Who is doing Non Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner?

No turkey, no stuffing, no cranberries.

I’ll be smoking something just don’t know what yet. Tri tip, pork tenderloin, shrimp, scallops all possible.

I will eat some pumpkin or pecan pie. It is Thanksgiving after all.

I still need to try those formed ground beef skewers Sako does.


https://bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=259436

Pffft. Wives. Buzzkill.

We have to do the non-traditional food as part of a "Friendsgiving." As much as I want to ditch all the usual Thanksgiving food, my parents and in-laws would have an issue with it. I push a little more Xmas. :wink:

Both traditional and nontraditional. One side of the family we do traditional which I smoke the turkey for, using Harvest Brine. The other side of the family we do a seafood boil. So I eat like a king for several days. As a matter of fact, here at home we smoke a pork butt and eat on that for a couple of days while prepping and cooking all the other foods the few days before Thanksgiving.

We will be doing some traditional dishes, but it will just be my wife and sons and I probably eating our main meal standing around the kitchen island at 11AM in our pajamas. Maybe I should just scrap the traditional dishes and get a bag full of McRibs!

Blasphemy. Turkey with all the fix'n's or NO THANKSGIVING! You want Non Traditional go to a Chinese Buffet! Or an Italian restaurant.

^^^ he is not wrong. The reason you can point to it and say "traditional Thanksgiving dinner" is because it's traditional. The other holidays may have their signature dinner items- but they don't ever have the list of foods that grace a table at Thanksgiving.

It's one day -you have 364 other days to eat foods from the rest of the world.

This year it's traditional cause I'm not at the helm (out-laws). Normally it's rib roast at T-giving and brisket at xmas.

Try this...


Do not use Fosters. You will die.

This will be our second year without turkey.


Last year, after 35 years of marriage, my wife told me she doesn't like turkey, and she tolerated it, never saying anything, because of the children. Now that they are out of the house, no more turkey for her. So last year we went non-traditional for the first time. It was actually a nice change and went over very well.



It looks like Capon with Naturiffic Harvest brine on the poultry side, and a self-cured and self-smoked ham for another option or alternative. Probably closer to real tradition than the turkey.

But speaking of traditional? if you follow history, turkey was not at the first Thanksgiving Dinner, it came to the table in the annual feast in the 1800's with help from Sarah Josepha Hale who campaigned to recognize Thanksgiving as a nationally recognized Day.
From Wikipedia - "According to what traditionally is known as "The First Thanksgiving," the 1621 feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag at Plymouth Colony contained waterfowl, venison, ham, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash."
From npr.org - First Thanksgiving Dinner: No Turkeys. No Ladies. No Pies. The Wampanoag guests brought five deer with them, so venison was on the menu. The English brought fowl, "probably migrating waterfowl like ducks and geese, which were plentiful in autumn," says Beahrs. "Governor William Bradford does mention taking turkeys that year, but not in connection to the harvest celebration."


So feel free to cook what your heart desires.....

Thanksgiving? Yes, it’s traditional (barf) but Christmas? I talked them all into doing Misses 4ever3’s lasagna a couple years back...

My FIL took his first bite, cleared his mouth with a sip of wine and declared traditional Christmas dinner was OVER!!! Lasagna from now on!!!

My son is doing a 15 lb bird on the WSM and I on TBE. Expected Temp about 19*. A lot of stuff is already done. My son and wife are waiting for the invasion of my family this AM

My wife's family cooks a fantastic traditional meal and can't imagine not having it. It's the start of our holiday season and we have no intention of changing it.

Plus there will be pecan pie for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving and smoked turkey sandwiches on rye and leftover (hopefully) dressing with giblet gravy.

sliding_billy said:

We will be doing some traditional dishes, but it will just be my wife and sons and I probably eating our main meal standing around the kitchen island at 11AM in our pajamas. Maybe I should just scrap the traditional dishes and get a bag full of McRibs!

Click to expand...

I was looking forward to just my wife and I this year, since the kids won't be home. Then my mother in law wanted to come to our house, which is fine, she's a great lady and 90 this year. But then word got out and we'll have a crowd, which means all the traditional stuff. My wife does all the cooking on Thanksgiving, so I'll be the host.

Traditional here. Gonna use Pattio Daddio brine recipe again this year. Take my daughter deer hunting first thing, then come in and cook. I do pretty much all the cooking, so after it's done it's time for some football and beer.

SmokinAussie said:

Try this...

Do not use Fosters. You will die.

Click to expand...

Where do you put the pellets in that one? :wink::wink::wink:

rb