Turkey Brine (x2)
-from foodnetwork.com
We discovered turkey brine's a few years ago, and our holiday birds will never be the same. From the basic salt-sugar brine which helps to keep the bird moist, to flavourful salty concoctions that add a new and exciting flavour to the sometimes boring turkey, brining is a simple step that only requires a bit of planning. You can brine your thawed turkey for anywhere from 12-48 hours - just remember to rinse your bird before popping it into the oven (or, into the smoker or BBQ!)
Each recipe is for one turkey, thawed, approx 10-15lbs. If you don't have a massive pot that your bird will fit into, Home Depot sells big utility buckets with a lid of $5-$10. For easy clean-up, we sometimes line the bucket with a large plastic bag (brining bag or other) and pour the brine in. We have used these on small chickens before, which we then BBQed "Beer-Butt-Style".
1. Fill a large pot with above ingredients (not the turkey!). Bring to a boil, and simmer 10 minutes. Add 4 quarts of cold water (or many ice cubes) and let cool.
2. Rinse turkey under cold water, and pat dry. Add turkey to brine, and add water, if necessary, to cover bird. Refrigerate overnight, or up to 48 hours (if you're anywhere but Arizona, where it's cold and snowy, you can keep the brining bird in the cold garage or on an outdoor patio - just be sure to have a good cover for your container)
3. Remove turkey from brine. Rinse well and pat dry (we forgot to rinse our bird last year - it was SUPER salty, so don't forget this very important step!). Cook turkey however you feel comfortable - roasted, BBQ, rotisserie, smoked - until a thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 165F. Let bird rest up to 30 minutes before carving.
Each recipe is for one turkey, thawed, approx 10-15lbs. If you don't have a massive pot that your bird will fit into, Home Depot sells big utility buckets with a lid of $5-$10. For easy clean-up, we sometimes line the bucket with a large plastic bag (brining bag or other) and pour the brine in. We have used these on small chickens before, which we then BBQed "Beer-Butt-Style".
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Orange-Tea-Bourbon Brine
Zest (in wide strips) & juice of 5
oranges
2 cups Kosher salt
1 cup sugar
12 black tea bags
4 bay leaves
6 cloves
12 peppercorns
1 cup bourbon (or cheap whiskey)
2 quarts water
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Lemon-Juniper Brine
2 cups Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tbsp juniper berries
1 tbsp peppercorn
3 bay leaves
zest of one lemon, in wide strips
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1. Fill a large pot with above ingredients (not the turkey!). Bring to a boil, and simmer 10 minutes. Add 4 quarts of cold water (or many ice cubes) and let cool.
2. Rinse turkey under cold water, and pat dry. Add turkey to brine, and add water, if necessary, to cover bird. Refrigerate overnight, or up to 48 hours (if you're anywhere but Arizona, where it's cold and snowy, you can keep the brining bird in the cold garage or on an outdoor patio - just be sure to have a good cover for your container)
3. Remove turkey from brine. Rinse well and pat dry (we forgot to rinse our bird last year - it was SUPER salty, so don't forget this very important step!). Cook turkey however you feel comfortable - roasted, BBQ, rotisserie, smoked - until a thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 165F. Let bird rest up to 30 minutes before carving.
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