The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey: Brined

By JoyT

Brining means marinating the bird overnight (8 to 12 hours) in salt water. The brine moisturizes the meat, adding flavor as well. Brining expedites cooking time, usually by 20 to 30 minutes. The key to brining is not to overdo it. Too much salt or excessive soaking will give the turkey the unnatural texture and flavor of commercial lunch meat
The turkey needs to be totally covered with liquid and kept under the brine water for at least 8-9 hours, or overnight. The bird must be covered at least 2" with brine at all times. I use a gallon plastic milk container of ice to keep the bird submerged. I use a turkey that is almost frozen, just thawed enough to get the giblets out, and a lot of ice in the container, and 2 gallon milk containers of frozen ice on top to weight it down, when I leave it out. Fill a cleaned, gallon milk container, with water, leaving 2-3 inches at the top for expansion, put a plate over the turkey and weight it down with the gallon jug of ice. When we make this, it is usually very cold (40? or less) or snowy outside, so we can leave it outside, in a car, so the critters can't get at it over night.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon jug (old milk container), cleaned well.
• Fill with water and freeze the day before needed.
• 12 pound turkey
• 1 1/4 cups kosher salt
• 1 quart hot water
• 3 quart ice cold water
• 1 quart ice cubes
• 1 medium onion -- thinly sliced
• Add as many or as little of the following ingredients as you care for. The salt and water are the most important ingredients anyway.
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 10 peppercorns
• 5 bay leaves
• 4 strips lemon zest
• 2 Cloves
• 6 drops Liquid Smoke
• 1 or 2 sliced Oranges and lemons or limes

Details

Adapted from thecoveredbiscuit.com

Preparation

Step 1

The night before, unwrap the fresh or thawed turkey, remove the giblets from the main and front cavity, and wash the bird inside and out.

Make the brine in a deep plastic or porcelain bucket. Don't use metal, for best results. I use a large, round plastic picnic water cooler. In a pinch, you could line a stockpot with a clean plastic garbage bag.

Mix the salt and 1 quart hot water in the brining container, and whisk until salt crystals are dissolved. Whisk in ice cold water mixed with ice cubes. Mix in all remaining ingredients. The mixture should be very cool or cold, definitely not room temperature, before adding the turkey. If the mixture is warm, let it cool down using more ice cubes or put in the refrigerator.

Place the turkey into the container, breast side down. Fill with more ice water to cover bird, if needed, and mix well. The turkey needs to be totally covered at least 2-3 inches, with liquid and kept under the brine water. I cover the turkey with a plate and set a large plastic gallon milk container of ice on the plate to submerge the turkey. A half block of ice would work well.
Place the turkey in the refrigerator and let marinate overnight.

Before roasting, rinse the turkey inside and out.

I still cook my turkey in the oven in a roasting bag. Just follow the direction on the package. You can roast your turkey in whatever manner you usually follow.

TO GRILL YOUR TURKEY

Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in center and toss the wood chips on the coals. If using a gas grill, place the wood chips in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium. If using a smoker, light and set it up according to the manufacturer's instructions and preheat to 275?.
Place the turkey on the grate over the drip pan away from the fire. Brush with melted butter. Indirect grill until cooked, 2 ½ to 3 hours. (Use an instant read thermometer to test for done-ness. The turkey is ready when the thigh meat is 180 degrees.) If using a charcoal grill, replenish the coals and wood chips every hour. Baste the turkey with melted butter every hour. If the skin starts to brown too much, tent the bird with foil. On a kettle grill, you'll probably need to tent the sides closest to the piles of coals. If using a smoker, you'll need to cook the bird about 3-1/2 to 4 hours.

Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Serve