This year the mission was to make the juiciest turkey ever. Have you heard this one? " I don't really like turkey, it's too dry." You may have also heard the last turkey was dry on top, moist at the leg and thighs, but not too flavorful. Here at Sweat Nation, we're not about that eating something less desirable life. Life is too precious for all that noise.
This time we brought three recipes together to create what was a hit for our family thanksgiving dinner.
The research was done and the conclusion was that brining the turkey the day before produces the juiciest most succulent turkey. I looked around for recipes and what I found is that many people buy the brine pre-made. Since here at Sweat Nation we think we can make anything better than some pre-made concoction and love learning to make our food from scratch, the decision was to come up with a homemade brine recipe. It was so simple to make and yes, the end product was absolutely flavorful and worth the wait.
All you basically do is bring some vegetables to a boil with herbs, coconut sugar, and salt. Let is simmer for an hour, allow it to cool, and then soak your turkey submerged in this brine for 12-24 hours. It is as simple as that. Then rinse your turkey, dry it, fill it with aromatics, truss it, baste it and Spatchcock it!
You can see the turkey came out wonderful! This Homemade Turkey Brine Recipe is something that I want to share with you, it truly is that good.
Here's What You Need...
Homemade Turkey Brine Recipe
Ingredients
5 quarts of filtered water
1 cup of coconut sugar
4 bay leaves
4 carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
12 peppercorns
1 lemon quartered
1 cup of Himalayan salt ( sea salt works well too)
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 cloves of peeled garlic
1 teaspoon of ground allspice
4 sprigs of fresh sage leaves
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a large stockpot and bring to a boil.
Reduce to the lowest setting on heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
Turn off heat, allow the stock to cool to room temperature.
Strain out vegetables and herbs and add brine back to a large stockpot.
Add turkey into the stockpot. If the turkey is not submerged under the brine, add more water. Cover with lid.
Place stockpot in the refrigerator and allow the turkey to soak in brine for 12-24 hours.
Drain the brine and rinse the turkey well inside and out. Pat turkey dry and it's time to roast your turkey!
Now To Spatchcock Turkey
Step 1: Cut Out the Backbone - Start with the turkey breast-side down. Use scissors or knife to cut along both sides of the backbone, beginning at the tail end. If you hit a tough spot, try cutting with just the tip of the shears.
Step 2: Open Turkey - Set aside backbone (and giblets) for stock. Take hold of both newly cut edges, and open the turkey. Remove any large pieces of fat. Turn the turkey breast-side up.
Step 3: Break the Breastbone - Place your hand on one side of the breast, close to the breastbone, and push down firmly until you hear a crack. Repeat on the other side. (For better leverage as you work, stand on a step stool.)
Step 4: Flatten Turkey - Pull the thighs outward so the turkey lies flat, with the wings facing inward. Tuck the wing tips under to secure.
Step 5: Brush with Oil and Roast - Place the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet. Let stand for 30 minutes. Use a basting brush to apply the oil mixture.
INGREDIENTS
For Turkey:
1 whole turkey (we used a 13 lb turkey)
4 cups bone broth
For Honey Turmeric Glaze:
4 tablespoons grass-fed butter
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon of sea salt
4 tablespoons grass-fed butter, cut into slices
4 rosemary sprigs
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Begin by thawing the turkey according to package directions.
Preheat the oven to 325 °F and move the oven rack to the bottom. Remove giblets and rinse the entire turkey with cool water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Place the turkey into a roasting pan on rack. Neatly position wings behind turkey.
Place sprigs of rosemary in the cavity of the turkey. Mix together sage, thyme, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
Use fingers to lift the skin of the turkey near the thighs and rub grass-fed butter underneath as well as on top. Next, rub dry seasoning under the skin and all over the top of the turkey. Pour turkey stock into the pan.
Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone. Place turkey in the oven and let it cook 1 hour, uncovered.
Carefully remove the turkey from the oven. Baste turkey with stock. If you find that the stock has evaporated, add 2 cups of stock to the pan, allow it to mix with the drippings, and then baste as normal.
Tent the turkey with aluminum foil and return to the oven.
Continue to cook the turkey, basting every 30 minutes until the thermometer reaches 165°F degrees. Cooking time will vary with the size of the turkey (the rule of thumb is 15 minutes per pound).
Melt grass-fed butter for a glaze over medium/low heat, stir in honey, turmeric, garlic, and sea salt until smooth. Use a basting brush to cover turkey with glaze. Return turkey to the oven for 20 minutes, uncovered.
Allow turkey to rest 20 minutes before carving.
Glistening skin and juicy meat will be waiting for you on the other side of this delicious recipe.
Comments