Trinidad Turkey

I went to Ralph's Meats today to pick up our fresh turkey.  The owners told us earlier this week that choices ranged from 18 to 24 pounds, so we asked for the smaller size.  When I arrived, I also ordered some country-style beef ribs, pork back ribs, and thick cut lamb chops for Dan's heritage Tuscany pasta sauce, which he wants to make for customers this weekend.  They loaded my orders, including the turkey,  into a milk crate and carried it out to the truck for me.  So it wasn't until I arrived home that I discovered we had a 26-pound turkey!!  Yikes.  We need a last minute change of plans . . .

Our original plan was to put a citrus-stuffed turkey on our Weber rotisserie, but this emu-size bird would probably be better off smoked.  So off I went to Cider Creek Apple Farm for some unfiltered apple cider.

At first, I thought we would have to use a winery bucket to brine the turkey--but we dug out the beer brewing pot.  It's a perfect fit, although the hops stored inside lent an interesting tobacco-like aroma.  I liked it, but Dan thought maybe not for turkey, so I rinsed the pot well before assembling the brine.  I forgot we had all these hops . . . if Dan turns his back on the smoker tomorrow, I'll probably add some soaked hops to the smoker pan.

Our choice of brine ingredients:

• 6  48 oz. bottles of unfiltered apple cider
• 3/4 cup Trinidad seasoning (a garlic, lemon, salt mix)
• 3 teaspoons Chinese cassia cinnamon
• 1 fat pinch dried saffron
• 1 bulb fresh ginger root, peeled and grated, peels thrown in too!
• 1 handful fresh bay branches
• 1 handful fresh rosemary twigs

The liquid didn't quite cover the turkey even when I pushed it down, so out to the crush pad I went to consult with the guys, who were pressing the last of the Benito Dusi old vine zinfandel.  "We need more liquid," I said, "so what do you think?  Water or wine?"  My son, ever the smart aleck, put his finger to his lips and said, "Let me think.  Wine?"  Dan added, "White wine."  Like, duh.

So this turkey is anointed with one bottle each of viognier and roussanne.  Talk about "Rhone to the Bone!"

The brine smells great! Tomorrow we will break in our new Weber smoker.