Thanksgiving Turkey - Brined

This year we are brining our Thanksgiving turkey. We used this recipe last year and everyone loved the way it turned out so why change a good thing?   I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman so you know it's going to be a winner.  She says this recipe will work for up to a 20 pound turkey so it was no problem for our little 12 pounder for 7 of us.  I will make this two days before Thanksgiving because it takes a day to cool and then a day for the turkey to brine.  You don't want to put the turkey into hot brine so leave lots of time for it to cool off.  Usually, overnight is good.   

3 cups apple juice or apple cider

2 gallons of cold water

4 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves

5 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cup kosher salt

2 cups brown sugar

3 Tbsp. peppercorns

5 whole bay leaves

peel of 3 large oranges

I love all these ingredients.

1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot.

2. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover.

3. Allow to cool completely, then pour into a large brining bag or pot.  Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 8-18 hours.  You may need to pull the bag tight to cover the whole turkey.  We use a clamp to tighten the bag.  If you don't have room in the fridge, you can put it in an ice chest. 

4. You may remove the turkey from the brine early even if you aren't ready to roast it.  Just refrigerate it for as long as two days (leaving uncovered for part of this time to give you a crisper skin.)  

5.  When removing the turkey from the brine, submerge it in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water.  Allow it to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside. Remove and thoroughly pat it dry with paper towel.  Let it sit in the refrigerator, uncovered in order to fully dry the surface. Discard brine and cook according to your normal roasting method. 

Thanksgiving turkey roasting method for an 18 pound turkey using the Traeger grill. 

 

1.  Start Traeger grill on Smoke with open lid for 5 minutes.

2.  Leave grill on Smoke and place turkey in a turkey pan and smoke for 3 hours.

3.  After 3 hours, put stuffing in the turkey.

4.  Switch setting to 350 degree F and cook for another 2-3 hours or until internal meat temperature reaches approximately 170 degrees. (It depends how cold the weather is; it cooks longer if colder weather)  Also, cover with aluminum foil to avoid the turkey from getting too dark. 

5.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and carving.

Happy Thanksgiving!