Savory Dry Brine and How to cook a fresh pasture rasied turkey
This is one of our favorite ways to brine a turkey for Thanksgiving. Plus how to cook a fresh pasture raised turkey.
Savory Dry Brine before and Cooking your fresh turkey with herb butter.
INGREDIENTS
Savory Dry Brine
4 tablespoons of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried sage
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried savory
Turkey cooking
1 fresh pasture raised turkey
1/2 stick butter
2 cups of turkey stock
Onions, garlic (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS (Dry Brining)
Combine in a small bowl, salt, baking powder, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory. You can use any dried herb seasoning that you like or omit any you don’t like, just at extra salt to replace the removed seasoning.
Prep fresh turkey by removing neck, and giblets, washing and drying. (if you are thinking about spatchcocking now is the time) Sprinkle the whole turkey with the salt mixture inside and outside.
You can speed up the process by putting salt mixture under the skin on the meat. You may not use all the salt mixture that will depend on the size of your turkey and that’s okay too. Just discard any extra.
Place salted turkey on a rack and the rack on a rimmed baking pan. Put the turkey in the fridge for 24 hours. If you would like to brine longer cover the turkey to prevent moisture loss, and three days makes a tasty turkey.
DIRECTIONS (Cooking)
Butter under the skin on turkey breast. You can add herbs to your butter to enhance the flavor profile. This helps keep the breast from drying out.
I put aromatics in the cavity of the turkey, like peeled, onions and garlic. I don't stuff the turkey. This prolongs the cooking time and you don't want to over cook a fresh pastured turkey.
Preheat oven for 450°F.
Place turkey on rack in roaster pan, pour stock into bottom of pan.
Put roaster pan with turkey in oven at high temp. for the first 30 minutes, uncovered. Then turn the oven down to 350°F and cover with a pan cover or foil for the remaining cook time.
Lastly, this is important, when meat temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh, remove from heat source and let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to lock in making the turkey flavorful and moist.
Estimated Cooking times
8 pounds: 30 minutes at 450°F; 1 hour at 350°F
10 pounds: 30 minutes at 450°F; 1 hour and 30 minutes at 350°F
12 pounds: 30 minutes at 450°F; 2 hours at 350°F
14 pounds: 30 minutes at 450°F; 2 hours and 20 minutes at 350°F
16 pounds: 30 minutes at 450°F; 2 hours and 40 minutes at 350°F
18 pounds: 30 minutes at 450°F; 3 hours at 350°F
Serve & Enjoy!