Casa M Roasted Turkey

by Mike Hernandez March 14, 2021

This recipe offers two paths to a delicious turkey. You can smoke first for added flavor and then roast to get crispy skin or you can skip the smoking and just roast the bird. Either way we have you collect the drippings for basting before browning up the skin and for making turkey gravy too. The brining process is essential. It does take two days at least to get the bird brined and dried, but it's well worth it for the resulting main course at Thanksgiving dinner.

There's a fine line between what is big enough to hold your turkey and brine solution and what is small enough to fit into your refrigerator. Plan ahead and get a brining container that you know will suit both needs. You want the bird fully covered in the brine all 24 hours. Also super important is the drying step. It doesn't sound important, but it is for the crispy skin it yields. A light coat if any vegetable oil on the dry turkey skin is all you need to get the salt and Pecking Order® to cling. Smoking is suggested if you have a smoker, if not, no worries. This is still going to be a delicious bird.

As always, from our table to yours... #SpiceConfidently #EssenceOfFlavor #ChemistryInTheKitchen #CasaMSpice

— Mike Hernandez

ingredients

For the Brine:

3 cups apple juice or cider
2 gallons water
8 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups salt
1 cup Casa M Spice Co® Pecking Order®
2 cups brown sugar
5 bay leaves
3 large orange rinds

Pulling It All Together:

1 fresh turkey
olive oil
1 cup Casa M Spice Co® Pecking Order®
1/8 teaspoon salt per pound of turkey

FEATURED QUOTE

Plan ahead and get a brining container that you know will suit both needs. You want the bird fully covered in the brine all 24 hours. Also super important is the drying step. It doesn't sound important, but it is for the crispy skin it yields.

- Mike Hernandez

LET’S GET COOKING

1.
Mix the brine ingredients together in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat off and cover and let cool.
2.
Add the turkey to the brining container (one that is small enough to fit into your refrigerator, but big enough to fit the turkey and the brine solution too), then pour the fully cooled brine in with the turkey completely submerging it.
3.
Refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the turkey from the brine solution (discarding the brine solution) and place on a drying rack that fits into a baking sheet and return (uncovered) to the refrigerator for 24 hours to dry well.
4.
Once the turkey is fully dried, rub it very lightly with olive oil, then stick your hand under the skin to separate it from the turkey and using your hands, apply salt and Pecking Order® evenly under the skin, inside the cavity, and on top of the skin.
5.
Preheat your smoker to 160°F. If you're skipping the smoking step, skip this step as well and go down to preheating your oven.
6.
Smoke the turkey for about 3 hours with a drip pan under it to collect the juices monitoring the internal temperature to ensure it doesn't get over 140°F. Turn off the heat and remove the bird when it reaches 140°F or you get to the end of 3 hours. Baste the turkey lightly with the pan drippings you collected. You can use these drippings for the turkey gravy now too.
7.
Preheat your oven to 325°F if you're only roasting the turkey or 325°F if you've already smoked it from above.
8.
Roast the turkey until the internal temperature reads 155°F in the breasts and the skin is golden and crispy.
9.
Remove the bird from the oven and let it rest for 15-30 minutes to cool properly, then carve it up and serve.
10.
Don't ever throw away the carcass of a bird. Throw all the bones and such into a freezer bag and freeze so you can make stock with them.