Meat Thanksgiving Alternatives

Alternate Meats in the Thanksgiving Meal

George Foreman® Thanksgiving Main Course Alternatives

Over the past few posts, we’ve covered all the bases in providing an alternative entrée to the start turkey at your Thanksgiving table – for vegans, vegetarians, non-poultry eaters and the like. Still, there are those who eat meat and poultry, but simply don’t like the taste of turkey.

Sound like sacrilege? Not really. In fact, there is a healthy debate over whether turkey was actually served at the first Thanksgiving table at all. It would’ve been around in the area at the time, but venison would have been a more likely choice for their main dish.[1] In fact, turkey more likely became the traditional main course after 1863 when it was made an official national holiday – at a time when both turkey and cranberries were mainstays of a fine meal in American Victorian culture.[2]

So what do you do for your guests that don’t feeling like going along with tradition? For a more authentic feel, you could use a protein that would’ve been around at the time. For red meat eaters, venison is an outstanding choice – it’s not something they get everyday, it has a bit of history with the holiday and it’s actually leaner with about 1/3 less fat than a comparable cut of beef.[3] Cooked on your George Foreman grill, that’s a highly healthy red meat serving with a bit of holiday flair.

Another interesting red meat choice would be buffalo. While it wouldn’t have been in the New England coast area of the Plymouth landing, it was a plentiful part of American colonial culture. It’s a popular red meat that’s making a comeback and it fits the American Heart Association’s dietary standards[4], so it comes out lean, healthy and delicious from George Foreman grill with its patented slope.

Of course, you can also do beef, chicken, lamb or pork for your alternate main course. Pork chops are an icon in the traditional American diet, so they make a good choice. Whatever protein you choose, again, try to keep the marinade and/or seasoning centered around the holiday with fresh herbs like dill or thyme, cider vinegars and the like. If you’re cooking for only one or two guests that won’t eat turkey, the best idea is to focus the alternate main course around their tastes, so everyone at your table can walk away happy.

 

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[1] http://hnn.us/articles/406.html

[2] http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/tgivinghistory.htm

[3] http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/venison.htm

[4] http://www.buffalohillsbisonmeat.com/nutritional_information.php

Tags: Meat Thanksgiving Alternatives