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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 1238729" data-attributes="member: 2629">Brine Your TURKEYS!Seriously, if you want a turkey that will knock you socks off, brine it. Very easy.What is brining? It is soaking the bird (for 12 to 36 hours - I suggest 36 hours) in a salt water solution. The salty brine pulls moisture out of the bird and makes way for the flavors in the brine to replace it as it rehydrates the bird. The result: a very flavorful, very moist bird. It also leaves a nice flavor on the skin.If you brine a turkey, you'll find that it is nearly impossible to dry it out. Brining requires a litttle planning and a container big enough to completely hold a turkey in either an ice chest or a fridge.I suggest brining and cooking your turkey as follows:1.) Put 1 Gallon of water in a pot. Put that pot on high heat.2.) Add the following to the water as it rises in temperature:1 Cup Kosher Salt (or 1/2 Cup Table Salt stolen from restaurants)3/4 Cup Soy Sauce (collect those little take out Chinese Packets)1/2 Cup White Sugar (collect them from restaurants ... no Sweet and Low!)1/2 Cup Brown Sugar (hey, you can buy something)1/2 Cup Honey1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar (it adds a very nice flavor ... worth a trip to the store)1 to 4 Tablespoons Black Pepper Kernels (not ground ... you want the unground stuff. I highly recommend using all 4 tablespoons.)4 Cloves of Crushed Garlic (no garlic press or knife involved: Skin them and smash them. 1.5 Teaspoons of Allspice (or a stick of cinnamon, a splash of ground nutmeg and 8 whole cloves)Optional - the juice of one orange or one lime.3.) Stir intermitently until the sugars have dissolved and bubbles begin to spot the bottom of the liquid (you should be getting a little steam as well). As soon as you get some small bubbles, turn off the heat and let the pot sit (on the warm burner is fine).4.) After two hours (the liquid should be roughly room temperature - make sure it is not still hot!) place it in a container large enough to hold the turkey, but small enough that you can fit that container in a fridge or an ice chest (with room to spare for ice). If that container has no lid, put the liquid in a sturdy garbage bag large enough to hold the turkey and the liquid and then place that bag in the container.5.) Once you have the liquid in the bag or container, put the turkey in there. If you're brining it for more that 24 hours, the turkey can be frozen at this point - the liquid will speed the defrosting. If you're brining it for less than 24 hours, defrost the turkey in the fridge for a few days first. Seal it up (close the bag and tie it off or close the container) and keep it cold in the fridge or an ice chest (don't forget to replace the melting ice) until an hour before you plan to cook the bird.6.) An hour (or two) before you plan to start cooking, remove the bird, drain it, and let it rise in temperature. Remove the neck and gibblets. Throw those at a young child (preferably one too young to tell on you). You can clean the brine off the skin, but I prefer to leave it on. If you're paranoid, leave the brine on a small patch of skin so that you can see if you like it. I think you will.7.) Do not stuff the bird. Stuffing is evil. You're asking for that disease that turns you into a salmon. Cook the stuffing on the side. If you want turkey flavor in your stuffing, take a little tukey jus (the dripping liquid) and boil it on the stove top for use in the 'stuffing'. If you like a nice browning, finish the stuffing by placing it right under a very hot broiler for a very short period of time. Keep it out of the bird at all costs!8.) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 9.) Lightly butter the skin of the turkey (or use canola oil). Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Then, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. After an hour open the door of the oven and check your bird. If you see any area that look particularly dark, place foil over them. If you're used to having a stuffed bird, removing the stuffing will shorten the cooking time.10.) When the bird rises to proper temperature (165 degrees in the dark meat thigh area works for me - try a digital probe thermometer), remove it from the oven and place a large foil tent over it.  Let it rest for no less than 1/2 hour.11.) Make your dressing (unstuffed stuffing), mashed potatoes, rolls, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry from a can and anything else you like. You have 1/2 hour while the turkey rests.12.) Cut with an electric knife. I'm serious. Unless you have a very nice carving knife, an electric knife is your best bet for even slices. 13.) Tell everyone else you forgot to cook the turkey, you feel terrible and that you want to be left alone in the kitchen. Then eat the whole thing yourself.</blockquote>

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