn't look nice at all. Can you carve it into manageable pieces that stay together?

The folks over at Ideas in Food recently had a post over their modern version of Turducken using Activa to bond it all together. Definitely an interesting presentation, easier to scale for smaller crowds, and frankly looks like it'd be a lot easier to make at home than the traditional process.



-Dan

leek wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:how much will it cost? How big do they estimate it will be?

On the site listed above it says "Turduckens are $9/lb and will range from 14-16 pounds, enough to feed 20 and then some."

$9 lb. I guess I am getting lucky, the Turducken I ordered from Cajun Ron is $85 for a 20+ pound turducken.

Wow....the turduckenit is crazy! I don't know if I could do the rabbit part but I'm loving the concept and the photos!

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

I will ask the vulgar question: how much will it cost? How big do they estimate it will be?

Regards,

Personally, I would order a turducken from the original source, from the Hebert family in Maurice, LA.

http://www.hebertsmeats.com/

I visited their store last year and their specialty is all sorts of stuffed meats.

I posted these pics on the Thanksgiving thread, but wanted to do a follow up report on this Turducken thread.

Cajun Connection Turducken was excellent. $90 with tax for the Turducken. Cooked in 4 hours, and was excellent, and will now be a yearly staple at our Thanksgiving table.

pikers
http://bacontoday.com/turbaconducken-turducken-wrapped-in-bacon/

Cajun Connection is taking orders now for their Turducken $90 for a 12-15 lb. bird. The turducken was the hit of my feast last year for sure.

www.ronscajunconnection.com

I am not getting one this year due to only a few guests, so I am doing (2) smaller turkeys, (1) in the oven, and (1) in the smoker.

jimswside wrote:I am not getting one this year due to only a few guests, so I am doing (2) smaller turkeys, (1) in the oven, and (1) in the smoker.

I recently cooked a buttermilk brined turkey cooked with lump and applewood on my rotisserie. I'm considering another one for Thanksgiving*, but will probably end up making one in the oven using my traditional Martha Stewart style.

Buttermilk Brined Rotisserie Turkey

Picture courtesy of G Wiv

* Actually, I won't be here for Thanksgiving, but will cook a turkey and trimmings anyway when I return from my annual Thanksgiving trip.

that looks damn good Steve, I may go the buttermilk brine route with mine.

I have to do a traditional oven cooked with stuffing for folks, but this year like last year with the turducken, I will surpise them with something they may not have had.

jimswside wrote:Cajun Connection is taking orders now for their Turducken $90 for a 12-15 lb. bird. The turducken was the hit of my feast last year for sure.

http://www.ronscajunconnection.com

I am not getting one this year due to only a few guests, so I am doing (2) smaller turkeys, (1) in the oven, and (1) in the smoker.

Do you know if they ship? Utica is a really far hike for us guys in the northern suburbs. I also emailed Chef Efrain asking if hes doing any Turkuckens this year. Anyone know anywhere else to source one of these monstrosities locally?

pacent wrote:
Do you know if they ship? Utica is a really far hike for us guys in the northern suburbs.

I doubt they ship, last year they were open the day before Thanksgiving just for pick-ups no dinner service.