High Tide Aquatics

Smoked, brined turkey

patchin

patchin

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Mr Ugly posted his recipe sometime in the past. Sir, can you please post it again. Any other recipes? Thanksgiving is coming.
 
2.5 gallons water
1 cup sugar
1 cup salt

Wash and clean turkey(~13lb) of excess hunks of fat

Brine overnight.

Rinse the turkey, and season with coarse ground black pepper.

You can do other spices if you like. 5 spice on the outside, and some star anise, cilantro, green onions, and shaoxing wine inside for asian style. Or rosemary, sage, thyme for more traditional.

Grill indirect on a 22" weber for 1 hour 15 minutes.

For a 16-18 lb turkey, go for 1 hour 20 minutes and check.

For the charcoal, use Kingsford briquets. You get more charcoal and less clay filler. Use enough charcoal to cover the bottom grate. Pile up to one side, soak with charcoal fluid, and light. Let it burn for about 15 minutes. Then separate into 2 piles on opposite sides of the grill. After another 15 minutes, the charcoal should be just ashed over and white.

Set the turkey in the center of the grill. Top and bottom vents should be wide open. Throw some wood chips on the charcoal. Don't soak the chips unless you like wet cigaratte smoke flavor.

Some people like to put spices in the brine, but I don't think that adds anything by the time everything is grilled.
 
So you smoke at a high temp? I usually use a green egg style smoker and smoke around 225 degrees. Prob take a little longer than 80 minutes :bigsmile:
 
I usually like to quick grill turkeys. It's all about the crunchy fat skin :D

At 225, it'll definately take a lot longer than 80 minutes.
 
I like using that brine recipe with strong beer instead of water for pork sausage.

Scale down the recipe so you're not using 2.5 gallons of beer. Unless you're a homebrewer and need to finish off a keg.

Use something like Pyramid Snowcap for the brine. Cut some pork butt into 2" cubes, and brine overnight.

Grind it up and season with whatever you like for making kielbasa or bratwurst. Stuff the sausage casings and grill. Way better than sausages simmered in beer.
 
Btw, on the salt... noniodized is recommended. The iodine can give a weird taste.

Or else use Kosher salt, but 2x the amount since it's kind of fluffy. Regular plain salt is perfectly fine, and cheaper though.
 
FWIW. If you are looking to deep fry a turkey, I typically will inject the turkey under the skin with a cuban mojo sauce (consists of essentially vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and some other seasonings) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojo_(sauce) , then brine the turkey overnight. Makes for an excellent moist turkey both deep fried ( my preferred method) or in the oven.
 
Never been a big fan of brined anything. I might be me, but I’ve never really tasted a difference that made the process worth the time and effort. Maybe I’m doing it wrong.

At our house I do a traditional stuffed turkey. The stuffing is a corn bread/sweet french bread dressing with sausage, apples, and dried cranberries. The turkey is salted and peppered inside and out, slathered in butter on the outside and then a layer of bacon across the top for the first ½ of cooking. Before it goes into the oven I inject brandy into the breast legs, and thighs and pour a 3 bottles of white wine into the bottom of the roasting pan for basting and gravy later on…..

Found the following recipe last year for sweet potatoes…..People went crazy for it and insisted it become tradition…..(I did add toasted shredded coconut to the top)

Sweet-Potato Coconut Purée

• 6 pounds medium sweet potatoes
• 1 cup well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Prick sweet potatoes in several places with a fork, then bake on a foil-lined baking sheet, rotating potatoes halfway through baking, until very soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, halve sweet potatoes and scoop flesh into a bowl.
Meanwhile, bring coconut milk, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Stir into warm sweet potatoes, then pulse in batches in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sweet-Potato-Coconut-Puree-350611

-Gregory
 
The brining makes the most noticeable difference in the white meat. I grill until the turkey just barely loses its pink color in the center.

I had a coworker that used to be a chef. I brought a brined and grilled turkey to a Christmas potluck. She didn't know who brought it. But after taking one bite she said, "A Chinese person made this turkey. Who brought this?"

It was just brine, pepper, charcoal, and hickory. No other seasonings. But it was pretty obvious to her.
 
Mr. Ugly said:
The brining makes the most noticeable difference in the white meat. I grill until the turkey just barely loses its pink color in the center.

I had a coworker that used to be a chef. I brought a brined and grilled turkey to a Christmas potluck. She didn't know who brought it. But after taking one bite she said, "A Chinese person made this turkey. Who brought this?"

It was just brine, pepper, charcoal, and hickory. No other seasonings. But it was pretty obvious to her.
Click to expand...

I'll give it another try with your recipe.......when turkeys are on sale this time of year I put 5 or 6 in the freezer for the rest of the year and try different variations.

-Gregory
 
GDawson said:
Mr. Ugly said:
The brining makes the most noticeable difference in the white meat. I grill until the turkey just barely loses its pink color in the center.

I had a coworker that used to be a chef. I brought a brined and grilled turkey to a Christmas potluck. She didn't know who brought it. But after taking one bite she said, "A Chinese person made this turkey. Who brought this?"

It was just brine, pepper, charcoal, and hickory. No other seasonings. But it was pretty obvious to her.
Click to expand...

I'll give it another try with your recipe.......when turkeys are on sale this time of year I put 5 or 6 in the freezer for the rest of the year and try different variations.

+1 I do the same thing.

-Gregory
Click to expand...
 
Saw some ducks at Ranch 99 yesterday - $1.99/lb

Those are good on the grill too.

Wash and dry.

Rub with 5 spice powder and salt.

Fill the cavity with green onions, a big wad of cilantro, ginger, star anise, some soy sauce and shaoxing wine.

Grill indirect for 40 minutes.

You can cook 2 at a time in a 22" Weber.
 
Oh man, I seriously might go pick up some duck for this weekend then.

Seeing this thread after just barely scarfing down some jook for breakfast makes me want LUNCH
 
Duck is soooooo much better then chicken or turkey :)

DUCK FTW!!!
 
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