I love to entertain. So naturally the holidays are some of my favorite times of year because it’s a wonderful excuse to make large meals for big groups of friends and family. This includes Thanksgiving Turkey.
Because I love these meals, even if I’m not cooking for the actual holiday I almost always make the meals so I can fill my house with the smells, feelings, and leftovers that come with hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas. This means I roast a turkey pretty much every year without fail (sometimes two).
I’ve worked really hard to figure out exactly how to roast the best turkey. I’ve taken classes, read blogs, Googled recipes, and asked friends and family. Honestly, even after all that, I still sucked at it. But one thing I constantly heard is how amazing brined turkey is.
I’m not actually a poultry girl. I like dark meat and that’s about it. The rest of it is always too dry (told you I sucked at it. Lol). So it’s sortof shocking that I haven’t tried brining because that’s supposed to help with the dryness. Well, I finally did, and I’m officially mad at myself because I should have tried it a long time ago. Though, honestly, I’m not sure it would have helped before now. This is because I didn’t have the secret ingredient before now. I probably would have tried it, thought it was the same turkey with way more work and gone back to the old way.
Well, first of all, brining is not “way more work.” There is an extra step, but with this new secret ingredient, it’s sooooo worth it.
Reno is a burgeoning food market. For most years of my childhood, there were two kinds of restaurants: casinos and chains. Nowadays, though, the food culture is blowing up and with that comes more and more people who appreciate fantastic food and an influx of great vendors selling fantastic food (or the wares to make it). One of these vendors is Big Horn Oils.
I only brined the turkey for about 5 hours. Many hours less than any other recipes I’ve ever seen for a brining. But none of those have the addition of this Big Horn Balsamic. The flavor was totally transformed. Not only was the meat moist, but the herbs were infused into the meat to give it a depth of flavor I never knew turkey could have. It calmed the game-y flavor and widened the meaty robust-ness of the bird.
I went into Big Horn to purchase some drink mixers (yes, we’ll talk about that again soon), but when I came out, I ended up with a “Neapolitan Herb-Flavored Balsamic” that completely transformed my turkey. Even the white meat was stellar!
This is a difficult thing to describe. But trust me when I say you should buy some of this balsamic and try it. Your life will be changed.
So, if this year you’re looking for a moist, wonderful and totally tantalizing Thanksgiving turkey anywhere near Reno (or even far away–they will deliver!), stop into Big Horn Oils and get yourself some Neapolitan Herb Balsamic. Below is the recipe for the brine that changed my life. Then roast your bird according to all the best roasting instructions you’re sure to find outlined on the many wonderful internet sites or blogs devoted to food.
Happy Cooking!
- ½ Cup Course Sea Salt
- ¼ Cup Herbed Big Horn Balsamic
- 1½ tsp. Thyme
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp. Black Pepper
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Fill sink (or tub or turkey brining bag) full of water.
- Combine all ingredients.
- Place Turkey in the basin or sink and leave there for 3-24 hours.
- Roast Turkey according to your recipe.
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