127 Blend® - Holiday Turkey

Meter: Moderate
Yield: 1 Turkey - 12-16 Pounds – 8 to 12 servings
Time:   32-38 hours

• 16 hours to Brine
• 12 hours to rest
• 2 hours to prep
• 4-6 hours to cook

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Mise en Place (For Brine)

• Cutting Board
• 3 gallon stock pot
• Chef knife
• Vegetable peeler
• 1 cup measuring vessel
• 1/3 cup measuring vessel
• Rubber spatula
• Thermometer

Mise en Place (For Turkey)

• 24-30 inches of Kitchen Twine
• Roasting Rack – we use a V-shaped roasting rack
• Roasting pan – Lined with Foil
• Aluminum Foil – To cover turkey
• Kitchen Sheers
• Bowl – for Butter (room temp)
• Tablespoon
• Rubber Spatula
• Vinyl Gloves
• Thermometer

Ingredients for Brine (3 Gallons)

• 1.5 gallons cold Water
• 12 Pounds – Ice (reserve until the end)
• 2 Cups Kosher Salt (Morton)
• 1.5 cup Honey
• 3 Lemons
  • Peel the Zest
  • Cut in half for Juicing
• 1 Bottle 127 Blend® (with 2 Tablespoons removed – for Butter)
• 1 cup Carrot – Peeled, Rough Chop
• 1 cup Celery – Rough Chop
• 2 cup Yellow Onion – Peeled, Rough Chop

Ingredients for Turkey

• 12-16 pound Turkey (with Legs)
• 1 Pound - Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature)
• 2 Tablespoons – Here’s the Deal Spice Co.® 127 Blend®
• 1 Packet of Poultry fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage)

Recipe for the Brine

1. Clean and Rough Cut the Yellow Onion, Carrot, and Celery.
2. Peel the Zest from the Lemons
3. Cut lemons in half – Reserve
4. Measure out 1.5 cups Honey
5. Measure out 2 Cups Kosher Salt
6. Fill Stock Pot with 1.5 Gallons Cold Water
7. Place Stock pot on stove, over High Heat
8. Add in the Carrot, Celery, Onion, Lemon Zest
9. Squeeze the juice of the half-cut lemons into water.
10. Add the cut lemon rinds.
11. Using a Rubber Spatula – add in Honey.
12. Open the jar of 127 Blend® and remove 2 Tablespoons (to be used in buttering turkey)
13. Add remaining contents of the jar of 127 Blend® into the stock pot of water
14. Bring to a rolling Boil, Boil for 5 minutes while stirring to dissolve the salt along with incorporating the ingredients.
15. Once boiled for 5 minutes, remove from heat, give it a few good stirs (to release as much heat as possible)
16. Add in the 12 Pounds of Ice, Stir to melt.
    1. In this technique we are making a concentrated brine (1.5 gallons) and adding 12 pounds of Ice will equal the correct amount of Brine – 3 gallons.
    2. On Average (1) gallon of water weighs 8 pounds
    3. 1.5 gallons of water equals 12 pounds.
    4. While using this method, you may use the brine in a few hours once completely Chilled.
17. Make sure the Brine is Cold before using!  Safe temperature for brining the turkey is 33-40°F.  Use your thermometer to test the temperature.
18. Place Thawed Turkey in Cold Brine - (Remove the inner Bags or items hiding in turkey)
    1. You can Brine in the Pot if big enough or in a Plastic container.
19. Use a Plate or a bag of ice to weigh down the turkey in the brine
20. Place the container with the Turkey and Brine in your refrigerator for 16-20 hours.
21. If Using a Brine-bag, place in the sink before transferring the turkey and brine
    1. (This tends to fall over which creates a mess)
22. When using the Brine-bag, when placing in the refrigerator, place inside of a large container with sides. (This helps from tipping over along with keeping the brined turkey upright, for full absorption)
23. Brine 12-16 pound turkey for 16-20 hours
24. *Keep in mind that the turkey needs to rest after its been brined for 8-12 hours

Removing Turkey From Brine:

1. Place brine bag in a clean sink.
2. Pull turkey out of bag (or container) allow to drip free from the brine.
3. In the other half of the sink, run cold water over and through the turkey.
   1. This rinses off the extra salt content from the skin and cavity.
4. Rinse well. Allow to drain. Pat dry.
5. Place Turkey in the roasting rack that it will be cooked on, with the roasting pan under.
6. Place turkey in the appropriate container to rest uncovered for 8 -12 hours in refrigerator.
   1. Resting allows the Brine to absorb evenly throughout the entire bird.
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Recipe for Buttering Under Turkey Skin

1. Once the turkey has rested in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours and the extra water content has released from the bird, and before you Truss it, we will Butter it!
2. Place the (1) Pound room Temperature butter in a bowl.
3. Use the 2 TBL of Here’s the Deal Spice Co.® - 127 Blend® that was Measured out earlier.
4. Mix well to incorporate the 127 Blend® into the butter. 
5. With gloves on, slide your fingers under the breast skin between the skin and the breast meat.
6. Use your fingers to apply 127 Blend® Butter under the skin evenly
7. Reserve the Extra 127 Blend® Butter for later

Instructions for Trussing your Turkey after it has been buttered under the skin.
Trussing the turkey helps ensure that it will cook evenly

1. Set up a cutting board with a damp paper towel underneath to keep from slipping.
2. Cut your twine to 24-30 inches.
3. Place your Turkey Breast side down on the cutting board.
4. Find the middle of your twine
5. Secure it around the neck of Turkey, make sure it is centered and each piece of twine is the same length at the ends.
6. Allow the twine to follow the backbone, until the Legs – the twine should drop below and under each Leg. (Pictures)
7. Flip Turkey to breast side up (see Pictures)
8. The Twine needs to go around the back side of the thighs up and around to the leg bones.
9. Use the twine to pull the leg/feet bones to come together
10. Use a “Surgeon’s knot” to gather the legs together.
    1. (Like tying your shoes, but with an extra loop and through)
11. Tie semi tight – we will need to have some extra length in the tie, for the next step of tucking the wings in
12. Tie the knot again, to secure the knot.
13. Locate the Twine that lays behind the wing, stretch it and tuck the wing elbow behind it inside of the twine
14. Do this to the other side as well (See Pictures)
15. Drain any extra juices that were released from the turkey from the roasting pan.
16. Apply foil to the roasting pan, this will help with easy clean up
17. Place the roasting rack on top of foil
18. Place turkey breast side up in the V shaped roasting pan

Buttering the Outside of the Turkey

1. Once the turkey is trussed use the remaining 127 Blend® butter and apply to the breast and thigh skin, while using gloves.
2. Coat the outside of the turkey with 127 Blend® Butter
3. Place the (1) packet of Poultry fresh herbs inside of cavity of the turkey.
4. Cool Buttered Bird for 1-2 Hours Before Cooking in refrigerator.

(Pictures)

Cooking the Holiday Turkey
Approximate time for cooking 12-16 pound turkey is 20 minutes per pound at 325°F (Roughly 3-4 hours)

1. Pre heat oven to 325°F
2. We will cook the turkey low and slow, turning the pan every 45 mins
3. Once oven is preheated
4. Place Turkey in the Oven
5. Set Timer for 45 minutes
6. Rotate Turkey Pan every 45 minutes
7. If Browning too Quickly – Cover the Turkey with Aluminum Foil
8. Continue to cook and rotate until internal temperature reaches 155°F
   1. Checking Temperature – check in multiple areas of the Turkey – Breast meat, Thigh Meat and Leg area nearest to the Bird
   2. Repeat these multiple area temperature checks when turkey is closer to being done
   3. The Finished Temperature for the Turkey (all Poultry) is 165°F
9. Once Turkey reaches 155°F – Remove the Foil
10. Continue to cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F (check multiple areas)
11. Once Turkey has reach 165°F remove from oven
12. Allow the Turkey to Rest for 15-20 mins with foil on top before Slicing and Serving