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Re: grilling a turkey for Thanksgiving
Wid #279104 11/14/09 09:34 PM
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Zarak Offline OP
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I have actually found a couple recipes where you can brine the entire turkey. You either need a 5 gallon pot to sit it in with the brine and put it all in the fridge, or more likely, a cooler filled with some ice and water to keep everything gold, but the turkey in a big plastic bag, fill the bag with the brine, seal tightly, and let the turkey sit in the cooler overnight.

The couple of brine recipes I've seen suggest the turkey could be a bit salty though. Do you have problems with this? I don't tend to use a lot of salt, so I'm wondering what this would do to it. I was thinking about a brine, but am steering away from the idea.

Maybe I'll get a smaller (not for thanksgiving) turkey sometime and try a brine.

Last edited by Zarak; 11/14/09 09:36 PM. Reason: brine question
Re: grilling a turkey for Thanksgiving
Zarak #279105 11/14/09 09:42 PM
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A brine should taste like ocean water....so yes it should be salty. I would also balance it with some sugar...also this is a good time to add extra flavour...bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme...you name it.

One tip is if you are brining a bird, after the brine period rinse out the cavity and the outside well with cold water to get rid of any excess salt and pat it complety dry with a paper towel. Wet meat cooks like crap, drying the meat=crispy, golden brown flavour.


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Re: grilling a turkey for Thanksgiving
BlueJays1 #279108 11/14/09 10:26 PM
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I did a brined turkey last year for the first time and got rave reviews. It was possibly the juiciest turkey I've ever had. I used an Alton Brown recipe from the Food Network site.


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Re: grilling a turkey for Thanksgiving
Joe_in_SC #279109 11/14/09 11:12 PM
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I like a lot of Alton Browns methods. His chicken wing method is brilliant. I also like his idea about marinating small cuts of meat such as beef/pork tenderloin while it is resting after it is cooked rather than marinating prior to cooking/raw. Knowing Alton Browns history I bet his brined turkey recipe is killer.


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Re: grilling a turkey for Thanksgiving
BlueJays1 #279119 11/15/09 12:17 AM
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OK, I couldn't stand all of this talk. I cooking a chicken on the rotisserie now.


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Re: grilling a turkey for Thanksgiving
terzaghi #279144 11/15/09 01:48 PM
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Nobody fries their turkey?


"A fanatic is someone who can't change his mind and won't change the subject" Churchill
Re: grilling a turkey for Thanksgiving
Argon #279150 11/15/09 04:57 PM
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We've been frying a turkey every year for a long time. Usually my brother in law fries one and does another in the smoker. No injuries so far, and only one fire (the window has been replaced and everything is fine now, thanks for asking).

I've tried doing a turkey in the charcoal kettle (Weber Performer) a couple of times but each time I try something bad (and unrelated) seems to happen to a family member so the cook gets interrupted. I have a spare turkey sitting in the freezer waiting for another attempt.


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Re: grilling a turkey for Thanksgiving
bridgman #279174 11/16/09 12:37 AM
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My wife's Aunt has a real antique log cabin out behind her house - one that her Uncle purchased, disassembled moved it to their house and reassembled. Complete with wood stove. Every year we do Thanksgiving in the cabin. 8 or 9 years ago the Uncle passed away close to Thanksgiving. To try and take everyone's mind off the passing, I announced that We would provide the turkey that year. So I showed up early on Thanksgiving with my fryer and made a big show out of cooking the turkey. That particular year, it happened to be a wild turkey (the breathing kind) that I had shot. Long story short, it sorta worked to lighten the mood but definately became an instant tradition. We have done it that way ever since.

Last edited by Argon; 11/16/09 12:37 AM. Reason: sp.

"A fanatic is someone who can't change his mind and won't change the subject" Churchill
Re: grilling a turkey for Thanksgiving
Argon #279175 11/16/09 01:27 AM
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 Originally Posted By: Argon
Nobody fries their turkey?

We've also been frying our turkeys for the past several years ... sans the fires or injuries so far. (knockin' on wood)


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Re: grilling a turkey for Thanksgiving
RickF #279195 11/16/09 12:00 PM
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Zarak Offline OP
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I've never had it that way, but it sounds like it takes something that is pretty healthy for you and makes it not so healthy.

Then again, it's hard to worry about eating healthy on Thanksgiving with all the food!

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