Dave's turkey Brine

Well, first a confession: I blog so infrequently that I entered several incorrect passwords and had to re-verify my identity and reset my password before I could log in. I really should do this more often.

So ... on to more important matters. 

Dave's Turkey Brine Recipe

Back by popular demand!

 Listeners far and wide are clamoring for Dave’s Turkey Brine Recipe. So . . . here it is:

Brine:

1. 3/4 cup Kosher salt
2. 3/4 cup brown sugar
3. 1 gallon water
4. 1/4 cup coarse black pepper

Heat water/sugar/salt to rolling boil. Take off burner, add other ingredient. Allow mixture to cool before placing meat into solution.

Place 10-12 lb. turkey in non-reactive container (extra large zip lock or cooler) and cover with brine. Refrigerate for minimum of 24 hours, preferrably 48 hours.

Tip: Water is optional. Any liquids will do for brining; just
try to avoid acidic liquids. You can substitute some or all of the water with whatever your heart desires. Wine, beer, fruit juices (apple is especially good), or vinegars all make good liquid base for your brine.

Tip: You can add herbs and spices to the brine. Any herb,
spice, sweetener, fruit, vegetable will work; let your imaginations run wild!
Think of a brine as a soup, there can be a lot of complexity in soup or just simple ones.

Remove turkey from the refrigerator and discard brine. Rinse turkey three times, pat dry.

Now cook the turkey as you would normally. We sprinkled a little Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning on the bird and stuffed the cavity with orange slices and roasted in the oven. We did roast it breast side down until the last 20 minutes of cooking, then turned it breast side up for that final 20 minutes.

After cooking, remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest on the counter for about 15-20 minutes before carving.

Enjoy.

Dave