Need Great Turkey recipe

Uncle Milt

I am looking for a sure-fire, drop dead delicious recipe and instrutions for doing my Thanksgiving turkey on the BGE. Also, if the recipe includes soaking the bird in brine, could someone explain exactly what the soaking does for the bird?[p]Thanks.[p]Milt

Bordello

Uncle Milt,
I let others help with the turkey recipe but here is some information on brine.
New Bob[p]
[ul][li]Brining 101[/ul]

BlueSmoke

New Bob,
The very first step in brining is to make sure you have a container large enough to hold bird and brine, as well as a means to keep it cold.
My most recent bird was too large to fit in any container that would fit into the icebox. I improvised by filling a Reynolds (brand) cooking bag with bird-and-brine and sealing it. I put that in an ice chest 3/4 full of ice, poured in water till the bag started to float. I closed the lid and walked away. 24 hours later about half of my ice was left, so I reckoned I'd stayed below 40º the entire time.

Bordello

BlueSmoke,
Yes, that is the same way I do my chicken and turkeys. I have some very large food safe plastic bags, put the bird in and the brine in the bag, I lift it up and give the bag a few spins and put a tie around the bag. I put a few of those blue plastic things you can keep in the freezer and ice cube to top it off. Never a problem, bird is always as cold as can be.
Cheers,
New Bob

BlueSmoke

New Bob,
I gave up trying to find inexpensive food-grade bags - that's why I resorted to the ones I use. More expensive, but I don't use that many.
Ken

mollyshark

New Bob,[p]I don't remember who gave me this last year, but I did our Turkeyday bird with it and it was to die for. I had a bunch of non-turkey people over and they swooned. The best bird I've ever had. I just don't see any way of getting it better.
[ul][li]THE BEST TURKEY[/ul]

TRex

mollyshark,[p]Thanks for the recipe! But, how long did you brine your turkey? The recipe says 2-4 days, which seems like a large range to me. I've also read brining recipes that say not to brine for more than 24 hours. Also, what dome temp and how long did you cook the turkey? I assume you used some type of indirect setup with a v-rack. Thanks!

rose

Uncle Milt,
I use this recipe and some of my friends that don't like turkey like this. It is also great with a whole chicken. Cook a whole chicken with some of the recipes you collect before you do the big turkey. That way there won't be any surprizes on thanksgiving.[p] Title: Cajun Turkey
Categories: Poultry


12-20 lb Turkey
6 Tbs Salt
2 Ttbs ea. Creole Seasoning
Frenches Mustard
Worcestershire Sauce
Cayenne Pepper.
1 Ttbs ea. Celery Salt,Garlic Powder,
Onion Powder And Lemon Pepper
[p]Put all ingredients in a quart jar and fill it to 3/4 full of
boiling water. Let stand for 1 hour. Filter through cheesecloth. If you
don't have cheesecloth use panty hose. Reserving the solids.Then inject
the liquid into the turkey. Rub the solids on the turkey inside and out.[p]Refrigerate from 24 to 48 hours. Then put on the egg @ 325 untill the internal temp is 170[p]

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[p][p]

Bordello

mollyshark,
Another great recipe to print out.
Thanks,
New Bob

Unknown

Just out of curiosity, why is it that no one ever asks for a common ol', run-of-the-mill, mediocre, just OK, commonplace, kinda good recipe? Notice how everyone wants the best in the solar system? ;~)[p]Well, I guess I'm just like alla them. So, just send them
winners: when only the best will do![p]Pete

sdbelt

Uncle Milt,[p]All of your questions are answered here:[p]http://www.foodtv.com/recipes/re-c1/0,6255,8865,00.html[p]Just substitute Egg for Oven throughout the destructions and you'll be good to go. I've followed this recipe several times, and if my family is to be believed, it's the best turkey they've ever had.[p]I just pre-ordered my free range bird yesterday, which will be my first ever. Can't wait.[p]--sdb

sdbelt

TRex,[p]As I understand it, a brine should eventually come to equilibrium between the meat and the brine, so after a certain amount of time, it really would matter if you went longer. 24 hours should be long enough, but for a really big bird, or one that maybe was still slightly frozen, longer would be necessary. [p]I can't imagine needing more than 2 days, however.[p]--sdb

sdbelt

BlueSmoke,[p]I've used a 3 gallon bucket for a whole turkey, and I've used an 8-pack cooler chest for turkey breasts. In both cases, I now have a second fridge which does the keeping color honors, but originally I just kept that 3 gallon bucket topped off with plenty of ice. [p]If it were ever actually cold in AZ around T-Giving, I could just put it outside, but we never get that lucky. Just putting the bucket in a cooler full of ice, and topped off would be fine around here with 70 degree temps, as long as it wasn't sitting in direct sun.[p]--sdb

Marvin

BlueSmoke,
Up here in the northland, the garage is usually below forty; makes for a big refrigerator.

mollyshark

TRex,[p]Actually I brined it about 24 hours or so. No more than that for sure. Cooked at 325...pretty much oven directions/time. V-rack (tried to put it on an upright but WAAAY too big. Had a baking sheet underneath to catch drippings. Probably poured a bottle of beer in the baking sheet just because I have a tendency to pour bottles of beer in almost anything, including myself![p]Lord it was good. Not changing a thing this year. Small turkey maybe. I did a 22 pounder last year for 5 people! LOL. It was....so excessive! Sometimes I have these little fits.

Unknown

mollyshark,[p]Did you do this with indirect heat or just the baking sheet and beer?[p]Kim Cravens