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Turkye Brine

A

Astrobeerman

New Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2011
Messages
145
I'm going to do my first turkey brine this year. I baught a butterball and hope it comes out great. Does anyone else have any experience with turkey brine? Would using a buterball turkey have any effect on the final taste if I'm using herbs and spices in my brine? In other words do the butter and spices clash

Thanks for any and all responses
 
Here is my brine recipe:

2Gal. Water
3/4C Kosher Salt
3/4C Brown Sugar
4tsp Garlic Powder
4tsp Onion Powder
4tsp Cajun Seasoning such as Weber N' Orleans Cajun Seasoning ( I make my own)
4tsp Celery Salt

Combine all ingredients and heat enough to dissolve the salt and sugar. Cool the brine to 40* before adding the turkey. I brine mine for 12-18 hours before I smoke them.

My turkeys always come out very juicy and full of flavor.

I have never used this on a Butterball, but brining one could not hurt.
 
Did you get an "enhanced" or self basting turkey? If that's the case, I wouldn't brine it.

If that's not the case, I use:

1 gallon cold water
1 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

Adds no flavor, so you get all of your taste only from your rub.
 
You guys forgot the peppercorns and Bourbon

Follow up with a maple syrup butter Rosemary on the breast under the skin....

Brine a hour a pound no more...toss in smoker with hickory

Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
 
Good Ole Kentucy Brine

Best Brine ever... here it is

Per gallon of distilled/filtered water:

2 cup salt
2cups apple juice
1 cup bourbon
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 cup sorghum



Rosmary Maple Butter
1/2 pound butter
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
1/2 cup maple syrup
Blend together and gently place onder the skin over the breast, and coat those breasts good.


Giblet Broth
2 cups white wine
2 cups water
Giblets & Neck
Bay Leaf
Simmer in sauce pan for 15 minutes. Toss neck and bay leaf, giblets can be tossed or chopped up and added to broth.


This is the best turkey I have ever had when doing it this way. I smoke it with hickory.... enjoy
 
Oh and salt and pepper the bird inside and out.

And fill your roasting pan with broth if you are baking. Tent the pan with oil parchement paper and remove the last 30 minutes for a golden crispy skin. Cook at 425 until the thigh reaches 140-150 and let rest for 15 minutes.
 
Bourbon is the way to go.....I use a recipe similar to Chef Shooter....
 
DePasta said:
Bourbon is the way to go.....I use a recipe similar to Chef Shooter....
Click to expand...

I have never heard of using bourbon in a turkey brine before, but it's a great idea!

I think I can share a little of my bourbon with the turkey at Christmas.
 
I'm making my first brining attempt as well this year, but I'm stealing shamelessly from Alton Brown:

For the brine:
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 gallon vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
  • 1 gallon heavily iced water
Although after reading this thread I may have to make some modifications...
 
I brined my first turkey last year and was amazed by how delicious it tasted as was the rest of my family. . . So much in fact that Im doing it again this year and that turkey has been in it's brine (contained in a deep fryer drum w/ lid) since Mon. night. . . If anyone has not tried brining a turkey, TRY it. You will be very pleased. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Enjoy

The recipe I used is as follows:
For the basting glaze:
  • 2 3/4 ounces (75 grams) butter
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
 
Thanks everyone on the responses.......I think I might have to share some bourbon with my turkey.....lol
 
I'm trying this recipe this year.



Brine:
  • 7 quarts water
  • 1 quart apple cider
  • 3/4 cup kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 large or 2 small carrots, diced
  • 3 ribs celery, diced
  • 1 head garlic, cut in 1/2 equatorially
  • 1/2 bunch fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 bunch fresh sage
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 1 (12 to 14 pound) turkey

Herb crust:
  • 1 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh sage, leaves finely chopped
  • 3 sticks butter, room temperature
  • Kosher salt

Gravy:
  • 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 bunch thyme
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 quart chicken stock, divided
  • 2 cups apple cider, divided
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions


Special equipment: butcher's twine
To brine the turkey: Combine all of the ingredients for the brine in a large container. Add the turkey and let it brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
To prepare the turkey for cooking: Remove the turkey from the brine the night before roasting and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Combine the rosemary, sage, and butter for the herb crust in a small bowl. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Work the butter under the skin of the turkey and massage it into the breasts and the legs. Massage the butter on the outside of the skin as well. Tie the legs together over the breast so they will protect it during cooking and help keep it moist and juicy.
Gravy preparation: Put the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, apples, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and thyme in a roasting pan and season with salt. Arrange the turkey on top of the veggies and refrigerate overnight UNCOVERED! Yes, that's right, uncovered. This will help the skin dry out and become really brown and crispy. Make sure that there is no raw food near the turkey in the refrigerator. After refrigerating overnight, the turkey is ready to go in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Put 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until the skin gets really nice and brown, about 40 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F for the remainder of the cooking time. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so and add more stock to the roasting pan, if needed. Cook about 17 minutes per pound. Once it gets to the proper color, tent the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.
Remove the turkey from the oven when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey registers 160 degrees F. Make sure that the thermometer is not touching a bone when doing the reading. When the turkey has reached the proper temperature, remove it from the roasting pan to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Strain all the veggies over a bowl to separate them from the stock/mixture. Discard the veggies. Skim off the fat and add it to the roasting pan. This is the fat for the roux. Put the roasting pan over 2 burners and over a low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture looks like wet sand, about 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1 cup apple cider, remaining chicken stock and the stock/cider mixture. Cook until the mixture has thickened and reached a gravy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pour into a serving pitcher or bowl.
Carve the turkey, transfer to a serving platter and serve with the gravy.
 
Brining is a great process!! I actually did some boston butts in an overnight brine last weekend and they were Great
 
Shooter said:
Good Ole Kentucy Brine

Best Brine ever... here it is

Per gallon of distilled/filtered water:

2 cup salt
2cups apple juice
1 cup bourbon
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 cup sorghum



Rosmary Maple Butter
1/2 pound butter
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
1/2 cup maple syrup
Blend together and gently place onder the skin over the breast, and coat those breasts good.


Giblet Broth
2 cups white wine
2 cups water
Giblets & Neck
Bay Leaf
Simmer in sauce pan for 15 minutes. Toss neck and bay leaf, giblets can be tossed or chopped up and added to broth.


This is the best turkey I have ever had when doing it this way. I smoke it with hickory.... enjoy
Click to expand...

Shane, mega thank yous. I tweaked the brine just a tad for the two turkeys I smoked today but the maple butter remained unchanged and these turkeys were the best I've had. I ended up using Pecan as the smoke and they were absolutely wonderful! Thanks so much Shane and Dan.
 
Bumping for the bourbon brine awareness!

Also, what do you guys put in the cavity? I smoke two turkeys every year, one in the bourbon brine and the other one plain. On the plain one I usually add an onion and green apple in the cavity but I'm looking for suggestions.
 
MoeCizlak said:
Also, what do you guys put in the cavity?
Click to expand...
I have never tried the Bourbon. I do the same thing in the cavity, a big spanish onion, and an apple, cut in half or quarters. I've never felt the need for anything else. I also brine Turkey legs if I don't want a whole bird. If I do that, I just throw the onion and apple in the pan. I've added Carrot and Celery, under the meat for the gravy.
 
Thanks Dan. The unbrined turkey always turns out fine with an apple and onion and a little butter. Just looking to try something different. I've been reading about Coke in the cavity, not sure about that one.
 
I did the Williams Sonoma brine kit last year.

Family loved it, but I thought it was way too salty.

Good luck and hope it turns out well for you, because other than being messy if you spill, it is uber easy.
 
For smoking, any idea how many minutes per pound? What temp am I going for?

Since this thread was brought back up and all...
 
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