THE BEST TURKEY BRINE
This is our go-to brine for turkey. It's simple, flavorful and most importantly leaves you with a succulent, juicy, perfectly-seasoned bird. It's also perfect for chicken, pork chops, Cornish game hens - you name it. While we like the combination of thyme and sage, you can also use other hearty herbs such as rosemary, oregano or marjoram.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories condiment
Time 10m
Yield 12 to 14 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Combine 1/2 cup salt, the sugar and 1 quart water in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the peppercorns, thyme, sage and lemon strips. Let steep and cool to room temperature.
- Pour the brine into a large stockpot or bucket and add 3 quarts cold water. Remove the neck and giblets (reserve for gravy) from the turkey and put it into the brine, pushing it down to cover. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Remove the turkey from the brine; rinse and pat dry. Cook according to your favorite method.
TURKEY BRINE AND INJECTION MARINADE
I have been playing with this recipe for awhile, and I know it's is too late for the holidays this year, but there's always next year, and it's good for fried or smoked or barbecued turkey at any time of year. It's also good for chicken or a pork loin... just divide in half, or make a full batch and refrigerate half for next time. Prep time does not include 24+ hours brining time or cooking time.
Provided by Toby Jermain
Categories Whole Turkey
Time 1h
Yield 10-12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- You will also need 1 Ice chest just large enough to hold the bird, brine, and ice (not too big, bird must be submerged) and 1 Brine injector (preferred), or a large (50+cc) hydodermic with large diameter needle.
- Stir salt and sugar into boiling water until completely dissolved.
- Add remaining ingredients, except olive oil, and allow to set for at least 30 minutes for flavors to develop.
- Taste; brine will be very salty; thats why it is called brine.
- Adjust any or all ingredients to your taste, keeping in mind that tastes should be quite assertive.
- Thoroughly blend everything in a food processor or blender.
- Whisk or blend in olive oil, and strain about half into a cup or bowl for injecting, returning all strained solids to the half to be used for brining.
- Thaw your turkey completely, if frozen.
- Better yet, get a fresh turkey that hasnt been injected with all of the artificial quote butter unquote stuff, so the only thing in the bird is what YOU put inside the bird!
- Remove and reserve the neck and innards for gravy making, or discard them if you are not a gravy freak.
- Wash the bird thoroughly inside and out, drain well, and pat dry with paper towels.
- Use a 2 ounce (about) brining injector or a BIG (50+ cc) hypodeemic nerdle to inject the bird with the strained brine.
- Inject in at least 3-4 sites on each side of the breast, 2-3 in each thigh, and 2-3 into the meaty part of each drumsticks, pushing the needle in deep and injecting about 1/3 of the brine deep, pulling the needle back about a third, injecting another third of the brine, and repeating after pulling the needle back another third of its length.
- Pour any remaining injection-brine with the half to be used for brining.
- Place 1 bag of ice in the bottom of the ice chest, place the turkey on top, and pour all of the brine over the turkey.
- Dump the remaining bag of ice over the turkey, and add enough very cold water to just cover the bird.
- Slosh things around enough to combine the brine with the additional water, ice, and the turkey, and make sure the brine gets into the turkey cavity.
- Close the ice chest, and set in a cool place to marinate.
- After about 7-8 hours, turn the turkey over, top to bottom, and do it again after another 7-8 hours.
- Add more ice only if everything melts; dont bother otherwise.
- After a total of at least 24 hours, you are ready to cook your bird any way you desire, stuffed or not stuffed, roasted, fried, nuked, whatever.
- Just be sure to drain the turkey well and pat it dry before cooking by your desired method.
- Throw away all of the brine, remaining ice, etc.
- ,and thoroughly wash your ice chest before using it for more legitimate purposes, such as storing beer and wine to go with your wonnerful turkey dinner.
- Notes: This marinade/brine can also be used for chicken or pork-- just half the recipe, and follow the general instructions using smaller amounts-- or make a full recipe of the brine/marinade and save half in the fridge for next time.
- If you are lucky enough to actually have a fridge large enough and empty enough to hold a turkey for a day or so, forget the ice chest and most of the ice, and brine your bird in a plastic bag large enough to hold the bird and brine, squeezing out all of the air, and just turn it over every 7-8 hours so things marinate evenly.
INJECTABLE BRINE FOR TURKEY/CHICKEN
My father loves injectable marinades but they are expensive and hard to find so I went on a search to see what recipes I could find for him.
Provided by Nyteglori
Categories Low Protein
Time 5m
Yield 1 cup
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Dissolve salt completely and use with marinade injector.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 257.6, Sodium 56593.6, Carbohydrate 69.8, Fiber 0.2, Sugar 69.6, Protein 0.2
CAJUN TURKEY INJECTION (BRINE)
Steps:
- Blend all of the dry ingredients then mix with the butter.
- Inject into the turkey prior to deep frying (the injector must have a discharge nozzle of at least 1/16th of an inch). This recipe is enough for 1 (10 to 12 pound) turkey.
BASIC BRINE FOR JUICY, TENDER CHICKEN OR TURKEY
I never make any sort of chicken/turkey without brining it first. Once you try this recipe, you won't either. This is my standard brine that I use most often. This allows me to add any flavoring, dry rub, or sauce to my chicken without competing with the brine flavors. The brining process forces water into the muscle tissues of the meat by a process known as diffusion and osmosis. This additional moisture causes the muscle tissues to swell and hold more water. The resulting water in the muscle tissues will make the meat more moist and tender. Any spices herbs or other flavorings you add to the brine solution will get taken deep into the meat with the water.
Provided by Brandess
Categories Chicken Breast
Time 5m
Yield 1 gallon
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Mix brine together well with a whisk.
- Place 1 whole chicken (thawed or frozen- you may also use chicken parts.) in brine for 2 hours up to over night. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
- Remove chicken from brine and rinse chicken well. You are now ready to make a tender juicy chicken dish of your choosing.
- NOTES: You can do this with turkey, as well. Also, you will notice that your leftovers, even after refrigerated overnight, are so tender and juicy whether eaten cold or reheated. The moisture retention really helps to make a chicken meal morph into a second meal when it holds its moisture. If doing a whole turkey, use the recipe servings changer to up the servings to 6-10. Put your turkey in an insulated cooler with enough water to cover and add in a 5 pound bag of ice. Brine overnight.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 557.6, Sodium 56741.4, Carbohydrate 143.9, Sugar 142.4, Protein 0.2
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