Will always brine from here on out.

[ellymae]

After brining a chicken last weekend, and really liking it, I decided to try my hand at a 13 pound turkey this weekend.

Deboned on Saturday (but not pretty)
Deboning a turkey was more challenging then deboning a chicken...


Into the briny deep...



Out of the brine Sunday, and stuffed with a bread stuffing - nothing fancy here. Rubbed with olive oil and dusted with a salt free herb mix.


After 2 hours in a 350 degree oven. Yes, I said oven. I'm so ashamed. Preheated oven to 400, then dropped it when I put the bird in.



Sliced up...



Home made (blurry) gravy



Smashed potatoes... If you look at the cutting board in the bottom left corner you will see all the juice from the turkey... crazy...



My plate...



I'm really tired now... wonder who's doing the dishes??

Last week, I used half the salt the recipe called for.
Yesterday I used all that was called for.
I found the final product to be a tad too salty for me, but certainly not a deal breaker. Next time I do this, I will cut the salt slightly. I rarely use salt, so I am probably a little sensative to it.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Looks great!!!!!



~Martin

 

[s2k9k]

That's an Awesome looking meal Elly!! Great tie up on that bird, it looks beautiful!! I've never heard of "blurry" gravy but it sure looks good!!!

 

[daveomak]

ellymae.....  Holy cow..... That is the most beautiful bird .....  you do come up with some interesting recipes.....  Dave

 

[JckDanls 07]

Ellymae... I've been screaming it for a long time now... "BRINE...BRINE... BRINE"... all poultry and all pork as well... I always look forward to your dishes as they all look awesome... good job

 

[DanMcG]

Very nice Elly, Even the gravy looks great on them taters!

 

[boykjo]

That looks Yummy..............!

 

[roller]

You did a great job on that bird...and them tattars...

 

[ptcruiserguy]

Now that is a great lookin Bird.

Givin a chance I believe I would eat it.... lol

Great Job there Ellymae

 

[jarjarchef]

Great job....your trussing looks amazing......... I love me some blurry pan gravy......

 

[chef jimmyj]

Nice job on the Bird...But...Where is your Green Vegetable young lady!?!

...JJ

 

[papagrizz]

Beautiful looking bird and

 on the tie up job.. Please pass the taters..

 

[go4abliss]

WOW, that a great looking bird. I love stuffing and you smoke it too. 

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Mmmmm. Nice

have fun and...

 

[ellymae]

Thank all - much appreciated.

ellymae.....  Holy cow..... That is the most beautiful bird .....  you do come up with some interesting recipes.....  Dave

Dave - I can't take credit for this - It's Patio Daddio's brine recipe -

WOW, that a great looking bird. I love stuffing and you smoke it too. 

This was all done in the oven - no smoking this weekend, would have been that much better if I had cooked it in the Egg.

Here's the recipe...

http://www.patiodaddiobbq.com/2009/11/ultimate-thanksgiving-turkey-brine.html

Ingredients
1 1/2 gal Ice water (lots of ice)
1/2 gal Hot tap water
2 cups Dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups Kosher salt
1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning (available in most grocery stores)
1 tsp Chinese five spice (Asian section of most grocery stores -- I like the Sun Luck brand)
Juice of 2 lemons
Juice of 2 oranges
Extra ice as needed

Notes:

• If you can't find the Chinese five spice, just use allspice.
• This recipe is scaled for a 14-16 pound turkey. You will need to scale it up for larger birds.
• A good time guideline is 45 minutes per pound.

Method
Get a clean food-safe five-gallon bucket, wash it, then sanitized it with a gallon of water and a capful of bleach.

Make the ice water in the bucket.

Bring the tap water to a boil in a stock pot or large pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the salt, sugar, citrus juice and all of the seasonings.

Let the seasoning mixture sit in the pan, stirring occasionally, until all of the salt and sugar are dissolved.
 

Add the water and seasoning mixture to the ice water in the bucket.

Gently submerge the turkey in the brine, breast-side-down. Oh, and make sure you've removed both pouches of innards.

Note: It must be completely submerged, so add more ice and water if necessary. If the turkey tends to float, you can seal a rock in a zip-top bag and stuff it in the cavity.

Set the bucket in the coldest place you can find (I put mine outside or in the garage), cover with foil, wrap with a sleeping bag or blankets, and let sit at least 12 and up to 24 hours.

Caution: For food safety it's critical that the brine be kept at or under 40º throughout the entire brining process, so check the ice and add more as needed.

An hour before you're ready to cook the turkey, lift it gently and slowly from the brine, allowing it to drain completely. I turn it over just to make sure.

Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.

Rub the skin with canola oil and roast or smoke as desired.