15 Nov 28th-Dec 4th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Tons of Turkey For Phoenix barbecue joints, Thanksgiving is the busiest time of year. BY SARA CROCKER W hen it comes to busi- nesses that are all hands on deck during the Thanksgiving rush, there are some obvious contenders: grazing board shops that craft eye-catching charcuterie displays, pie makers that ensure the dessert course shines and bottle shops that recommend the right local wine to pair with the meal. But one category of restaurants focuses on the feast’s centerpiece. Barbecue joints — more often associated with brisket or ribs — keep their staff and smokers rolling in the lead-up to turkey day. “It is the busiest day of the year for us,” says Anthony Garcia, the owner and exec- utive chef of Eric’s Family Barbecue in Avondale. And Garcia is in good company. Several Valley barbecue restaurant owners say Thanksgiving is their biggest day — or very close to it with Father’s Day right on its heels. While these restaurants are well- equipped for serving crowds with whole cuts of meat sliced to order, in November, their smokers turn out thousands of pounds of turkey. “Other than cleaning the smokers, they don’t really get any rest (Thanksgiving) week,” says Addison Taylor of East Valley staple Caldwell County BBQ. ‘People don’t realize how good our turkey is’ At Texas-inspired barbecue restaurants such as Eric’s, Caldwell County or Phoenix’s venerable Little Miss BBQ, beef reigns supreme, with diners seeking out tender brisket, burnt ends or gargantuan beef ribs. But smoked turkey is a Texas barbecue staple, too, Taylor says. And, Thanksgiving can be the perfect introduction. “We serve turkey all year round, but often people don’t realize how good our turkey is until they do a Thanksgiving with it,” he says. Each spot has their own approach to crafting mouth-watering turkey. At Caldwell, turkey breasts are seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic before heading to the smoker, which is fueled largely by mesquite wood. Finished turkeys are rested in melted butter and apple juice. “It keeps it really moist and gives it a good flavor before we serve it,” Taylor says. Valley smokehouse NakedQ smokes turkey breasts throughout the year, but prepares whole birds for Thanksgiving, which are brined and rubbed with holiday herbs and spices including sage, thyme and star anise. At Eric’s Family Barbecue, the turkey breasts are injected with sweet tea and seasoned with “salt, pepper, love,” owner Garcia says. The breasts, and the smokehouse’s other meats, are spritzed with a mix of water and apple cider vinegar throughout the smoking process. Once they’re cooked, the turkeys are wrapped in a jus made from the restaurant’s brisket trimmings. “That’s a special extra kicker,” Garcia says. ‘Meat math’ critical for holiday demand To ensure all those Thanksgiving birds are ready, barbecue spots lean on preorders and predictions based on previous years’ sales. “We do a lot of forecasting. Meat math is a real thing for barbecue,” Taylor says. Caldwell serves about 100 pounds of turkey on an average weekday. That jumps to about 2,000 pounds for Thanksgiving meals, Taylor says. Caldwell expanded in January, opening a smokehouse in Queen Creek. With the new restaurant up and running, the team felt “very equipped to handle the demand this year,” says managing partner Travis Taylor. At Eric’s, Garcia anticipated about 250 turkey breasts would be ordered in advance, but his pit team cooked double that amount to accommodate regular restaurant service and any last-minute or walk-in orders. That’s compared to serving about 30 turkey breasts on a busy Saturday. Some spots, such as NakedQ, sold out weeks before the holiday. Guests quickly gobbled up reservations for the smoke- house’s whole smoked turkey dinners, briskets and pies, which were announced in October. Owner Oren Hartman estimated during Thanksgiving week, NakedQ would smoke nearly two tons of turkey. Starting at noon the day before Thanksgiving, the only items hitting NakedQ’s smokers were turkeys and brisket, with pickups starting that day and rolling until noon on Thanksgiving. “All of our smokers are filled to capacity to make it happen,” Hartman shared via email. “Due to our volume it does not allow us to smoke any other meats and our (barbecue is) closed that day to standard business.” While Thanksgiving week is intense for Valley barbecue restaurants, it’s also a “huge compliment” as a restaurateur, Travis Taylor says. “We love when people enjoy our food, and especially if they’re willing to bring it into their homes and their family events,” he says. After the days of hard work needed to prepare stacks of orders and get them out the door, both Eric’s and Caldwell closed their doors on Thanksgiving day. “We want Thanksgiving to be a day of gratitude and a day free of stress for as many people as possible,” Caldwell’s Addison Taylor says, “our team included.” (Photo by Sara Crocker) Valley smokehouses make hundreds to thousands of pounds more turkey than their average for to-go Thanksgiving meals. (Photo by Sara Crocker) Don’t skip the elote and make sure to leave room for banana pudding at Eric’s Family Barbecue. (Photo by Tirion Boan) At Eric’s Family Barbecue in Avondale, Thanksgiving is an all-hands-on-deck event. (Photo by Sara Crocker) ▼ Food & Drink
