The Culinary Works

Share this Digg Del.icio.us Reddit Slashdot Furl Yahoo Technorati Newsvine Ma.Gnolia Googlize this Blinklist Facebook Hear this text Print E-mail

I definitely went overboard.   I couldn't help it!  I have a need to take things appart and over-engineer them, then put them back together the hard way.  It's not my fault: I am a boy!

I knew I was in trouble when Jen posed the question, "You are going to use the smoker right?"  But in truth, it was more of a statement.  Hence, my only defense was, "Is there a limit on the number of pounds of bacon I can use?"

So what I made was a partially deboned turkey with a cornbread sausage stuffing.  Deboning a bird makes it a lot easier to serve but it does take a little more effort in the preparation.  For smaller birds, like chickens or ducks, I prefer to completely debone the bird.  For larger birds like goose or turkeys, I prefer to debone everything but the wings and drumsticks.  The meat on those parts of the larger birds is already easy to get to, and leaving them whole makes for a nicer presentation.

On to the process

I brined the turkey for 24 hour prior to starting. I was working with a whole turkey, so I choose to use less brine and rotate the turkey occasionally.  This method works well since it allows you to use less liquid which means you will actually be able to lift and move your brining container.

My favorite brine is 50%-50% salt to white sugar: which works out to about 1 cup of each to a gallon of water for a strong brine.  I don't count any other additions in the above ratio.  Here are some other things that I like adding to a brine for variety:

• Dried, ground seasonings like sage, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon sticks
• Fresh and whole ingredients like sliced citrus, dried or fresh fruits, garlic or onions
• Liquids like red or white wine, orange or apple juice

Just remember that stronger flavored ingredients may overpower more subtle flavors.  Choose ingredients that pair well with your other dishes and add less of strong ingredients for more of a balanced flavor.

Once the turkey was brined overnight, I removed the rib cage and back of the turkey.  I left the bones in the legs, thighs and wings so that I would have a nice presentation in the end.  Once deboned, I set the bird skin side down in a pan and sprinkled about a cup of brown sugar over the exposed meat, just for a little extra flavor.  From there, I covered the pan with plastic wrap and put it back into the refrigerator until I needed it again.

The sausage

I decided to use ground pork for the stuffing because, in my opinion,  it has more flavor than ground turkey or chicken.  Feel free to substitute other ground meats, keeping in mind that turkey is very mild.

I mixed the sausage with the seasonings and added it to the hominy.  From there, I chilled it for a about 15 - 30 minutes, until the mixture was firm again.

The stuffing

I mixed the ingredients for the stuffing and then chilled it.  I chilled both the sausage and the stuffing mix because I was going to form them into a log.  I need them both chilled and firm so that neither ran out all over the counter.  My next step was to cover a cutting board with several pieces of plastic so that there was more than enough extra plastic flowing off the side of the board.  Once my ingredients were chilled, I started with the stuffing mix.   I gently spooned the stuffing mix onto the plastic lined cutting board until it was covered in an even layer.

Next, I formed the sausage into a log the length of the layer of stuffing and laid it down the middle of the stuffing mix.  I folded the plastic up on each side and pressed it into shape, gently folding the extra plastic over the edges and twisting up the ends.  I choose to wrap everything in cheese cloth and tie it with butchers twine, but you could easily accomplish the same thing with a couple extra layers of plastic.

You need a large flat pan for the next step.  A roasting pan works well.  Set the pan across two burners and fill about half way with hot water.  Bring the water up to simmer ( about 180 degrees ) and then gently lower your stuffing log in.   Add enough water to the pan to bring the water lever no closer than one inch from the top.  Your stuffing log may stick out of the water, but that is ok for now.  Let the stuffing simmer for about twenty minutes and then roll it over in the pan (which is why we did not fill the pan to the top!).  Let it cook another twenty minutes and then take a temperature reading.

Using a probe thermometer, check the internal temperature.  You are looking for a reading of 145 degrees, which is ample for pork.  If you use chicken or turkey sausage, cook to 165 degrees.  When you reach your target temperature, move the stuffing log to a cutting board and wait until it is cool enough to handle.

Stuffing the Turkey

While the stuffing log is cooling, I laid the turkey out on the cutting board.  Once it was cool enough for me to touch, I unwrapped the stuffing log and trimmed the ends so that it would fit inside the turkey.  Moving slowly and carefully,  set the stuffing in the middle of the deboned turkey.

Instead of tying the turkey shut with twine, I prefer to close it with bamboo skewers.  It is much faster that lacing a turkey shut and definitely a lot easier.

Once I closed the turkey, I tied is off with twine just to give it a nice shape. From there, it was off to the smoker for a few hours at 300 degrees.  Once the exterior was up to 165 degrees and our precooked interior was back up to 145 degrees, we were ready to eat!

In the end

Over complicated and detailed: you bet.  Fun, absolutely!  The joy of carving a turkey stright across without worrying about bones and getting a slice of stuffing to boot,  I leave that up to you to decide.

If you have any questions, give me a yell and I will be happy to help out! Email Mark here!

The brine

• 2 cups kosher salt
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup of dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 gallon of water

Begin by mixing the salt and sugar together in a one gallon food grade container ( or larger ) with about two cups of hot tap water.  Let it stand few a few minutes to dissolve some of the mixture.  Fill up to the one gallon mark with cold water and mix until the salt and sugar are dissolved.  Pour the mixture to your brining container and add the remaining ingredients.  Stir, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for about a half hour to let the mixture absorb the flavors.  You can make your brine days ahead and store it in the refrigerator.

The Sausage

• 1 pound of ground pork
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 2 tsp chili powder or harrisa
• 1-8 ounce can yellow hominy

Mix the pork with the salt, pepper and chili powder.  Drain the hominy and run through your food processor until finely ground.   Pour the ground hominy into a bowl and mix the sausage into the hominy.  It is just easier that way. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

The Cornbread

• 3 pablano chilies - roasted, skinned and chopped ( substitute 4 - 6 ounces of canned chillies)
• 1 plantain - diced and sauteed
• 1 persimmon - pulp only
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 1/2 cups yellow corn meal
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 stick of butter - melted

Roast your chilis on a sheet pan at 375 degrees until they are mushy and the skins are dark.  You can also blacken them over a gas burner or use my favorite method: a propane torch!  Once blackened, put the chilis in a covered container for a few minutes and the steam will loosen the skin.  Remove the bulk of the skin in a bowl of water.  Remove and discard the seeds and stem, then set your chilis aside in a bowl.  Cut the plantain into pieces small enough to saute.  Cook in a little oil or butter until soft and lightly browned.  Set aside in the bowl with your chilis.

If you are adding a persimmon, cut it in half and hold over a bowl while you feel through the pulp for the seeds.  Remove and discard the stem and skin, place the remaining pulp in the bowl with your chillies and plantains.  Pour your chili mix into a food processor and pulse just enough so that everything is evenly chopped.

Crack the eggs in a large bowl, whisk until the eggs are well blended.  Adding the milk and lemon juice and whisk until all ingredients are incorporated.   Next, mix together the remaining dry ingredients, then slowly pour into the egg mixture while mixing with a spatula to avoid lumps.   Fold the ingredients until everything is smooth.

Finally, pour in your chili mixture along with the melted butter.  Fold until blended, cover with plastic and set in fridge until chilled.

 

Quote this article on your site