Submitted by: René McCracken, Ag Director
If you have survived October fall festivals and events then you are headlong into a thankful harvest in Texas. The college garden was no exception to homeowners garden in having a better fall harvest than we did this past dry spring and summer. Garden clean-up and winter preparations are in full swing in hopes of getting all our tasks completed before the first freeze, typically around November 15th. With all the business of a working mom with active teenage daughters, the last thing I want to worry about it what my Thanksgiving meal is going to be like. With this simple farm fashioned recipe, I am always assured that weather hosting or traveling – my Curry Honey Glazed Stuffed Turkey will be the talk of the meal and absolutely perfect!
The trick to the perfect juicy turkey is definitely in the brine! Brines have been used forever in cooking but were used mostly by our grandmothers trying to tenderize the wild caught meats including turkeys or the family raised one. Coincidentally, turkey manufacturers also use this method to process their birds and it is the added “special ingredient” to keeping those turkeys buttery that you purchase in the stores. This simple brine solution can be utilized for any and all low fat meats that you want to ensure the best texture and flavor remains after the cooking process.
Brining is a salt/sugar water solution that changes the structure of the muscle tissue in the meat and allows it to absorb water, spices and flavorings. This process will work on turkey and other meats but make sure they are natural and no additives added so they are not already injected. Depending on your needs choose from a 10 to 20 pound turkey and if it is frozen – thaw completely before brining. You should trim any excess fat and remove the neck and giblets before brining and save for making the gravy later! Lightly rinse with cold water and dry the outside of turkey with paper towels. Next choose a container that will hold your turkey, the brine solution and fit into your fridge or a large cooler.
Brine Solution:
¾ cup course kosher salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon of course ground black pepper
Optional: (Add for taste preferences)
Apple juice or cider
Bay leaves
Herbs – Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Sage, Oregano
Wine or Beer
Lemon slices
Crushed garlic
Onion slices
Liquid Smoke
As you can see you can get quite elaborate with your favorite flavorings and no two brines would taste exactly the same. Be especially vigilant to maintain turkey and brine solution at 40 degrees or lower but don’t freeze. Length of time to brine is also important. A whole Turkey should require 1 to 2 days so don’t wait till the last minute and expect to get the best result. The smaller the piece of meat the less time required in the brine, with chicken pieces only requiring 2 hours. After brining the correct amount of time – I remove the turkey from the brine and rinse thoroughly. Discard the brine solution. Now your turkey is ready for cooking. Depending on your preference you can bake, smoke or deep fry your turkey but the brining process will help it cook quicker. For the Curry Honey Stuffed version – I would now stuff the turkey cavity with either homemade stuffing or wild rice/onion and mushrooms and place in a large roasting pan. Next, I combine equal parts butter and honey and add 3 tablespoons of curry powder. Smear this liberally on the turkey – cover with foil and bake in a oven at 300 degrees till internal temperature of meat reaches 175 degrees. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bake turkey uncovered and apply move of the curry honey butter mixture. Rest turkey for a few minutes before carving and enjoy the oooooossss and ahhhhhhhs you will definitely receive for your hard work! If you would like more information about our NTCC Farm, list of recipes or the agriculture program go to www.ntcc.edu/ag.
