Happy Tuesday, friends!
A busy day is in store for me today. I started my morning by preparing a brine for two turkey drumsticks and four turkey wings which I will attempt to smoke in the nifty smoker we purchased when we were in Texas a couple years back. This brine is similar to the one I use to brine my turkey at Christmastime. For those of you who've never tried brining their turkey before cooking it, you should. It makes a huge difference in the meat's tenderness. You've heard the expression 'cutting through it like butter'? Well, that is precisely what brining does. If you would like to give it a try, here is the recipe:
TURKEY BRINE:
1 tsp. pink salt* (optional)
3 tbsp. brown sugar
Mix well to dissolve the salt, and let cool.
Once liquid has cooled, place meat in a large plastic bag, add liquid, remove air and seal. Place in fridge for 12 hours (in a casserole dish in case bag leaks!). Gently flip bag over every once in a while.
Place in smoker at 310 degrees for a full hour. Once internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, meat is done.
* Pink salt is a curing agent which preserves the meat and enhances its colour. I choose to leave it out.
Of course, I went off topic for a minute there, but I'm back. The second thing I got done so far today is making sourdough bread starter. The yeasty dough is currently sitting in a sunny location in my living room, where it will remain for the next three days.
And now I am ensconced in my office where I will work on my next novel, 'A KINDNESS RETURNED' for the next few hours. I promise!
Enjoy your day, and read a book! (Or drop me a line in the Comments section below this post!)
P.S.: Welcome to our new blog followers from Russia. Hope you'll visit often!
Lise
A busy day is in store for me today. I started my morning by preparing a brine for two turkey drumsticks and four turkey wings which I will attempt to smoke in the nifty smoker we purchased when we were in Texas a couple years back. This brine is similar to the one I use to brine my turkey at Christmastime. For those of you who've never tried brining their turkey before cooking it, you should. It makes a huge difference in the meat's tenderness. You've heard the expression 'cutting through it like butter'? Well, that is precisely what brining does. If you would like to give it a try, here is the recipe:
TURKEY BRINE:
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. Kosher salt1 tsp. pink salt* (optional)
3 tbsp. brown sugar
Mix well to dissolve the salt, and let cool.
Once liquid has cooled, place meat in a large plastic bag, add liquid, remove air and seal. Place in fridge for 12 hours (in a casserole dish in case bag leaks!). Gently flip bag over every once in a while.
After brining, rinse well with cold
water, pat with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Place in smoker at 310 degrees for a full hour. Once internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, meat is done.
* Pink salt is a curing agent which preserves the meat and enhances its colour. I choose to leave it out.
Of course, I went off topic for a minute there, but I'm back. The second thing I got done so far today is making sourdough bread starter. The yeasty dough is currently sitting in a sunny location in my living room, where it will remain for the next three days.
And now I am ensconced in my office where I will work on my next novel, 'A KINDNESS RETURNED' for the next few hours. I promise!
Enjoy your day, and read a book! (Or drop me a line in the Comments section below this post!)
P.S.: Welcome to our new blog followers from Russia. Hope you'll visit often!
Lise
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