I'm going to smoke a 13 pounder and cook a 12 pounder in the oven. Any suggestions for a brining recipe for the smoked one? It will be smoked over applewood probably, with maybe a little pecan thrown in there.
13 lbs is a good size to smoke.
Brine the Turkey for 24 hrs.
2 quarts apple juice
1 lb brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
3 quarts water
3 oranges, quartered
4 ounces fresh ginger, sliced thin
15 whole cloves
6 bay leaves
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
vegetable oil or melted, unsalted butter
Smoke the Turkey at 350F for 2.5 hrs to acieve an internal temp of 169F.
Good Luck!
Is the oil for sauteeing? Or, add to the brine? How much?
Do you cook the brine first?
Are you putting the turkey directly on the smoker's grate, or in a pan to retain the juices for gravy?
Finally...Any seasoning to go on the bird? Basting?
Thanks. I'm firing up the Traeger and using your brine recipe. I used an Alton Brown recipe last year which was a vegetable broth based brine. Yours looks more appetizing.
Here's the recipe.
1 12-14 lb turkey
2 quarts apple juice
1 lb brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
3 quarts water
3 oranges, quartered
4 ounces fresh ginger, sliced thin
15 whole cloves
6 bay leaves
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
vegetable oil or melted, unsalted butter
Combine apple juice, brown sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve. Boil for one minute, remove from heat, let mixture come to room temperature, then refrigerate to 40*F.
In a large non-reactive container, combine the apple juice mixture with the remaining ingredients and stir. Place rinsed, drained whole turkey into the brine. Use a heavy weight to keep the bird submerged, if necessary.
Refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove turkey from brine, rinse inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Fold wing tips under the bird. Brush outside surface with vegetable oil or melted butter.
Cook at 325-350*F to 160-165*F in the breast, 170-175*F in the thigh, approximately 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Cover loosely with foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving.
No seasonings are necessary.
Good Luck!
Post some pics.