Orange Marinated And Brined Smoked Turkey Recipes

ORANGE TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Combine the orange juice concentrate, orange slices, lemon slices, lime slices, thyme, pepper, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water in a large stockpot; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Wash and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator. Allow turkey to marinate 1 to 2 days before cooking. Remove the turkey carefully. Drain and discard the excess brine and pat dry.
• Cook the turkey as desired reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster.

BOURBON & ORANGE BRINED TURKEY RECIPE - (3.7/5)

Steps:

• MAKE THE BRINE: In a large stockpot or other container large enough to hold the turkey and brine, combine the water, bourbon, salt, brown sugar, orange wedges (squeeze each wedge to release the juice), bay leaves, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add the turkey to the brine, breast-side down, weighting it with resealable plastic bags filled with ice or cold water. Refrigerate the turkey and brine for 24 hours. When ready to cook, drain the turkey and discard the brine. Blot the turkey dry with paper towels and knock off any solid bits of spices. Remove any large gobbets of fat at the front of the main cavity. Put the orange wedges and herbs in the main cavity. Tie the legs together with butcher's string and fold the wings behind the back. Combine the butter and Grand Marnier, if using, and coat the outside of the turkey. Start your grill, oven or roaster - set to 350°F. Roast the turkey until it is deeply browned, the skin is crisp, and the internal temperature of the thickest part of a thigh is 165°F when read on an instant-read meat thermometer. If deep frying - heat oil to 375°F. When lowering the turkey into the oil it is recommended to turn off the burner. Once turkey is fully submersed light the burner and cook maintaining 350°F oil temperature. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per pound. Internal temperature should be 165 to 170°F in the breast, 175 to 180°F in the thigh. Remove and let grease drain. Set on paper towel to rest for 15 minutes.

ORANGE-BOURBON TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck from turkey; discard. Rinse turkey thoroughly with cold water; pat dry. Combine orange juice, water, 1/2 cup bourbon, and molasses in a 2-gallon heavy-duty ziptop plastic bag; add turkey. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 to 24 hours turning bag occasionally. Remove turkey from bag, reserving marinade.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Tie ends of legs with cord. Lift wing tip up and over back and tuck under bird. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt into body cavity. Stuff cavity with oranges. Place turkey on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray or on a rack set in a shallow pan. Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Bake at 350 degrees for 3 hours or until thermometer registers 180 degrees. (Cover loosely with foil if it gets too brown.) Remove turkey from oven. Cover loosely with foil; let stand at least 10 minutes before carving. Discard oranges.
• Pour reserved marinade into saucepan; bring to a boil. Skim foam from mixture with a slotted spoon; discard. Reduce heat to medium; cook until reduced to 3 1/2 cups (about 15 minutes). Combine 1/4 cup bourbon and flour in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add to reduced marinade; bring to a boil and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve sauce with turkey. Garnish with orange slices and parsley sprigs if desired.

ORANGE-MARINATED AND BRINED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• To make brine, Combine all ingredients in a stock pot or large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 45 minutes. Let cool completely. (May be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated in a non-metal container.) Thoroughly rinse and dry turkey inside and out, removing and reserving,giblets, liver and neck. Place the turkey in a large plastic bag and pour in the brine. Place in a close fitting tub or cooler. Make sure that the brine completely covers the turkey. Cover and refrigerate for 3 days. If the brine does not completely cover the bird, turn it every 12 hours. Soak about 2 lbs.wood chips for smoking at least 4 hours before use. Use hickory, orange wood or grapevine cuttings. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat it dry; truss and place on a roasting rack in a pan. Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper. Smoke turkey on the grill for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Maintain about an inch of water at all times in the drip pan. Carefully add water if drippings appear to be boiling away. If turkey skin gets too dark, cover with foil. When meat thermometer reaches 165-170 degrees in the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone, carefully transfer turkey to carving platter and let rest for about 15 minutes before carving. Reserve pan drippings for gravy.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE BRINED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE BRINE: In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine the brine ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for about 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Add about 4 cups ice cubes and allow the brine to cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pop-up timer, as well as the neck, giblets, and any excess fat from the turkey and discard. Rinse the turkey, inside and out, under cold water, drain, and place in a 5-gallon bucket or other container large enough to hold it easily (see REFERANCE & APPENDIX, _Turkey On The Grill: Have You Tried It Yet?). Pour the cooled brine over the turkey. If necessary, place a heavy weight on the turkey to keep it completely submerged. Cover the container with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 24 hours. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Truss the turkey with cotton string (see REFERANCE & APPENDIX, _Trussing: All Tied Up). Pin the neck skin flap to the body with two or three small trussing needles. Place the turkey on a roast holder set inside a heavy-gauge aluminum foil pan and lightly brush or spray with canola oil. Follow the grill's instructions for using wood chunks. Grill the turkey over Indirect Medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 170°F in the breast and 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh, 2 1/4 to 3 hours. After about 45 minutes, when the wings and drumsticks are golden brown, wrap them with aluminum foil to prevent them from burning. When the breast is golden brown, loosely cover it with foil. When fully cooked, transfer the turkey to a cutting board or platter, loosely cover the whole bird with foil, and allow to rest for about 20 minutes before carving.From Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

HONEY, BUTTER, AND ORANGE INJECTED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a small sauce pan, add the shallot and the garlic to the melted butter. Simmer on very low for about twenty minutes stirring occasionally. Add the sage, thyme, salt, pepper, orange zest, and white wine. Let simmer for fifteen more minutes to cook off the alcohol, stirring occasionally. Add the orange juice. Strain this into a bowl. Wipe out the sauce pan and return mixture to the pan. Add the honey. (When I added the honey, I just added a little, and kept stirring and tasting until the honey taste just barely started to come through.
• I stored this in the refridgerator overnight. The next morning I reheated it just until it was liquified, then injected it into the turkey. Smoke or bake as you normally would.