Brine for Smoked Turkey
John is notorious for whipping up some great culinary creations, but never writing
down what he did. This brine comes from a collection of recipes that John has
tried. Please note the first ingredient - the paint bucket. We purchased this
from Home Depot, and use it only for brine (at least John assures me of that). Also
note that we make this in the colder months. If you have an extra refrigerator - you
can make this anytime of the year.
1 - 5 gallon paint bucket
1 gallon water
3/4 cup kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon whole pepper corns
2 - 5" stems of fresh rosemary
Fresh thyme - same size as rosemary
You need to make enough brine to cover your meat, so you may need to make more then one batch. Put ingredients into bucket, mix well. Add turkey, make sure turkey is completely submerged. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. In the colder months we put this out in the garage with a secure lid. Coat turkey with oil and seasonings before smoking.
Save the turkey bones, they make a nice smoke turkey stock.