Chock full of thyme, savory (a member of the mint family), rosemary, fennel, lavender and basil, Bear Claw Herb Spice will have you dreaming of the herb garden at the old farm.

Let’s see how the Herb Spice works out with a turkey – I’m not big on frying the big bird, so let’s try olive oil and Bear Claw Herb Spice rubbed liberally inside and out. Sure you can add stuffing, and if you do, add some of the Bear Claw Herb Spice to the stuffing mix.

When you add stuffing into the bird, you add time as well.

I’m really big on getting folks to invest in digital thermometers, especially when it comes to cooking turkey. Too many times, the Thanksgiving dinner has turned into a mad dash to the fridge for the mayo so you can lubricate the overcooked and dry disaster just enough to swallow.

Try prepping the bird for success this year by starting a day earlier. Go ahead and rub the olive oil and Herb Spice on the completely thawed turkey the day before you plan to cook.

Place the turkey in a large food storage bag or place on a platter and cover with Saran Wrap. This will allow absorption of the spices and flavors of the Bear Claw Herb Spice to penetrate the turkey a little bit.

One little flavor trick I like to do is to take 2 oz of Bear Claw Herb Spice and add it to about a quart of water and simmer for about 30 minutes the day before I am cooking. Let chill in the fridge overnight, but bring it out early so it will ‘temp out’ a little bit.

Strain this mixture through a sieve or cheese cloth and then take a syringe or injector and inject the turkey around the thighs and breast.

Place a quarter stick of butter inside the bird’s cavity before placing in the preheated oven – 325 degrees.

Typically, we’ll cook a 12 -14 pound bird for about 1.5 hours, breast side DOWN. Then “Flip the Bird” over to its back, and continue cooking for the last 1.5 hours. Cooking may vary from oven to oven, so make sure you use that digital thermometer!

Check your thermometer’s calibration by making a slurry with ice and water. Place the probe into the iciest portion of this slurry – should give you a reading of 32 degrees F.

When checking the turkey for temperature readings, I like to check a couple of places. The thickest part of the breast towards the wings and perhaps the meaty portion of the thigh as well.

Make sure that your probe is not hitting bone.

I prefer my bird to have a temp reading of 160 to 165 degrees F and then I serve or put it in a picnic cooler or a holding cabinet until I am ready to eat.

And if you realize that you may be done way before you expected – no worries – just bring the bird out of the oven to STOP the cooking process – turn your oven down to a low warm setting (140 to 145 if your oven has a setting that low).

Wait about 30 minutes and place the turkey back in the oven to hold until it’s serving time. Or as I mentioned above – if the cooler has no beer in it (sin of all sins), you can lay the bird on foil in the cooler with no ice and close until you are ready to eat.

Side dish suggestions – wild rice and greens of your choosing – I prefer a good spinach salad with Annie’s All Natural dressing – sesame and shitake vinaigrette does it for me.

Don’t forget the wine – a red for sure and after dinner, a glass of Kentucky’s finest Bourbon to put the finish on an incredible dinner and successful day.

Whatcha think?? Maybe a glass of Blanton’s on the rocks??!!

Try this recipe and let Pappy know how you liked it in the comments below!

1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1/2 cup or so of Portabello or button mushrooms

Cut all the veggies a half-inch thick.

1 1/2 lbs of thawed or fresh, peeled and de-veined shrimp.

Start boiling your water for the fettuccine then add the pasta and a little olive oil – a couple of tablespoons will do just fine!

Now, in a large non-stick skillet and medium to high heat add enough olive oil to cover the surface and throw the shrimp on.

As soon as you put the shrimp in the skillet, sprinkle them with a nice light cover of Bear Claw Shrimp Spice.

Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip them over and spice again. This should take another 2 minutes and they are ready to place in a large covered bowl.

Add a little more olive oil to the skillet, toss the veggies in and saute until they are al dente. There’s nothing worse than mushy veggies !!

Don’t forget your pasta ‘cuz it’s ready now too !!!

Put your veggies and your strained pasta in the bowl with the shrimp – stir it up – pour the wine, and have dinner with 4 or 5 of your closest friends!

Let us know how the Bear Claw Shrimp Spice worked out for ya in the comments below!

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 lb chuck roast
• 1 LARGE Vidalia onion – of course you can sub this for another onion of your choosing – you need to dice this into 1/4 to 1/2-inch squares
• 4 or 5 stalks of celery – dice them or slice them, and have them at the ready
• 3 jumbo tbsp of minced garlic – add more if you love garlic
• 1/2 pound of bacon (use the grease to saute or caramelize the onions, garlic, and celery)
• 2 3-lb cans of kidney or chile beans
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 2 cans Roma tomatoes – I like to leave them whole but you may want to at least cut them in half
• 2 3-oz jars of Bear Claw Chile Powder
• 2 tbsp of cumin
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 3 tbsp Kosher Salt – or, to taste

First I like to start with a nice and well-marbled chuck roast or pot roast as they may call it in some stores now.

Let’s do a nice 3 to 4 hour indirect smoke on a 3 to 4 pound roast – try to keep your temperature around 225 to 250 degrees.

While the chuck roast is smoking – fry and remove the bacon – lower the heat to a medium and toss in the onion, celery, garlic, and pepper of your choice. Saute for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the onions have turned clear or translucent.

Pour the onions concoction into a large pot and add the bacon (chopped of course) tomato sauce, Roma tomatoes, kidney beans, a jar of Bear Claw Chile Powder, cumin, oregano and pepper into the pot – LOW heat.

Then after you have smoked your chuck roast for at least 3 hours – cube this into 1/2 inch pieces and toss into the pot – fat and all – unless you are really scared of cholesterol !!!!

Let this simmer for another 2 to 3 hours or until the chuck roast is tender to the bite. This is where you’ll determine if you need more Bear Claw Chile Powder, salt, cumin, etc.

I usually cook chili in the morning for a late game or I cook it the day before if I have a noon kickoff!!