Lori's Awesome Turkey! Brining & Roasting Tips

It's almost turkey time!! So here is my recipe for the perfect turkey. I had been hearing everyone talking about brining a turkey but had never tried it. I even heard some mixed reviews from people. Watching Food Network and looking online proved to me there were no two brine recipes. So I came up with my own brine and have made THE juiciest most flavorful turkeys ever since. There are 2 parts that must stay the same, water and Kosher salt. You can add more or less of anything depending on your tastes. Please make sure your turkey is thoroughly defrosted if you have a frozen one. Never use warm or hot water to defrost your turkey unless you want to make everyone sick as hell. No, I have never made anyone sick. I rock at Thanksgiving dinner!!! I would like to thank Martha Stewart and Alton Brown for helping me to make a kick ass turkey.

Ingredients
   
        ~ 2 cups of Kosher salt
        ~ 4-6 large twigs of rosemary
        ~ ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
        ~ ¼ cup soy sauce ( I use low sodium)
        ~ 2T black pepper
        ~ 2T lemon juice
        ~ 1/3 cup brown sugar
        ~ 2 containers of chicken or vegetable stock
        ~ ice or ice packs (optional)
        ~ Water

Directions

      1. Combine all ingredients into a large pot. Cook until all salt is dissolved.

      2. Set pot aside to cool.

       3. Remove neck + giblet packets from turkey (I forgot to do this on the first turkey I ever made. Whoops!) and rinse thoroughly with cold water. It must be cold! Never use hot or warm water on poultry. It causes salmonella.

       4. Once brine is cold place turkey into it. Add water till turkey is covered. If pot does not fit in your fridge place in a cool location and add ice along with the water to keep mixture chilled. (I put mine outside in the trunk of my car. Don't want critters getting at it.) In a pinch you can use ice packs. Double zip lock baggie them just to be on the safe side. You do not want any of the gel inside to leak out.
   
       5. Cover and set aside for 24 hours. Rotate the turkey half way thru for even brining. Yes, this means that this should all be done the morning before you will be actually cooking the bird.

       6. Remove turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly with cold water, inside and out. Pat dry.

  Tips for a perfectly browned turkey. Make sure wings are tucked under the turkey. This way they will not burn. Baste with melted butter or canola oil. Cook turkey at 500 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Reduce oven to 350 at this point. Soak 3 layers of cheese cloth in melted butter and place on top of turkey. Pour any remaining butter over the cheesecloth covered turkey. I think I used about 2 1/2 sticks. Cover the turkey with foil to keep skin from burning and bird from drying out. Cover just the breast. Breast meat cooks faster than dark meat. I shape the foil before I put the bird in the oven so the oven isn't open long and I'm not playing with a super hot turkey. Do not open the door of the oven unnecessarily!! This will only fluctuate the temperature and screw up cooking times, which may cause your turkey to become dry. The brining and the buttered cheese cloth will make for a juicy turkey, no basting necessary I promise. Stuffing the turkey also promotes uneven cooking and drying. I put a cup of white wine in the cavity then fill the rest with rosemary twigs. (Yes, the photo shows stuffing in the bird. I did it that time per request of my roomy. I find better results with aromatics.) You can put any aromatics in the bird you like. Check for recipes online or make up your own. I also use a thermometer to cook my bird to the right temp. Deep in the breast should be about 160-170 degrees. Juices should run clear when cut into.
Don't ask me about gravy. I get it from a jar. I add some pan juices to it to make it appear homemade. I can't do everything! Hope you have a great Thanksgiving and an awesome bird!!!