Baja California Grilled Or Roasted Turkey Recipes

THE GREATEST GRILLED TURKEY

Steps:

• Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect medium-high heat.
• Rinse turkey and pat dry. Turn wings back to hold neck skin in place. Return legs to tucked position. Brush turkey with oil. Season inside and out with Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a metal grate inside a large roasting pan. Arrange pan on the prepared grill. Grill 2 to 3 hours, to an internal thigh temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Remove turkey from grill and let stand 15 minutes before carving.

GRILLED TURKEY

Steps:

• Dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons cold water in a large (at least 16 quart) stockpot or a clean bucket. (You can also add fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme or bay leaf, or aromatics like onions and garlic.) Add the turkey, cover and refrigerate, or set in a very cold place (that stays somewhere between 32 to 40 degrees F) for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine 1 hour before grilling. Rinse well under cold water and pat dry to remove the salt.
• Prepare a charcoal grill for indirect grilling. The temperature inside the grill should be 350 degrees F.
• Place the turkey on the grill, cover and grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 175 degrees F, 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 1/2 hours. Let the turkey rest 1 hour before carving.

CALIFORNIA TURKEY CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy, large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, poblanos, celery and onions. Saute until the vegetables soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the turkey and saute until no longer pink, breaking up the turkey with the back of a spoon, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over and stir to blend. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to blend. Add the broth and beans. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the flavors blend and the chili thickens to desired consistency, stirring often, 20 to 30 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper.
• To serve, spoon Simplest Quinoa and Pine Nut Pilaf into deep bowls. Ladle chili over. Serve with garnishes.
• Cook's Note: Other garnishes that you could offer: chopped radishes, pickled jalapenos, crumbled cotija cheese, tortilla chips and/or pico de gallo.
• Place the quinoa in a fine sieve. Rinse under cold running water 1 full minute. Set aside to drain.
• Bring the broth, salt and pepper to a boil in heavy, medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the quinoa. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the quinoa is tender and all the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let the quinoa stand, still covered, for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Scatter pine nuts on a small rimmed baking sheet. Toast the nuts until golden, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet.
• Mix the cilantro and pine nuts into the quinoa.

TURKEY ON THE GRILL

Steps:

• Remove neck and giblets; reserve for other uses. Remove and discard excess fat. Rinse the bird inside and out and pat dry. Season body cavity with salt and pepper. Tie legs together and twist wing tips under back. Brush turkey with oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange turkey breast side up, in center of cooking grate. Place lid on grill.
• Cook 11 to 13 minutes per pound or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh not touching bone registers 180 degrees and the juices run clear. Transfer turkey to a platter. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.
• Method for the Charcoal Kettle Grill: Open all vents on the grill. Use charcoal dividers to hold the charcoal briquettes. Divide the briquettes evenly, place them in the dividers and place the dividers on either side of the charcoal grate, as close as possible to the outside edges. Ignite the briquettes and, keeping the lid off, let them burn until lightly covered with a gray ash, about 25 to 30 minutes. If necessary, use long-handled tongs to rearrange the briquettes so the coals will burn evenly on both sides. Place a foil drip pan on the charcoal grate between the baskets of coals. Put the cooking grate in place, positioning the hinged sides of the grate over the briquettes so that more charcoal can be added easily. Arrange the bird breast side up in the center of the cooking grate. Place lid on the grill, leaving all vents open, and grill as directed above. Add briquettes as indicated on the chart below at the end of each hour to maintain the heat.
• Charcoal Briquette Guide for Kettle Grill: For a 26 3/4-inch grill, use 30 briquettes on each side for the first hour of grilling and add 9 briquettes to each side every hour to maintain heat.
• For a 22 1/2-inch grill, use 25 briquettes on each side for the first hour of grilling and add 8 briquettes to each side every hour to maintain heat.
• For an 18 1/2-inch grill, use 20 briquettes on each side for the first hour of grilling and add 7 briquettes to each side every hour to maintain heat.
• Method for the Gas Barbecue: Ignite the grill and turn all burners to high. Close the lid and preheat 10 to 15 minutes to bring the grill to 500 to 550 degrees. Turn burners down to medium heat. Place turkey breast side up in a roast holder inside a foil drip pan. Position pan in the center of the cooking grate and place the lid on the grill. For three burner grills, set front and back burners to medium and turn off center burner. For two burner grills, turn the front and back burners to medium. Keep grill covered.

A SIMPLY PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
• Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
• Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

GRILL-ROASTED BRINED TURKEY WITH ANAHEIM CHILE SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Rinse turkey inside and out and reserve neck, giblets, and liver for another use. In a container large enough to hold turkey and 8 quarts water (we used a 5-gallon bucket lined with a large heavy-duty plastic bag) stir together water, salt, and brown sugar until solids are dissolved. Soak turkey in brine, covered and chilled, 10 hours.
• Remove turkey from brine and pat dry inside and out. Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a small skewer. If desired, secure wings to body with small skewers. Set an oiled metal rack in a roasting pan that will fit in covered grill. Transfer turkey to rack in pan and sprinkle with chili powder. Loosely tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. Turkey may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Prepare grill:
• Preheat gas grill. (If using a charcoal grill, open vents in lid and bottom of grill and divide 50 briquettes between 2 opposite sides of bottom, leaving middle clear. Position grill rack with wider openings over briquettes and light briquettes. They will be ready for cooking as soon as they are lightly coated with gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes.)
• Put turkey in roasting pan on grill and cover grill. Turn all gas settings to low. Grill-roast turkey, basting with pan juices and rotating pan 180 degrees every hour, 3 hours. (If using charcoal grill, add 10 more briquettes to each mound of coals every hour to maintain even temperature.)
• After 3 hours insert an instant-read thermometer in fleshy part of an inner thigh. If thermometer registers 175°F. and juices run clear when thigh is pierced, turkey is done. If turkey is not done, continue to cook (if using charcoal grill, add 10 more briquettes to each mound of coals), checking for doneness every 20 minutes. Transfer turkey to a heated platter and discard string. Loosely cover turkey with foil and let stand 20 minutes before carving. Garnish turkey with chiles, garlic, and tomatillos and serve with salsa verde.