At Dick’s Brewing, it’s always a family affair. Whether it’s the brewing of their famous beer, serving mouth-watering delights at the deli, or firing up the smoker until the whole county smells like a meaty heaven, the entire crew at Dick’s is involved. Want a peek behind the scenes at Dick’s Brewing – NW Sausage & Deli? Come on in and watch the process unfold as they herd a few hundred smoked turkeys and hams onto holiday tables.
The Process of Smoking Turkeys and Hams at Dick’s
To get the turkeys ready for their smoky spa day, the process begins by thawing the meat, followed by the always slightly unsettling ritual of removing the neck and gizzards.
Next, enters Dave Pendleton. While Dave’s natural habitat is usually the brewery location, for the holidays he’s been temporarily reassigned as the “Official Dick’s Turkey Briner.” He lovingly bathes the birds in a water-based maple brine.
After a four-hour, dizzying ride in a vacuum tumbler, which speeds up the marinating process, the turkeys are ready for the next level of Dick’s care. The birds are then shoved through a chute and expertly contained in a net.
Now, the marinated poultry is ready for the true star at Dick’s – Big Bertha the smoker. The crew hangs the turkeys with care, like meaty Christmas ornaments, inside Bertha’s smoky belly for about eight hours. The final result is perfectly smoked, fully cooked meat that only requires reheating.
It’s basically the same, smoky process for the yummy hams. Dick’s brings in fresh pork legs, which are then brined, tumbled, netted and hung for smoking.
Dick’s hasn’t just perfected the art of smoking meat. They’ve achieved a level of production unmatched at any other time of the year. Working in batches of 24, the team will tumble twice, then smoke 48 at a time, four times in a row. The results are meat masterpieces, and they juggle this incredible, high-volume holiday meat output while still brewing beer, filling bellies at the deli, and producing all their regular year-round goodies.
Dick’s Brewing – NW Sausage & Deli is a Tradition for Local Families’ Holidays
For many local families, the holiday table isn’t complete without the ridiculously delicious, smoked-to-perfection turkeys, hams, and prime ribs from Dick’s. If you don’t have a Dick’s meat centerpiece, are you even celebrating?
“We have tons of repeat customers, and we are part of many family traditions,” says Dick’s owner Julie Pendleton. “It’s neat to know that you’re part of somebody’s tradition. They’re counting on us to keep the traditions going, which is kind of cool.”
Beyond dominating the dinner table, Dick’s offers meaty options for gift-giving because the only thing better than eating Dick’s meat is receiving a box of it for the holidays. For the true Dick’s lover, don’t forget to grab some fabulous merch to go with their meat.
“People come in and let us know that Christmas wouldn’t be the same without whatever their family member loves to get from us,” Julie adds. “There’s definitely a lot of customers who get a gift box for their aunt or uncle or their grandkid or whoever and say they wouldn’t be happy with me if I didn’t send them this for Christmas.”
Make Your Holidays Easier With Dick’s Meats
The holidays are already stressful, so why deal with a raw turkey or ham and all the mess that comes with it? With Dick’s meats, you don’t have to wrestle it, wash it or worry about salmonella. Just throw that already-perfectly-smoked beauty into the oven to reheat.
Need to quickly feed a house full of hungry holiday guests? Dick’s offers a shortcut for that, too, with their snack trays! Featuring meats, cheeses and more, these trays are the easiest way to please the masses. For an outstanding charcuterie spread, include Dick’s Cranberry Summer Sausage. Think savory meets delightfully sweet, which perfectly complements the season’s cheer.
Upgrade your holiday breakfast with Dick’s smoked bacon and smoked breakfast sausage. Both are ideal whether you’re serving them straight-up for a quick meal before gift opening or using them in a festive breakfast casserole.
All this excellent smoky meat requires a Dick’s beer to match. To pair with the savory profile of a smoked ham, the beer experts at Dick’s recommend a traditional brown ale like Working Man’s Brown, their seasonal Mountain Amber Ale, or Lava Rock, an English Porter. Turkey is complemented by citrus, so go for the NW-style Grapefruit IPA or the Orange Juice Jewels Juicy IPA. For the designated drivers, tiny humans, or anyone who prefers non-alcoholic beverages, Dick’s offers their delicious fizzy Root Beer.
Don’t wait to stop by and grab your holiday meats, treats and beer today at Dick’s Brewing – NW Sausage and Deli. Or you can call 360.736.7760 to reserve your favorites and pick them up through Christmas Eve.
The crew at Dick’s works extra hard during the holidays to make sure there is more than enough of their smoked meats for serving and gift-giving. They are busy tumbling, netting, and smoking, so your holidays are perfect. While in a typical month they produce around 2,000 pounds of can’t-beat Dick’s meat, in December they process a whopping 8,000 pounds of turkey, ham, sausage, prime rib and more to stuff your gift boxes, simplify your snack trays, and power your holiday parties.
“It’s a lot of production in the back right now,” says Julie. “Then, it transitions to me being upfront because it’s busy in retail and helping up here. It’s a fun, crazy time.”
Dick’s Brewing – NW Sausage & Deli
5945 Prather Road SW, Centralia
360.736.7760
Sponsored
