Wednesday, November 15, 2017



I Love cooking on Special Days, Thanksgiving is one of those DAYS...I have cooked many a Turkeys and tried a few different methods. I think I have found that I like brining. I have use a wet brine and though I like it the Turkey does not get that golden brown color I like to see. So I am sharing a recipe I found and use....It's perfect!!!

This turkey dry brine recipe has just a touch of orange and maple mixed with the traditional Thanksgiving flavors.  I love it so much! So this year if you facebook me, you live near....tell me you want a jar and I will deliver it to you!!! I am making it in the next few days, grew all the herbs, garlic and onions. If you want to Gobble and Wobble in great taste, try it!!!

Dry brining simply means pre-salting with salt and/or other herbs and seasonings. There’s no water or liquid involved and no mess.

The salt helps draw out the moisture. Then that moisture dissolves the salt crystals. And this is where the magic happens: the now dissolved salt, moisture and seasonings get reabsorbed back into the meat all the way down to the bone. The salt helps break down the tightly woven proteins resulting in the most tender, moist meat. And the seasonings get infused throughout the whole bird. You won’t want to make a turkey (or chicken) any other way once you try it!

Dry Brining benefits include:
  • far more flavorful than any other method 
  • crispy golden brown skin and moist, tender meat 
  • less mess compared to a wet brine 
  • no fancy equipment 
  • super easy 
  • turkey is prepped and ready to go for the big day 

Recipe: Dry Brine Turkey Mix. A touch of orange and maple added to the traditional Thanksgiving flavors is a delight to the tastebuds!

Ingredients

¼ cup coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon maple sugar ( because it adds a touch of wonderful maple flavor, but if you can’t find it, you can use brown sugar or coconut sugar.
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder


Instructions
Mix all the ingredients together.

How to Use Dry Brine:
*Use 1 tablespoon of dry brine for every 5 pounds of meat* Pat dry the outside and inside of the turkey. Then season the entire outside and inside cavity using the dry brine. Don't forget to loosen some of the skin and season directly on the meat, too, especially on the breasts.
Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 hours up to 72 hours (the more time it sits in the fridge, the more flavorful it will be, but you'll still get a really great tasting bird even if you do the minimum time)
When you're ready to cook, pat dry the outside of the turkey and cook using any method you prefer. I like the long and slow oven roasting method: 325 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes per pound.


Notes

If you are not stuffing your turkey, add the orange you used for your orange zest to the cavity! I also like to add in an onion, a few cloves of garlic and a handful of fresh rosemary, thyme and sage. SO YUM!

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