Never Fail Basic Brining Recipes

BASIC BRINE FOR SMOKING MEAT

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the salt, sugar and water. Whisk vigorously until all the salt and sugar is dissolved. Then pour this mixture over the meat, poultry, or fish that you are preparing. Soak for several hours, or overnight. (Note: Make certain the meat is fully submerged in the brine, and make more brine as needed to fully cover the meat.)

BASIC ALL PURPOSE BRINE FOR MEATS, CHICKEN, AND TURKEY

Steps:

• Makes 1 quart- make up additional amounts of brine if needed until meat is submerged.
• Stir ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Continue stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Allow to cool.
• Place meat or poultry in a food safe plastic bag inside another container for support and leakage control (oven roasting bags are a fine choice- NOT garbage bags).
• Pour cooled brine into bag, and squeeze out as much air as possible and seal with a twistie tie.
• Refrigerate for 3-4 hours for 3 pounds meat (such as pork ribs), 5-6 hours for a nice roasting hen, or 12-24 hours for a turkey, 12 hours being for a small one and the longer time for those turkeys around 20+ pounds.
• Discard brine before using and pat meat dry.
• If using poultry, you may want to add citrus fruit such as oranges or lemons, additional fresh herbs, or cloves of garlic into the cavity.
• Prepare meat as desired- roast, bbq, etc.

NO-FAIL ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• NOTE: You can skip the brining step if you wish -- the turkey just will not be quite as juicy.
• Prepare the brine. In a large, well-cleaned cooler, blend 4 gallons of water, the kosher salt, the brown sugar, the beer, and the bay leaves. Stir until all the salt and sugar has been dissolved. There is no need to boil this blend.
• Trim up the turkey. There is usually excess fat and skin around the neck and around the body cavity opening. Just trim off this excess tissue, remove any giblets from the inside of the turkey and rinse it in cold water, inside and out.
• Place the turkey in the brine and dump in the ice. Close the cooler and allow the turkey to brine for 12-24 hours. Check it after 12 hours to see if it needs more ice. If you don't have a long time before baking, even 4 hours of brining will improve the turkey.
• After brining, remove the turkey from the cooler, (discard the brine), and pat it dry with paper towels, inside and out. Blend the Vegetable Magic seasoning, the seasoned salt, and the Mrs. Dash seasoning and then rub the turkey all over with this blend, inside and out. Use all the seasoning.
• Place the onion and parsley inside the body cavity. Mash chunks of butter with your hands and carefully shove it under the skin of the breast of the turkey.
• Preheat the oven to 350-°F -- you will roast the turkey at this temperature.
• Line a roasting pan with wide aluminum foil. Spray it with the cooking spray. Place the turkey in the lined roasting pan, breast up, tie the legs together with some cotton string, and then cover the top loosely with another piece of aluminum foil. Do not seal it shut. Cover the roaster and place it in the oven. I use the second rack from the bottom but ovens vary -- you want the roasting pan to be near the middle.
• Bake the turkey for 4 1/2 hours and then remove the turkey from the oven and check it with a thermometer, if you have one, by shoving the probe tip to the deepest part of the meat. In my experience, it is best if your turkey has an interior temperature of 185°F If your turkey has been brined, this temperature will yield a juicy and tender turkey and all the meat is done nicely at this point.
• If your thermometer registers anything less than 185°F, or if you don't have a thermometer, bake the turkey, (again, covered), for one more hour, increasing the oven temperature to 375°F If it's 185°F or better at the end of the 4 1/2 hours, allow the turkey to "rest", uncovered for at least 30 minutes prior to carving.
• If you have returned your turkey to the oven for a final hour, then remove it from the oven at the end of that time and allow it to "rest" for at least 30 minutes prior to carving. My turkeys usually end up somewhere around 190°F when they come out of the oven and mine always take the full 5 1/2 hours. If the wings are so tender that they fall off, I just stick them inside the body cavity to keep them from drying out any during supper. (Some people will argue that 190°F is too hot, but if your turkey is tender, very juicy, delicious, and nicely done all the way through at that temperature, what makes the difference?).
• NOTE: I'm not a big fan of stuffing the turkey with dressing, but if you do, be aware that this alters the cooking time.
• Enjoy your perfect turkey.

NEVER FAIL BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the milk. Stir until dough begins to pull together then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Press dough together and then roll out until 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 2 inch round biscuits and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until golden.