Pastrami Brined Roasted Turkey Recipes

TURKEY PASTRAMI

Steps:

• For the brine: In a large pot, combine the 3 quarts hot water, the brown sugar and kosher salt. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour in the 3 quarts ice water. Add the bay leaves, garlic, thyme, black peppercorns, cloves and juniper berries. Cool the brine down to 42 degrees F, then add the turkey breasts. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
• For the dry rub: Mix together the ground juniper berries, black peppercorns and coriander seeds. Remove the turkey from the brine and wipe off the spices before drying with paper towels. Rub the dry rub onto the breasts, with more of the dry rub on the skin side. Double wrap the turkey breasts in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Preheat a smoker with mesquite chips for 10 to 15 minutes. Place the turkey breasts, skin-side down, on the racks. Smoke until the breasts reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, about 3 1/2 hours for a large breast.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the turkey breasts to a roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Wrap the roasting pan in plastic wrap and chill overnight before slicing for serving.

BRINED AND ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.
• Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.
• For the turkey broth: Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
• Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.
• Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.
• Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
• For the pan gravy: Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat. Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup.
• In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.
• To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.

TURKEY PASTRAMI

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar and spices. Heat until sugar and salt are dissolved. Cool. When cool, place turkey breast and brine in a 1 gallon resealable bag. Double the bag and place in shallow pan in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. (Just in case of leaking, check occasionally.)
• After desired brine time, remove breast from brine and rinse well. Dry breast well and prepare rub.
• Pulse all in a spice grinder or food processor
• Apply rub to breast, cover tightly and refrigerate for 24 hours
• Take a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil (about 2 feet long) fold in half, fold in half again and fold the edges up on 1 half, think of creating a small pizza box.
• Soak the chips submerged in water for 15 minutes, while chips are soaking, raise oven rack to position 4-inches below broiler. Preheat broiler on high. Drain chips, place in bottom, folded section of foil, bending the top back out of the way. Broil for 5 minutes, stir chips, broil 2 more minutes, remove and immediately and carefully, fold "top" over bottom and crimp closed. Place in oven and poke a several holes in top with knife to release smoke.
• Remove turkey from refrigeration. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Roast in oven, breast side down for 1 hour, increase heat to 325 degrees F if convection, 350 degrees F if standard oven. Carefully turn over and continue to roast until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Cover loosely, cool and thinly slice.

BRINED, HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• For the Brine:
• To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a nonreactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, food grade plastic storage bag). Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.
• Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.
• Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels both inside and out. Place turkey, breast side up, in a large, heavy roasting pan. Rub breast side with orange segments and rub on all sides with the butter, stuffing some underneath the skin. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, remaining orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string. Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.
• Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
• For the turkey broth:
• Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.
• For the pan gravy:
• Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat.
• Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.
• Slice and serve guests with desired sides.

BRINED ROAST TURKEY WITH PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Brine:.
• In a large stockpot, bring the water, cloves, ginger, black peppercorn, bay leaves and salt to a boil.
• Lower to a simmer and stir in the honey and maple syrup until well blended.
• Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold tap water.
• Reserve the neck and specialty meats for pan gravy.
• Set the turkey in the brine, making sure that the turkey is fully immersed in the brine.*.
• Place a weight on top of the turkey to make sure it is always covered with brine.**.
• Marinate for at least 4 hrs to overnight, depending on the weight of the turkey, in the refrigerator.
• Turkey:.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a shallow roasting pan, place the carrots, celery and onions.
• Remove turkey from brine.
• Mix together the butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, and sage to make a compound butter. Using your hands, loosen to the skin from the breast by gently inserting your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Rub the compound butter underneath the skin.
• Insert the apples, onions, and whole rosemary and sage into the cavity of the turkey.
• Place the turkey over the vegetables, breast-side up, in the roasting pan.
• Tuck the wings back and under the turkey. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. This will make a compact shape and will create a great presentation.
• Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and rub it into the skin.
• Roast the turkey to at least 165 degrees F in the breast, about 2 ½ hours. If the skin gets too dark during roasting, tent with foil.
• Transfer turkey to a platter and allow to rest. Meanwhile, prepare the pan gravy.
• Gravy:.
• Tilt the pan and skim as much fat as possible off the juice with a spoon.
• Set the pan on 2 burners set on medium heat.
• Deglaze roasting pan with white wine and Madeira.
• Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Reduce until only a quarter remains.
• Add the turkey stock, thyme and parsley.
• Bring to a boil and strain into a saucepan. Bring back to a boil, skim and lower to a simmer.
• Whisk in the beurre manie until well incorporated and continue to cook until gravy has thickened.
• Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Turkey stock:.
• Heat a saucepan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and heat.
• Add the neck and giblets and cook until browned all over, about 7 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the port.
• Return the pan to the heat and cook until the port is almost completely evaporated, about 20 minutes.
• Add the carrots, onions, celery, rosemary and peppercorn.
• Cover with cold water by 4-inches. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 2 horus, adding a little more water, if necessary.
• Skim any scum that rises to the surface of the stock and discard.
• Strain the stock. Use immediately, or cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• * I use a bright orange, new, 5-gallon painters bucket with lid from hardware store.
• **I use a well-scrubbed brick that has been baked at 350 degrees in an oven for 30 minutes. After thoroughly cooled, wrap with foil and place in a zip-lock bag, removing all the air.

PASTRAMI TURKEY BREAST FOR THE BEST THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Pat turkey dry (if there is skin you can leave it on. If not, you won't miss it) and place in a medium bowl. Mix together pepper, salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, and paprika in a small bowl, then sprinkle all over turkey (use all of it!). Cover and chill 8-12 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300°. Remove turkey from bowl and discard any liquid but keep all of the spice rub in place. Heat oil in a large ovenproof nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Cook turkey, turning every minute or so, until browned on all sides and very fragrant, 6-8 minutes total.
• Transfer skillet to oven. Roast turkey, turning halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 155°, 60-90 minutes, depending on size. Transfer turkey to a wire rack. If you plan to serve it the same day it's baked, let cool at least 30 minutes, then slice very thinly (think deli meat) on a cutting board.
• To serve, spread cut sides of buns with mayonnaise and build sandwiches with buns, turkey, cranberry sauce, lettuce, and pickled red onion. Do ahead: Turkey can be roasted 4 days ahead. Let cool completely, then wrap tightly and chill. Slice just before using. Don't try to reheat it as it will just dry out.

BRINED AND ROASTED WHOLE TURKEY

Steps:

• Overnight Brine: Combine Morton®Kosher Salt and sugar in cool water in a large, clean stockpot until completely dissolved. Place the whole turkey in the brine until completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight, up to 14 hours. Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse inside and out under cool running water for several minutes to remove all traces of salt; pat dry with paper towel.
• 4-5 hour Brine: To brine your turkey in less time (4-5 hours), use 2 cups of Morton®Coarse Kosher Salt and two cups of sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours.
• To Roast: Mix the softened butter with the pepper. Place turkey on rack in roasting pan. Rub the seasoned butter under the skin. Brush the skin with the melted butter. Pour the 1 cup liquid (wine, broth or water) over the pan bottom to prevent drippings from burning. Roast turkey at 450 degrees F for 25 minutes, baste and then rotate the roasting pan. Continue roasting until the skin turns golden brown, an additional 25 minutes; baste again. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F; continue to roast, basting and rotating the pan once about halfway through cooking, until the minimum internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the oven. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.