By Dathan Kazsuk
Thanksgiving is supposed to be about family, friends, and giving thanks. But somewhere between figuring out how long to cook the turkey, juggling a dozen side dishes with some Buffalo Trace shots in between, and wondering whether there’s enough food for everyone, things can get a little chaotic.
Fortunately, the folks at Longleaf Swine in downtown Raleigh know a thing or two about cooking meat. And this Thanksgiving, they’re offering to take some of that holiday pressure off your shoulders.
Located on East Edenton Street, Longleaf Swine has earned a following for its wood-smoked barbecue, combining traditional North Carolina whole-hog cooking with Texas-style brisket and plenty of Southern comfort food. With chef Dave Mitchell overseeing the kitchen, it’s the kind of place where patience, smoke, and a little culinary know-how go a long way.
And now they’re bringing some of that smoky goodness to the Thanksgiving table.
A Little Smoke for Your Thanksgiving Spread
Longleaf Swine is once again offering its Swine Holiday Spread, an à la carte Thanksgiving menu that lets customers put together as much—or as little—of their holiday feast as they’d like.
The centerpiece is a 10- to 12-pound smoked bone-in turkey breast ($130). But if turkey isn’t your thing, or you’d rather have a little variety, there’s whole-hog barbecue and Texas-style brisket, too.
The sides aren’t exactly an afterthought, either. Sides include cornbread dressing, collard greens, mashed potatoes, pimento mac and cheese, roasted sweet potatoes, and cornbread with honey butter.
And because no Thanksgiving dinner should end without something sweet, there are pumpkin and chocolate chess pies, along with banana pudding.
Orders must be placed by Friday, November 20, with pickup scheduled for Wednesday, November 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 300 East Edenton Street in Raleigh. Visit longleafswine.com to place an order.
Chef Dave Mitchell was kind enough to answer a handful of my questions, offering advice on everything from avoiding dry turkey to determining just how much meat you really need.
Let’s start with the Thanksgiving centerpiece. What’s the biggest mistake people make when cooking their turkey, and how do we avoid serving something so dry it needs a gallon of gravy?
The most common mistake when preparing Thanksgiving turkey is not allowing it sufficient time to rest after taking it out of the oven. For an average-sized bird (12 to 16 pounds), a rest time of 30 to 45 minutes is essential.
When carryover cooking isn’t accounted for, the turkey often ends up overcooked and dried out, as its internal temperature typically rises by another 5 to 10 degrees after being removed from the heat. To prevent this, I recommend pulling the turkey from the oven once it reaches around 155°F and letting it rest for 45 minutes to keep the meat juicy and perfectly cooked.
I’m all for getting some of the cooking done before Thanksgiving Day. What’s your trick for reheating turkey, brisket, or barbecue without turning it into something resembling shoe leather?
When reheating, I prefer using a low temperature—around 300°F to 325°F—along with a bit of liquid stock or sauce. Although it takes slightly longer, it yields a much better result. Since the goal is simply to warm the meat through, it doesn’t need to reach the high temperatures required during initial cooking.
Quick food-safety reminder: Federal guidelines recommend that turkey reach an internal temperature of 165°F before serving and that leftovers be reheated to 165°F. Use a food thermometer to confirm those temperatures.
Let’s talk portions, because nobody wants to run out of food halfway through Thanksgiving dinner. How much meat should we plan for each person, especially if we’re putting turkey, brisket, and barbecue on the table?
For a standard dinner with a single meat option, I typically plan on 5 to 6 ounces per person. If you are serving multiple proteins, that portion can be scaled down to 3.5 to 4 ounces per person. However, for Thanksgiving, it is smart to bump up those amounts so everyone can enjoy turkey sandwiches the following day.
Thanksgiving is usually the same parade of turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, and Lions football. If we wanted to mix things up a little, what would you serve alongside the bird? Any underrated sides that deserve more attention?
High-acid sides are often missing from a standard Thanksgiving meal. Adding dishes like vinegar-cooked collard greens, vinaigrette salads, or pickled and marinated vegetables provides a crisp acidity that refreshes the palate between all the rich, heavy holiday staples.
A Little Less Stress, a Lot More Flavor
Whether you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner from scratch or letting Longleaf Swine handle the heavy lifting, Mitchell’s advice offers a few ways to make the holiday meal a little more enjoyable.
And I particularly like his suggestion about adding something acidic to the plate. With all that turkey, gravy, dressing, and mashed potatoes, a little vinegar might be exactly what we need to cut through the richness.
Besides, if there’s one thing Thanksgiving has taught us, it’s that there’s no such thing as too many leftovers.
Especially when brisket is involved.
