It begins...

[ShadowLvr400]

I've started the prep for thanksgiving dinner. Getting the brine ready for the turkey, it'll sit in that until Saturday, when we're doing our thanksgiving. I work turkey day. 3pm-closing shift. Yay restaurants! Hehehe It should be an interesting day... But the turkey brine is ginger, 2 oranges, a lemon, apple cider, and soy sauce with some salt of course. Soak in that for 2-3 days... Pull it from the bag about 20 minutes before cooking. Mmm... it'll be a good turkey. And all the giblets get brined too, they're the basis for the gravy.


The overall menu....
My 25 lb turkey
Giblet gravy
Garlic Mashed potatoes
7 layer salad
Yeast rolls
Roasted butternut squash with a cider reduction
Green Beans Amondine
Pumpkin Pie


I think there's something missing there....

[railven]

Cranberry Sauce!!! None of that canned crap either if your doing all this work you better home make it!

I'm working too, 3pm-11:30pm, so I'm missing out on the family togetherness.

Well atleast I got Christmas off! WOOOT!

[ShadowLvr400]

Stuffing and cranberry sauces. Forgot them last year.

[kellidahorsegirl]

YUM! Wanna come cook for me? ! ahhaha

My in-laws are coming out and we're not having turkery (hubby is allergic to poultry...seriously) We're having a leg of lamb (my parents raise sheep in CA, so I get FREE lamb) SO GOOD!

Definately gonna copy your idea of garlic mashed potatoes!

[dp102288]

25 lb turkey??? That thing must be huge. Ours is a little 12 pounder!

[Boombotz]

7 layered salad. yum.
No deep fried Turkey.

[CIWS]

Pizza with smoked turkey on it and Beer

[eldorado99]

You yanks with your late Thanksgiving! Ours was over a month ago! It's kind of nice to have a bigger break between Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey dinners. On the other hand we don't have those Black Friday sales either...

[BLACK_CTSV]

It would be rough to celebrate on any other day - 3 football games tomorrow!! Then, 3 more days off

[dp102288]

I like how its so close...drinking month!

[Murphyg]

Originally Posted by ShadowLvr400

I've started the prep for thanksgiving dinner. Getting the brine ready for the turkey, it'll sit in that until Saturday, when we're doing our thanksgiving.........
... But the turkey brine is ginger, 2 oranges, a lemon, apple cider, and soy sauce with some salt of course. Soak in that for 2-3 days... Pull it from the bag about 20 minutes before cooking. Mmm... it'll be a good turkey. And all the giblets get brined too, they're the basis for the gravy.


....

Id like some more info on that brine thing your talkin about.
Ive heard of doing it "overnight" with pork, (seein as its so lean now and has no flavor), but have never heard of it for a turkey.

Being 2-3 days im guessing to use a fresh bird and not frozen ? Or is it so long because its a frozen bird ??
And for that length of time is there a specific temp it should be kept at ?
That 2-3 days kinda scares me. Our fridge is only 2 years old but it does get used alot with 5 people in the home. That door is constantly opening and closing.

Also
Any other variations of the brine mixture than what you've already mentioned.
And how much of the ingrediants flavours are actually transfered to the bird ?
Just subtle Im assuming, and probably not noticable to a laymans palate ?

I say it that way because I had cooked for a living for just over 10 years.
And I dont mean fast food.
Im quite adept at picking out subtle hints of flavors in dishes that most dont notice. It really surprises people when I pick out ingrediants that have been used in dishes. Has almost become a parlor trick at family functions.
Have a great palate. Guess thats why all love my cooking.

So some more info on the turkey brine would be great. Always lookin for hints to improve and tantalize.

[RightTurn]

Murphy--check this out... http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/...osearch=Search

Lots of turkey brining info. I like Alton Brown's method ("Good Eats Roast Turkey"). Also check out Cooks Illustrated (Americas Test Kitchen). Brining makes a huge difference in a bird!

[Murphyg]

Excellent
There's some rep points.
Both you and Shadow.

Ill be tryin this for Xmas.
But have to be honest. If it doesnt work Im takin the points back LOL.

Thanx

[ShadowLvr400]

Murphy, the brine matters. As for 2-3 days, that's to carry the flavors into all the turkey. And yes, the flavors do carry in. As for how subtle the flavors, depends on how you season it. The main purpose of brining is to bring moisture into your meal. However, when you do it with something more than salt water, the flavors sink in. The flavoring is purely subjective. You name it, you can build it as far as flavors go. If you wanter to make a spicy bird, I'd use salt water, alongside some ground red and black peppers, and maybe a few diced jalapeno. If you wanted a hickory barbecue type, mix in a bunch of A-1 Hickory, or just a bit of the liquid hickory smoke product that is out in some stores. I wanted a slightly sweeter bird, which is why the apple cider as my base. But adding a small citrus tang wakes it up.
Fresh or frozen doesn't matter. My bird is frozen.
On to how to hold it, ie, temp to keep it. I've got mine in a big ziploc bag, sitting in a cooler, in my fridge. Allows proper safe defrosting, and a relatively leak proof setup. Because a lot of fluid is in that rig.


Back to flavor, think of brining as a longer termed, less tenderizing focused marinade. 2-3 days is a common length of time for brining, though overnighting it is ok on a non frozen product. Brining helps prevent dry products. The bird last year... was so juicy... But done. Fully done, but SO MOIST! Gravy wasn't even needed for it.

On to the size of the bird... 25 lbs is a big bird. Last year we went 18 lb, and it barely survived the 8 or 9 people we had. This year, I might have 11. My brother's buddy...... Ate both legs last year.

[Murphyg]

Ya baby bring it on !!
Sounds great.
Will be all over it Xmas.

But don't need gravy !!!!
Sacralige I say LOL

Thanx Shadow