Kolek planning to go pro
Definitely +1 on brining. Really helps retain moisture. I also learned from experience that less wood/smoke is more. I have added too much wood or added wood too late in the cooking process, and ended up with a way-too-smokey bird. Especially becuase turkey is a relatively delicate flavor, its easy to have the smoke overpower everything. So go lighter on the smoke/wood chips than you think you should.
Anyone have thoughts re herb butter or olive oil on or under the skin?
Also fwiw, I prefer wet brines to dry brines, but that could just be because I haven't given dry brines a fair shake.
After the brine I was going to put some herbs under the skin. I was also thinking about laying some bacon on top as a self-basting mechanism. Any thoughts on that? And..thanks for all the in put I appreciate it.
Yes to bacon. I personally have never brined any turkey i have cooked and have never one come out dry. Unnecessary IMO.
Hey SirLawrence, I did (mostly) your brine and the turkey turned out great. Thanks.FWIW I suppe 1/2 cup of maple syrup for 1/2 cup of brown sugar because I ran out of brown sugar. That was the main deviation.
I've used this brine recipe for 10+ years. Works like magic. Plus it makes the house smell like heaven:3 cups Apple Juice Or Apple Cider 2 gallons Cold Water 4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves 5 cloves Garlic, Minced 1-1/2 cup Kosher Salt 2 cups Brown Sugar 3 Tablespoons Peppercorns 5 whole Bay Leaves Peel Of Three Large OrangesInstructionsCombine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover.Allow to cool completely, (easy to take outside this time of year to cool down) then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. No more than 24.When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.
How do you cook bacon? Oven, fry pan, microwave, grill. Messes the grill up.
Oven, convect mode. Let the bacon get to room temperature.Throw the pan in and set the oven to 380. No pre-heat.I usually have to rotate the pan for even cooking towards the end.
Just add that I use a mesh/grate for grease to naturally collect in the pan, then you can save (I like to use a chili starter when browning the meat).
Totally up to you, but I'll argue for brineing for a sec here: Brining is partially for juiciness, but also the only way to season the meat of the bird beyond the surface.1. Jucieness - Salt breaks down certain muscle proteins, which prevents those muscle fibers from contracting so much during cooking, which means less moisture is squeezed out2. Seasoning - Salt (and literally none of the aromatics that people put in their brine for fun) is drawn into the bird while it's breaking down the muscle protein. This action takes a while, so a 24-48 hour brine is recommended to get some seasoning into that birdYou can crutch with an overly-salty gravy, but I prefer to have each of my ingredients on a plate seasoned well enough that they can stand alone.
partial correction-tumblers or vacuum tumblers will distribute the seasoning to the depths, BUT they will run you $300-$10,000+ so you're essentially right skatman
Larry, your brine recipe was awesome. This was a top 5 turkey. Got some butter with black pepper and a poultry rub under the skin. Cooked on the pellet smoker with an apple, cherry, maple mix. Also had some hickory mixed in. 275 degrees.