Have you ever brined a turkey?

[Judy in Texas 150]

I'm thinking about brining a turkey for Thanksgiving. Does anyone have a tried and true recipe?

Thanks

[ftwildernessguy 778]

No, but I have heard this is delicious.

[SCTigerCock 171]

Not a turkey, but we brine chicken before oven frying it. Delish!

We use 1 part salt to 1 part sugar and add hot peppers too. bring to a boil, let cool, then throw in the chicken to brine for 4-5 hours.

We rinse our chicken after coming out of the brine otherwise it is to salty.

Check out Food Network, Alton Brown has a great receipe that we started with and then adapted.

[Judy in Texas 150]

Thanks. Here is the link:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html

I'm not much of a rosemary or ginger person. The rest sounds good. Did you try doing the "aromatics" part of the recipe?

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

My Big Green Egg cookbook has a recipe for brining a turkey, but I haven't tried it yet. Everything I've made out of the book is excellent though. It's an apple-brine but does have ginger. Let me know if you want it, and I'll post it.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

No I usually fry them. I injected them with a Cajun butter and its awesome. Once it wouldn't stop raining so I roasted in the oven and it was super moist.

[Judy in Texas 150]

I saw jars of Cajun Butter at Academy yesterday. Do you make your own or do you use a store-bought product?

[ftwildernessguy 778]

My Big Green Egg cookbook has a recipe for brining a turkey, but I haven't tried it yet. Everything I've made out of the book is excellent though. It's an apple-brine but does have ginger. Let me know if you want it, and I'll post it.

How do you like the big green egg?

[SCTigerCock 171]

I'm not much of a rosemary or ginger person. The rest sounds good. Did you try doing the "aromatics" part of the recipe?

We aren't rosemary or ginger peeps either. We prefer hot spices and garlic.

We've fried before too. You can make your own seasoned butter to inject if you want. We do.

[Judy in Texas 150]

My Big Green Egg cookbook has a recipe for brining a turkey, but I haven't tried it yet. Everything I've made out of the book is excellent though. It's an apple-brine but does have ginger. Let me know if you want it, and I'll post it.

That would be great if it's not too much trouble. I tried researching it but couldn't find a Big Green Egg recipe with anything related to apple in it.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

How do you like the big green egg?

It is AMAZING! My husband wanted one for years, and I finally surprised him with one last year. I call it the best present I ever bought myself. LOL. We use it 3-4 times a week. They are expensive, but totally worth it because you can do so much on it. He's making ribs now, and afterward I'm going to make peach cobbler on it. It will be my first dessert!

[ftwildernessguy 778]

The price held me back. If I am spending that kind of jack for a grill, it better be good.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

That would be great if it's not too much trouble. I tried researching it but couldn't find a Big Green Egg recipe with anything related to apple in it.

Not at all! I'm about to make peach cobbler, so I actually have the book right next to me. This is a recipe for a 12-14 turkey, so adjust the amounts based on your bird size.

2 quarts apple juice

1 lb brown sugar

1 cup kosher salk

3 quarts water

3 oranges, quartered

4 oz fresh ginger sliced thin

15 whole cloves

6 bay leaves

6 large crushed garlic cloves

Combine apple juice, brown sugar, and salt in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Boil 1 minute and bring to room temp. Once room temp, add remaining ingredients. Brine in fridge for 24 hours.

They don't say to rinse it. They do say you can adjust whatever seasoning as long as you keep the water, salt, and sugar about the same.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

The price held me back. If I am spending that kind of jack for a grill, it better be good.

I was skeptical, but it's worth it. We haven't used our gas grill a single time since we got it. I guess we need to craigslist it. The egg heats up about as fast, and the flavor is out of this world good.

[Judy in Texas 150]

Thanks Kelly. I think the apple juice sounds good. Here's a similar one I found on The Pioneer Woman website:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/my-favorite-turkey-brine/

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

We have brined with great success. I think we used Alton's recipe and personalized it some.

Jim, my friend got her husband the Green Egg and he is crazy about it. I can tell you I love to eat with them when he's using it!

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

I saw jars of Cajun Butter at Academy yesterday. Do you make your own or do you use a store-bought product?

I buy it at Walmart. I think it's the same one at Academy. Green, yellow colored label?

[SCCamper 5]

I brine a turkey every year for Thanksgiving. I use a honey brine recipe from Alton Brown then cover it with a homemade rub. It the goes in the smoker for several hours using either hickory or apple wood. Always comes out great.

[BouncingTiggers 98]

We brine our turkey also.  I have no idea what the recipe is, but cooking it on the grille is unbelievably good.  

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I don't brine a turkey for Thanksgiving, but I do pickle my liver.