Spice Cured Turkey Recipes

SPICE-CURED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine salt, sugar, carrots, celery, onions, leeks, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, cumin, red-pepper flakes, cloves, and allspice. Add the water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. The brine needs to cool completely before the turkey is soaked in it: It can be made a day ahead or chilled over an ice bath.
• Rinse turkey under cold water; pat dry. Place in stockpot, breast side down. Add brine and enough water to cover. Cover the stockpot, and refrigerate overnight. Remove turkey from brine; drain.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Fill cavities with stuffing, being careful not to pack too tightly. Secure skin over neck cavity with toothpicks or skewers, and tie legs together with kitchen twine. Rub turkey generously with spice butter, and place on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Place in oven, and roast 30 minutes. Baste, rotate pan, and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue basting every 30 to 45 minutes, until temperature taken in thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees. 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Once turkey is well browned, cover with foil, in sections, if necessary to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil for last 30 to 60 minutes, to crisp skin. Allow turkey to rest 30 minutes before carving. While turkey is resting, remove stuffing.
• To make gravy, pour liquid from the roasting pan into a gravy skimmer; set aside. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat; deglaze with 1/2 cup apple cider, using a wooden spoon to scrape up bits stuck to the pan. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons of reserved fat from pan and flour; cook 3 to 4 minutes, until browned. Add reserved apple-cider mixture, stock, and any separated juices from pan. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Serve.

SUGAR-AND-SPICE CURED TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck; rinse turkey with cold water.
• Pat dry.
• Tie legs together with string; tuck wingtips under.
• Combine brown sugar and next 6 ingredients.
• Rub over turkey.
• Cover with plastic wrap; chill 8 hours.
• Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up.
• Arrange onion quarters round turkey.
• Pour 2 cans broth in bottom of pan.
• Bake, loosely covered with foil, at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.
• Uncover and bake 1 1/2 more hours or until meat thermometer registers 180°F.
• (Cover with foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.) Remove onion; discard, reserving pan drippings.
• Let turkey stand 15 minutes before carving.
• Combine pan drippings and enough additional chicken broth to equal 2 cups in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened.
• Serve with turkey.

SPICE-CURED ROAST TURKEY RECIPE

Steps:

• Recipe At least 20 hours prior to serving: Prepare the brine: In a very large stock pot combine water, kosher salt, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, allspice, juniper berries, and cloves, and bring to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the brine until chilled, about 4 to 5 hours. At least 16 hours prior to serving: When the brine is completely chilled, place the turkey parts in the brine, and allow to marinate for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator. 3 1/2 to 4 hours prior to serving: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Place turkey breast in a large shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Season lighly with fresh ground pepper, then cover bird with whole branches of rosemary. Eliminate any extra thick sticks of rosemary by stripping off the leaves, using only the leaves. Place roasting pan in oven and roast the turkey breast for approximately 3 hours until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads at least 150 degrees. Meanwhile, make a confit of the turkey legs by placing them in a sauce pan that will hold them both without overlapping but without much extra space. Pour in the chicken fat, which should almost cover the legs. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. The foil should not touch the legs, as the spot where the foil touches the legs might burn. Place pan in the oven with the turkey breast if possible. Remove from the oven when the meat is tender, about 2 hours. Keep in a warm place until serving. When the breast is removed from the oven, bring the pan outside. Light the whole rosemary branches on fire outside, because of the smoke and fire danger. Brush off some, not all, of the ashes from the burnt sticks, placing the rosemary back on the breast, and bring it back inside. Allow the breast to rest at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Meanwhile, remove the legs from the chicken fat and slice the meat from the thigh but serve the leg as is. Recipe Note: Have the butcher remove the legs and thighs from the turkey. Do not separate the legs from the thighs.
• At least 20 hours prior to serving: Prepare the brine: In a very large stock pot combine water, kosher salt, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, allspice, juniper berries, and cloves, and bring to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the brine until chilled, about 4 to 5 hours. At least 16 hours prior to serving: When the brine is completely chilled, place the turkey parts in the brine, and allow to marinate for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator. 3 1/2 to 4 hours prior to serving: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Place turkey breast in a large shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Season lighly with fresh ground pepper, then cover bird with whole branches of rosemary. Eliminate any extra thick sticks of rosemary by stripping off the leaves, using only the leaves. Place roasting pan in oven and roast the turkey breast for approximately 3 hours until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads at least 150 degrees. Meanwhile, make a confit of the turkey legs by placing them in a sauce pan that will hold them both without overlapping but without much extra space. Pour in the chicken fat, which should almost cover the legs. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. The foil should not touch the legs, as the spot where the foil touches the legs might burn. Place pan in the oven with the turkey breast if possible. Remove from the oven when the meat is tender, about 2 hours. Keep in a warm place until serving. When the breast is removed from the oven, bring the pan outside. Light the whole rosemary branches on fire outside, because of the smoke and fire danger. Brush off some, not all, of the ashes from the burnt sticks, placing the rosemary back on the breast, and bring it back inside. Allow the breast to rest at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Meanwhile, remove the legs from the chicken fat and slice the meat from the thigh but serve the leg as is.
• Have the butcher remove the legs and thighs from the turkey. Do not separate the legs from the thighs.
• includes 16 hours brining time

SPICE BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine butter, salt, pepper, thyme, cumin, garlic powder, pepper flakes, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg in a bowl. Beat on medium with an electric mixer or by hand until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to use, for up to 4 days.

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.