Cider Brined Brats Recipes

CIDER-GLAZED BRATS WITH APPLES AND ONIONS

Steps:

• In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook onions about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add bratwurst links; increase heat to medium-high. Cook about 8 minutes or until bratwurst are brown on all sides. Stir in apple cider and brown sugar. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; simmer about 5 minutes. Remove bratwurst from skillet; place on plate. Cover; set aside.
• Add apple to skillet; cook 10 minutes or until apple softens and sauce thickens. Return bratwurst to skillet. Serve.

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a stockpot, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add cold beer and broth to cool the brine to room temperature., Place one turkey-size oven roasting bag inside the other. Place turkey inside both bags; pour in cooled brine. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat turkey. Place in a shallow roasting pan. Refrigerate for 18-24 hours, turning occasionally. , Remove turkey from brine; rinse and pat dry. Discard brine. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper., Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thigh reads 180°, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes before carving.

CIDER BRINED BRATS

Steps:

• 1. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine onion, vinegar,garlic and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• 2. While brine is simmering, prepare brats by piercing each one all over six to eight times with a fork.
• 3. Place bratwurst in the simmering water. Cover and continue to simmer 20 minutes. Do not boil.
• 4. Remove brats. Grill or pan-fry immediately or refrigerate for up to two days. try serving with Rosemary Bacon Kraut https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/vegetable/rosemary-bacon-kraut.html

HOMESTEADER CIDER BRINED PORK CHOPS W/ PAN GRAVY-FOREVERMAMA

Steps:

• Brine:.
• Place black peppercorns in a plastic zip-top bag and seal. With a meat mallet, crush peppercorns slightly. Note that not all peppercorns should be crushed, but only a few to release flavor.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cider and salt until the salt dissolves.
• Place the brine in a large zip-top bag (or if the bag isn't large enough to fit all the pork chops, divide the brine into 2 zip-top bags).
• If using 2 bags, add to each bag half the peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, and 3 garlic cloves. If using 1 large bag add the full amount of the peppercorns, bay leaf and garlic. Mix to incorporate seasonings evenly.
• Place chops evenly in bag(s), seal and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours or brine overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Set oven rack to the middle position. Drain the chops well and discard brine, blot dry if desired. Remove the whole peppercorns that are stuck to chops and discard.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and depending on the size of your skillet, add 2 to 3 pork chops. Cook until browned on each side, 3 - 5 minutes. Turn the chops and cook until browned on the other side, 3 - 4 minutes more. Repeat with remaining chops. Set the skillet aside and DO NOT drain off butter and brown bits in the skillet.
• Layer the chops in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and bake until pale pink in the center for 15 - 20 minutes, being careful not to overcook to prevent them from drying.
• While pork chops are in the oven or before placing chops in oven, prepare your sauce:.
• Return skillet to medium-high heat and add the cider. As it bubbles, use a wooden spoon to scrape up brown bits on the bottom of skillet. Add the chicken broth, turn the heat to high, and boil until the liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, 8 - 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in cream and mustard. Season with salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste.
• Once chops have completed cooking, remove from oven and place in serving tray. Pour sauce over the chops and serve immediately.
• NOTE: If using bone-in, they may take longer to cook. Also depending on the thickness of your chops, keep a close eye on the cooking time.

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine boiled cider, hard cider, fresh cider, 2 cups salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salt dissolve, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add thyme, rosemary, oregano, and parsley. Let steep for 5 minutes. Add ice water, stir, and let brine cool to room temperature.
• Rinse turkey inside and out under cool running water. Remove giblets and neck; set aside for gravy or stuffing, if desired. Place turkey in a pot large enough to hold the turkey and the brine or a large, food-safe plastic bag, set in a pot or roasting pan. Cover turkey with brine, make sure both cavities of turkey are filled. Cover or tightly close bag and refrigerate 10 to 12 hours. If using a bag, rotate turkey occasionally to make sure it is evenly brined.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Remove turkey from brine and rinse well under cold running water; pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Place turkey, breast-side up, in a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan fitted with a rack. Rub all sides with butter, stuffing some underneath the skin. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff turkey with apples, celery, and onion. Loosely tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Transfer to oven and roast until skin is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Cover turkey loosely with a double layer of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Continue roasting, basting once every half hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup stock, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the largest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) registers 161 degrees, about 1 hour more.
• Remove from oven and transfer turkey to a serving platter. Let turkey stand, tented with foil, about 20 minutes before carving.

APPLE CIDER BRINE

Steps:

• In a 3-4 quart saucepan, combine cider with salt, sugar, ginger, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and allspice; stir to dissolve salt.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 3-4 minutes; remove from heat, add 4 cups of ice water and set aside to cool.
• Line a heavy roasting pan with turkey-sized oven cooking bags (which should be double-layered).
• Remove the turkey from it's wrapping, remove neck and giblets (store separately), and rinse and prepare bird.
• Stuff cavity with orange quarters.
• Make a collar of the top of cooking bags (helps keep bags open), and slip bird inside, stand it upright (legs pointing up), and unfold the top of the bag.
• Pour the brine over the bird, and add an additional 2 cups of water.
• Draw up the first inner bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and secure with a twist-tie; do the same for the outer bag.
• Place the turkey, breast side down, in the roasting pan and refrigerate for 12-24 hours, turning 3-4 times while brining.
• Just prior to roasting, remove the turkey from the brine; discard the bags, brine, and all cured herbs, spices, and oranges remaining in the bird.
• Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper toweling.
• Air-dry turkey under refrigeration for 4-6 hours (before cooking) for a crispier crust when roasting.
• The turkey is now ready to be roasted.

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Reserve 1 cup of the apple cider; cover and refrigerate. In 6-quart container or stockpot, mix remaining cider, the brown sugar, salt, 3 thyme sprigs, the sage, peppercorns, allspice and bay leaves; stir until salt is dissolved. Add turkey breast. Cover; refrigerate at least 12 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 325°F. Remove turkey from brine; discard brine. Rinse turkey thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in large shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of breast and does not touch bone. Roast uncovered 1 hour.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat reserved 1 cup apple cider to boiling; cook 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Reduce heat to medium. Add syrup and butter; cook until butter is melted and mixture is hot.
• Brush turkey with about 1/3 cup of the cider mixture. Roast uncovered about 1 hour longer or until thermometer reads 165°F, brushing generously with pan juices and remaining cider mixture every 15 minutes. Cover turkey loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Place turkey on warm platter; cover with foil. Let stand 15 minutes for easier carving.

APPLE CIDER TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups water, apple cider, kosher salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorns together in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil; cook and stir brine until the salt is just dissolved. Remove from heat; add ice cubes.