Tonedef131
Assistant Cook
I actually made this a few months back for another food forum I post on, but since Carolelaine started a thread I figured I would post it here. I had a lot more pictures but vBulletin is limiting the amout I can use. This recipe is composed of a lot of different ideas from a lot of different recipes I have tried over time. So feel free to experiment and change anything you want, that is half the fun of barbeque. Anyway, here is part one.
This begins the same way all good turkey recipes do, with a nice long brine. It starts with a cup of salt and a half cup of sugar per gallon of water. I think I ended up using 3 gallons, but this will depend upon your vessel of choice. To this I added a cup of apple cider and dried sage leaves.
Next take an orange you with a very clean peel and remove the zest. Set the zest to the side. Cut the now zested orange in half and add the juice from both halves to the brine. You will not want to add anymore citrus than this or it will soon turn into a marinade rather than a brine. Now stir it all up and add the turkey (after removing neck and other goodies left by the butcher) to the solution and place him in the refrigerator. I did not have a container that would fit in my fridge, so I had to use a cooler and make sure the water stayed cold enough at all times. If the bird is floating add something to keep him submerged a bag full of ice works nicely.
Now you wait, around 24 hours should do it. The next day pull him out of there and rinse inside and out. For cooking this turkey I don’t recommend using your expensive roasting pan, it will never look the same. Those aluminum ones that are all over the grocery stores this time of year for $0.99 work perfect. So take one of those and lay down a nice aromatic bed, I used a mirepoix and a cut up apple with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary.
Now comes my favorite part, assembling the rub. I would love to tell you exactly what spices I used, because it turned out very good, but I can’t remember exactly what it was. But my rub always changing, being creative is the best part about putting together rubs. Especially when you find that perfect flavor combination that compliments the meat perfectly. But for those of you who just want to know what to put in it, here is a good base for a rub:
2: Paprika
1: Onion Powder
1: Garlic Powder
1: Chili Powder
2: Dark brown sugar
2: Black Pepper
1: Cumin
1: Fennel
1: Coriander
I would not use much salt if any because of the brine. I added much to this, but like I said I don’t remember exactly what. This would be pretty mild and if you like it spicy like me add some cayenne or grind up some peppers. I try to use as many whole spices as possible, the last 4 spices listed are easily found whole at any grocery and can be ground at home in a blade-style coffee grinder. If you use the same one for your coffee don’t bother cleaning it before, a few coffee grounds will just add to the rub. However, this does not work the other way around, unless you like cumin flavored coffee.
Now take a couple of tablespoons or so of the rub and mix them with a liquid (white Worcestershire is my choice) to form a sort of paste. Then take your turkey and work your fingers under the skin over his breast and thighs to remove separate it from the meat.
Take a spoon or something to transfer the paste under the skin, and then rub that all around covering as much meat as you can. If you are and idiot like me you torn the skin a little bit, but its okay, just pin it together with come toothpicks. Put the rest of the rub in a sieve and shake it over the turkey covering every last bit you can.
Now you can move him to the bed you have made for him and stuff his cavity full of orange slices, apple slices, and fresh parsley. Take a piece of cheesecloth a little over twice as long as the bird and totally wrap him up in it.
For the wet rub I used ¼ cup butter (room temperature), ¼ cup apple butter, and that orange zest from yesterday.
Mix it all up good and spread it all over the bird.
At this point you can take it right to the smoker. I was not starting mine till the next day, so I had to wrap it up tightly and make room in the fridge.
This begins the same way all good turkey recipes do, with a nice long brine. It starts with a cup of salt and a half cup of sugar per gallon of water. I think I ended up using 3 gallons, but this will depend upon your vessel of choice. To this I added a cup of apple cider and dried sage leaves.
Next take an orange you with a very clean peel and remove the zest. Set the zest to the side. Cut the now zested orange in half and add the juice from both halves to the brine. You will not want to add anymore citrus than this or it will soon turn into a marinade rather than a brine. Now stir it all up and add the turkey (after removing neck and other goodies left by the butcher) to the solution and place him in the refrigerator. I did not have a container that would fit in my fridge, so I had to use a cooler and make sure the water stayed cold enough at all times. If the bird is floating add something to keep him submerged a bag full of ice works nicely.
Now you wait, around 24 hours should do it. The next day pull him out of there and rinse inside and out. For cooking this turkey I don’t recommend using your expensive roasting pan, it will never look the same. Those aluminum ones that are all over the grocery stores this time of year for $0.99 work perfect. So take one of those and lay down a nice aromatic bed, I used a mirepoix and a cut up apple with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary.
Now comes my favorite part, assembling the rub. I would love to tell you exactly what spices I used, because it turned out very good, but I can’t remember exactly what it was. But my rub always changing, being creative is the best part about putting together rubs. Especially when you find that perfect flavor combination that compliments the meat perfectly. But for those of you who just want to know what to put in it, here is a good base for a rub:
2: Paprika
1: Onion Powder
1: Garlic Powder
1: Chili Powder
2: Dark brown sugar
2: Black Pepper
1: Cumin
1: Fennel
1: Coriander
I would not use much salt if any because of the brine. I added much to this, but like I said I don’t remember exactly what. This would be pretty mild and if you like it spicy like me add some cayenne or grind up some peppers. I try to use as many whole spices as possible, the last 4 spices listed are easily found whole at any grocery and can be ground at home in a blade-style coffee grinder. If you use the same one for your coffee don’t bother cleaning it before, a few coffee grounds will just add to the rub. However, this does not work the other way around, unless you like cumin flavored coffee.
Now take a couple of tablespoons or so of the rub and mix them with a liquid (white Worcestershire is my choice) to form a sort of paste. Then take your turkey and work your fingers under the skin over his breast and thighs to remove separate it from the meat.
Take a spoon or something to transfer the paste under the skin, and then rub that all around covering as much meat as you can. If you are and idiot like me you torn the skin a little bit, but its okay, just pin it together with come toothpicks. Put the rest of the rub in a sieve and shake it over the turkey covering every last bit you can.
Now you can move him to the bed you have made for him and stuff his cavity full of orange slices, apple slices, and fresh parsley. Take a piece of cheesecloth a little over twice as long as the bird and totally wrap him up in it.
For the wet rub I used ¼ cup butter (room temperature), ¼ cup apple butter, and that orange zest from yesterday.
Mix it all up good and spread it all over the bird.
At this point you can take it right to the smoker. I was not starting mine till the next day, so I had to wrap it up tightly and make room in the fridge.