The holidays often bring memories to the forefront and for some it also is a time of loss. This year my family and I lost our family dog, Rhett Butler Woodward. He was a rescue pup formerly known as, “Sonic,” and our best friend.
My best memory is this Thanksgiving. It was the first year I did Thanksgiving by myself and Rhett ate his fill of turkey and dressing. We all ate more than we should have, but it tasted delicious. This recipe is inspired by my experience at the Biltmore Estate. We brined our turkeys and corned beef for at least 12 hours, applied a rub, and then baked it in a convection oven. My recipe is similar, but you can use your oven at home. This brine recipe uses many of the fresh herbs I grow in my garden at home and a bit of Sorghum, a rich syrup made of sugar cane. This brine has a complex flavor: a sweetness from the Sorghum and local honey, rosemary, thyme, and sage spice up the flavor, freshly sliced lemons and their juices leave you with a slightly sour note and black pepper finishes it nicely. Enjoy!
Braggin’ Rights Brined Turkey
This turkey is so good…you’ll have the braggin’ rights in the family. There’s only one downside. Don’t be surprised if you are assigned the important task of cooking the turkey every year! It’s THAT good!
Ingredients:
- 1 gal (gallon) water
- 1 gal Kosher salt
- 2 cups sorghum
- 1/2 cup local honey
- 1 qt chicken broth
- 1 bunch fresh Thyme, rinsed and trimmed
- 1 bunch fresh Rosemary, rinsed and trimmed
- 1/2 bunch fresh Parsley, rinsed and trimmed
- 2 lemons, sliced
- 1 Tbsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 14lb turkey, cleaned and trimmed
- 1 turkey bag
For Quick Rub:
- TT salt
- TT black pepper
- TT granulated garlic
- TT onion powder
- TT olive oil
Directions:
In a large stock pot, combine all ingredients and cook on low heat. Continue cooking until all ingredients have infused and the mixture becomes fragrant. Remove mixture from stovetop and cool completely. While mixture cools, prepare turkey and place in a Turkey Size oven bag. Place both into a large roasting pan. Once the mixture is finished cooling, pour it over the turkey inside the oven bag. The mixture will probably only cover half of the turkey. Tie bag and refrigerate for 6 hours minimum. In 6 hours, turn turkey over and brine the other side for 6 hours minimum. After brining, drain the brining liquid and apply rub. Place turkey (inside oven bag and roasting pan) in 350 degree F oven and bake for 3-4 hours or until golden brown. Internal temperature should be 180 degrees F, if checked in the thigh of the turkey. The turkey leg should be able to be removed easily if done.
