Kent....what's your brining recipe??

[softnred]

Kent, last week or so you mentioned brining a turkey. I've been interested in trying that to a whole turkey breast. I did a ADBB search on brining, and found a post from December in which you were experimenting, and were using 2 cups of Kosher salt, 2 gallons of water and some peppercorns. Is that still what you're using, or have you refined it??? After it's brined, do you bake/grill it as normal???

Thanks!!
JoAnne

[Kent]

That is still the basic recipe although I have been adding 1 TBS minced garlic to the mix lately as well (sometimes other spices). If you don't have kosher salt it is 1 cup regular salt to 1 gallon mixture. One other change was extending the brine time up to 24 hours.

After finishing the brining, pat the turkey dry. Rub it with butter and/or oil (olive or corn have been my preferrence). Place it breast side down in the roasting pan in a 325 degree oven. Baste twice in 2 hours. Flip Turkey over. Baste every 30 minutes. When breast and thighs get up to internal 150 degrees, baste one last time and turn up over to 425 for thirty minutes.

It should be at 170 Breast and 175-180 Thigh temp now.

Here is the original recipe:

1 15 pound WHOLE TURKEY, (not self-basting or kosher) thawed, giblets and neck removed
2 Pounds ** 2 cups table salt OR 4 cups (Diamond Crystal) kosher salt
2 Gallons ** cold water
4 Cups brown sugar, * SEE NOTE
1/2 Cup dried rosemary leaves
1/2 Cup dried thyme leaves
1 Small onion, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, peeled & cut into 1-inch chunks
1 Small stalk celery, cut into 1-inch chunks
4-6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


1. Rinse turkey in cool water.
2. In a very large clean container (non-corrosive pan or stockpot such as stainless steel or glass or a food-grade plastic container), mix salt and water together until salt dissolves. Stir in brown sugar and spices, mix well until sugar dissolves.
3. Totally submerge poultry in solution and store, covered, in refrigerator for 8 hours. Since brining does not preserve meat, the turkey must be kept below 40 degrees F throughout the entire brining process.
4. Remove turkey from brine. Discard brine. Thoroughly rinse turkey under a slow stream of cool water, rubbing gently to release salt, both inside and out. Pat skin and both interior cavities dry.
5. In the cavity of turkey, place onion, carrot, and celery.
6. Brush turkey with melted butter.
7. Roast turkey, breast side down, in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 2 hours. During this time, baste legs and back twice with melted butter.
8. Remove turkey from oven and protecting your hands, grasp turkey with several layers of clean paper towels at both ends, and turn turkey, breast side up.
9. Return turkey to oven and continue to roast, basting twice with pan dripping. Continue to roast until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F in the breast and 180 degrees F in the thigh. NOTE: A brined turkey cooks slightly faster than an unbrined turkey, so check the internal temperature frequently.
10. Remove turkey from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes before carving.
11. * NOTE: Other combinations of herbs may be added including 6-8 bay leaves, 3 cloves garlic, and 2 teaspoons black peppercorns. Or a spicy flavor may be achieved by the addition of 1 cup small dried red chile peppers.
12. ** NOTE: The ratio of water to salt is appropriate for a 15-pound turkey. If a larger or smaller turkey is brined, please calculate accordingly.

[lostandfound]

Ok, now I want turkey!! Thanks for asking Joanne. And thanks for the recipe Kent!!

Hugs,Tammy

[softnred]

Thank you Kent!!!!

I'm gonna brine this weekend!!! :nod

[ExoticIsle]

Kent: Thanks for the recipe! But 4 cups brown sugar????? Surely with that much in the brine a lot of carbs must be seeping into the turkey, no? I've brined before using just salt water and some herbs and it tasted great. I'd love to try the brown sugar as I'm sure it would give the turkey a sweet savory flavor but don't you get lots of carbs from it, too?

[softnred]

Kent: Thanks for the recipe! But 4 cups brown sugar????? Surely with that much in the brine a lot of carbs must be seeping into the turkey, no? I've brined before using just salt water and some herbs and it tasted great. I'd love to try the brown sugar as I'm sure it would give the turkey a sweet savory flavor but don't you get lots of carbs from it, too?

That's the original recipe, before Kent altered it. If you read in my first post, I mention the one that he's used in the past: 2 cups kosher salt, 2 gallons water, and peppercorns.... :nod No sugar used!!!

[Kent]

Nope, no sugar in my brine... I am not sure why you add sugar to a brine other than to cut the perhaps saltiness (although that has never been a problem outside the wings). I'd go poor using that much Splenda too.

[ExoticIsle]

Thanks for the clarification. My brother-in-law first told us about brining and now I wouldn't do a turkey without it. We do just the turkey breast since there's only the two of us and both like only the white meat. I've never had a moister more flavorful piece of turkey than a brined breast. YUM!