Lee's Marketplace is taught FOX13's Morgan Saxton two ways to prepare a Thanksgiving day turkey.
Spatchcock:
Spatchcocking is a simple and effective technique of breaking down your turkey.
Rory from Trager Grill showed Morgan the tools needed and how to prepare.
Be sure to season the turkey above and below the skin. This helps the meat absorb the flavor.
There are different methods to cook a turkey including smoked and roasted.
Brining:
Submerge the turkey for 24 to 36 hours before roasting or smoking. Give it a good spa treatment to help retain more moisture during cooking.
The salt in the brine helps dissolve a bit of the protein in the muscle fibers and allows the meat to absorb the brine retaining moisture during cooking.
Help season the meat with herbs and spices, especially the skin. Also dry brine a turkey by using a rub on the skin.
Try to use a turkey that has not been previously injected. Fresh turkey is best. Turkeys labeled 'Kosher' or 'Self Basting' are already brined.
Brining a turkey that is brined will add more salt to the turkey. Also, be sure to clear some fridge space to accommodate the turkey in the brine solution.
To make brine:
- Bring 1-quart of water to a boil
- Dissolve the salt in the boiling water
- Add the other seasonings to the saltwater mix
- Stir in the rest of the water to get the temperature to lukewarm. Do not place the turkey in the hot water
- Brine the Turkey for 12 to 36 hours covering the entire bird with the brine solution
- Keep the Turkey covered in the brine and refrigerated for the entire process
- Once brined, pat the Turkey Dry and roast as normal.
Keep in mind a brined Turkey will cook faster than normal. You can also stuff a brined turkey, just pay attention to the stuffing mix and add less salt.
You can still use the Turkey drippings to make gravy. Keep tasting the gravy to make sure you do not add too much salt.
