Home  |   Accessories  |  Brines  |  Cook Times  |  Dictionary  |  Egg Wash  |  Frosting  |  Measures  |  My BBQ  |  Sauces
Brine Turkey
Serves 4
Alternative Ingredients are listed in Red

Qty Size Ingredient
For the brine:
1 cup Kosher Salt
½ cup Brown Sugar
1 gal Vegetable Stock
16 cubes Wyler's Vegetable Bullion
¼ oz Whole Black Pepper Corns
1 tsp Course Ground Pepper
½ oz Allspice Berries
1 tbls Allspice Powder
1 oz Candied Ginger
1 tbls Powdered Ginger
med Granny Smith Apple
med Macintosh Apple
1 gal Ice Water
 
Aromatics for Can:
1 22 oz Can Foster Lager
1 #4 Can of Juice, Fruit, Pop or other sweet liquid
½ med Granny Smith Apple
½ med Macintosh Apple
1 small Sweet Onion
1 tbls Cinnamon Powder
1 lg Cinnamon Stick
4 sprigs Rosemary
1 tbls Dried Rosemary
6 leaves Sage
1 tsp Powdered Sage


Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil.  Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, add ½ of the can of beer (or whatever you wish to use; soda, fruit juice, etc.) and then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Late the night before cooking, combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket.  Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine.  Make sure turkey is completely submerged.  Cover and refrigerate, or set in cool area (like a basement or garage), overnight.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Discard brine.  Rub entire surface of turkey with olive oil (about ½ cup).  If you have a favorite rub for BABIES (or see "Brewmeister Chicken"), this would be the time.

Remove the entire top of a 22 oz can of Foster's Lager* (or whatever you will be using).  Chop remaining apples into small chunks and place in the can along with the rest of the "Aromatic" ingredients.  The can should end up completely full again.  Place can up into the cavity of the bird so that it is squatting upright with its legs out in front of it forming a tripod (see image below).

Personally, I would BBQ this puppy for 4 or 5 hours with lots of smoke (see "Brewmeister Chicken").  But, if you're not ready for that, or your BBQ can't handle a turkey, read on.

Roast on cookie sheet on the lowest level of the oven at 500° for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350°.  Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees.  A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting.  Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

* A normal beer can works great for a chicken.  The 22 oz Foster's Lager can is bigger around as well as taller, just right for a turkey.


Griffin Logo