Thanksgiving Turkey
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kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
Let me say that you need to really be careful with the amount of salt you use in your brine.
Let's say you use 2 gallons of apple juice/cider - to that I wouldn't add more than 3/4 cup to 1 cup of kosher salt. Too much salt in the brine will make a VERY salty gravy. I would use 1 cup of packed brown sugar, 3 limes cut in half, squeezed, and add lime itself to juice, 3 or 4 oranges done the same as the limes, 10 or so garlic cloves peeled and smashed, a box thyme, fresh, about 5 stalks of fresh rosemary 4 - 5 inches long each, and a few bay leaves.
Heat everything in a pot until salt and brown sugar are dissolved. COOL COMPLETELY before adding turkey. I make mine early the day before so it has plenty of time to cool.
The best results I get is if I marinate/brine the bird for no LESS than 24 hours. I'm talking a 17# - 22# bird.
Anyway - this is as close as I can remember to what I do.
Let's say you use 2 gallons of apple juice/cider - to that I wouldn't add more than 3/4 cup to 1 cup of kosher salt. Too much salt in the brine will make a VERY salty gravy. I would use 1 cup of packed brown sugar, 3 limes cut in half, squeezed, and add lime itself to juice, 3 or 4 oranges done the same as the limes, 10 or so garlic cloves peeled and smashed, a box thyme, fresh, about 5 stalks of fresh rosemary 4 - 5 inches long each, and a few bay leaves.
Heat everything in a pot until salt and brown sugar are dissolved. COOL COMPLETELY before adding turkey. I make mine early the day before so it has plenty of time to cool.
The best results I get is if I marinate/brine the bird for no LESS than 24 hours. I'm talking a 17# - 22# bird.
Anyway - this is as close as I can remember to what I do.
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Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
That sounds like a good brine. I found you can reduce the saltiness of the bird and gravy by rinsing off the bird aftrer you take it out of the brine then drying it off.
When I make two gallons of brine, I start with a gallon of vegetable broth at double strength and add the flavorings, cook it up and cool it down with a gallon of ice cubes. That give you the right concentrations of ingredients and a cool brine.
You could do the same with the apple juice/cider by freezing half of it and adding it to the cooked mixture.
The benefit is just to have the brine ready faster if you're running late. (I always am)
When I make two gallons of brine, I start with a gallon of vegetable broth at double strength and add the flavorings, cook it up and cool it down with a gallon of ice cubes. That give you the right concentrations of ingredients and a cool brine.
You could do the same with the apple juice/cider by freezing half of it and adding it to the cooked mixture.
The benefit is just to have the brine ready faster if you're running late. (I always am)
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
I do rinse and pat dry - that is key. I just really almost screwed up the gravy the first year I did it by waaaay too much salt! You get the oysters out of the back after it's done and it has the most wonderful apple flavor! GREAT idea on freezing half of the cider/juice - DUH!!!! I just hope I remember it for this Thanksgiving - surely I will - what a timesaver!!!!!!! Thanks for that tip Andy! 
I do the bird in the trash bag in the cooler method - or if it will fit in my VERY biggest stock pot I will do that. A friend of mine (bless her) didn't put her trash bag in anything - went to the airport to pick up her sister - icky, sticky, salty, TURKEY, brine all over her kitchen floor wicking up into her living room carpet. YUCK!
I do the bird in the trash bag in the cooler method - or if it will fit in my VERY biggest stock pot I will do that. A friend of mine (bless her) didn't put her trash bag in anything - went to the airport to pick up her sister - icky, sticky, salty, TURKEY, brine all over her kitchen floor wicking up into her living room carpet. YUCK!
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OP
OP
Crestman
Assistant Cook
Wow...All these ideas sound great!!!!
When you guys say apple juice/cider, which is it? Juice or cider? I have a container in the fridge that says apple cider vinegar, and also have a carton that says apple juice. Sorry if the question sounds strange!!
Alix, it's for sure cold enough to have the turkey outside...Just have to make sure the cat's don't get into it!!
Keith
When you guys say apple juice/cider, which is it? Juice or cider? I have a container in the fridge that says apple cider vinegar, and also have a carton that says apple juice. Sorry if the question sounds strange!!
Alix, it's for sure cold enough to have the turkey outside...Just have to make sure the cat's don't get into it!!
Keith
Andy M. said:Very clever!
We end up having our Thanksgiving on a Thursday every year and have to spend four days at home relaxing and watching football.
Andy, we're all workaholics up here dontcha know.
Couldn't take THAT much time off. Besides, I hear you just have that extra day off to go shopping...Edit...Keith, put a brick on the top of your stock pot and that should do it. It keeps my Golden out of there, and my kitties too.
Crestman said:
Keith, use apple juice. Apple cider vinegar is WAY different. You can buy apple cider if you want (its like apple beer sort of) but apple juice is just as good.
VeraBlue
Executive Chef
Crestman said:Wow...All these ideas sound great!!!!
When you guys say apple juice/cider, which is it? Juice or cider? I have a container in the fridge that says apple cider vinegar, and also have a carton that says apple juice. Sorry if the question sounds strange!!
Alix, it's for sure cold enough to have the turkey outside...Just have to make sure the cat's don't get into it!!
Keith
I prefer the cider, it's works better. I recently used juice and barely noticed the flavours. Vinegar is not the same as juice or cider on any level!
I've never had a problem with saltiness with the amount of salt I use...perhaps the cider cuts it, but never had a problem. I don't use the brine for gravy, I always toss that out.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
kitchenelf said:
It's actually important to use a good amount of salt when you brine. The ratio is usually 3/4-1 cup of kosher salt (or 1/2 cup table salt) to 1 gallon of water. The AB recipe in question uses 1 cup of salt to 2 cups of liquid. I think that's a bit light, but I wouldn't use less than 1 cup. And perhaps more if you are using Diamond Crystal brand, which has the largest size crystals.
Salt in the brine does not automatically mean salty gravy. You need to rinse the bird, air dry it completely and add unsalted liquid to the bottom of the pan. When making gravy, I have found it very easy to make gravy by deglazing the pan, defatting the drippings, tasting to judge saltiness and then using unsalted giblet broth to balance out the liquid for gravy-making. This works for me even when I use a lot of salt in my brine. Made some excellent gravy from a brined chicken (using loads of salt) 2 weekends ago, though I did use Bisquick when I found I had no flour on hand.
One caveat about a brined turkey is that if you stuff it the stuffing can be quite salty, as it is soaking in all the poultry juices.
And, Crestman, you don't need to keep cider vinegar in the fridge. It's already gone bad.
I have always cooked my bread stuffing inside the bird and it is delicious. I make another "dressing" (that is "stuffing" cooked outside the bird) from cornbread, so we have two.
I also prefer not to brine poultry.
You will need to have your turkey in the fridge today to be thawing by the week-end!! It takes a long time.
I also prefer not to brine poultry.
You will need to have your turkey in the fridge today to be thawing by the week-end!! It takes a long time.
OP
OP
Crestman
Assistant Cook
jennyema said:
Oooops!!...O well it shouldn't hurt it though hey??
Gretchen said:
I'll yank that sucker out of the freezer as soon as I get home!!!...Thanks.
Keith
OP
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Crestman
Assistant Cook
Well the darn bird wasn't thawed out enough Friday night to get it into a brine and our supper was Saturday night. So, maybe I'll try the brine next time.
On a side note, I ended up cooking the bird upside down!!!...After about 1hour of resting, I started to cut in and found there to be very little meat...Was I mad. Anyway, after complaining about getting a bad bird for a few minutes, I noticed that there was more meat underneath....When I flipped it over walla!!!...Breasts!...hehe. Only problem with this was there wasn't a nice brown crispy skin over the breast which I like. But all was well and it was a nice meal. Mom must have been laughing it up inside...
Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions and advice. It WILL come in handy next time.
(Note to self: a 16lb Turkey takes at least 4 days in the fridge to un-thaw)
Happy Thanksgiving Canada!!
Keith
On a side note, I ended up cooking the bird upside down!!!...After about 1hour of resting, I started to cut in and found there to be very little meat...Was I mad. Anyway, after complaining about getting a bad bird for a few minutes, I noticed that there was more meat underneath....When I flipped it over walla!!!...Breasts!...hehe. Only problem with this was there wasn't a nice brown crispy skin over the breast which I like. But all was well and it was a nice meal. Mom must have been laughing it up inside...
Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions and advice. It WILL come in handy next time.
(Note to self: a 16lb Turkey takes at least 4 days in the fridge to un-thaw)
Happy Thanksgiving Canada!!
Keith
Keith, you can put a partially frozen bird in the brine. Especially if it is going to be refrigerated. The salt helps it to thaw more quickly.
Barb L.
Master Chef
Did you know?
Maybe you do-- I worked for a chain grocery store for 16 yrs., when I was working in the meat dept. at the holiday time, a customer came in who used to raise turkeys! She said there is more meat on two twelve lb turkeys than a big 20-+bird! My brother also cooks for a family of about 17-20 ppl.and always bought the biggest bird he could find. They took my advice, now they have plenty! There are times he deep fries one and roast the other. Yum !
Maybe you do-- I worked for a chain grocery store for 16 yrs., when I was working in the meat dept. at the holiday time, a customer came in who used to raise turkeys! She said there is more meat on two twelve lb turkeys than a big 20-+bird! My brother also cooks for a family of about 17-20 ppl.and always bought the biggest bird he could find. They took my advice, now they have plenty! There are times he deep fries one and roast the other. Yum !
