Baja California Grilled Or Roasted Turkey Recipes

Steps:

• Dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons cold water in a large (at least 16 quart) stockpot or a clean bucket. (You can also add fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme or bay leaf, or aromatics like onions and garlic.) Add the turkey, cover and refrigerate, or set in a very cold place (that stays somewhere between 32 to 40 degrees F) for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine 1 hour before grilling. Rinse well under cold water and pat dry to remove the salt.
• Prepare a charcoal grill for indirect grilling. The temperature inside the grill should be 350 degrees F.
• Place the turkey on the grill, cover and grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 175 degrees F, 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 1/2 hours. Let the turkey rest 1 hour before carving.

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, cut through the skin that connects legs to the breast on both sides of the turkey. Press down on thighs until they pop out of the sockets and the legs lie flat.
• In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper and lemon zest. Smear mixture all over turkey, including inside the cavity. Pat herb sprigs and garlic all over bird. Stuff bay leaves into cavity. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight or for up to 2 nights.
• Remove turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before you want to roast it. Remove all but the top rack from the oven. (You can remove that, too, but if you leave it in, you'll be able to roast something else at the same time as the turkey.)
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Take all the herb sprigs and garlic cloves off the surface of the turkey and stuff them into the cavity.
• Place a large, empty heavy-duty roasting pan on top of the stove, across two burners if possible. Heat up the pan for a minute or so, until the pan is quite hot. Add the oil, let it heat up for a few seconds, then add the turkey, breast side up, so the legs are parallel to the short sides of the pan and have room to flop open. Press down on the splayed legs so they touch the bottom of the pan. Let turkey sear for 5 minutes, pressing down on the legs occasionally.
• Pour enough wine into the bottom of the pan to reach a depth of 1/8 inch. Scatter onions around turkey and sprinkle them lightly with salt. Drizzle turkey and onions with a little oil.
• 7. Transfer pan to oven, setting it directly on the oven floor (not on a rack). If you have an electric oven, position the rack at the lowest possible position. Top with a pizza stone, if you have one. Place turkey in its roasting pan on the rack and cook as directed. Roast for 30 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350 degrees, give the onions a stir, and if the bottom of the pan is dry, add a splash of wine to moisten the onions. (As the turkey continues to cook, occasionally check the onions to make sure they don't dry out or they may burn, adding wine as needed.) Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (but not touching the bone) reads 165 degrees and the breast meat reaches at least 160 degrees, about another 40 to 65 minutes depending upon your oven and the pan you use. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect medium-high heat.
• Rinse turkey and pat dry. Turn wings back to hold neck skin in place. Return legs to tucked position. Brush turkey with oil. Season inside and out with Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a metal grate inside a large roasting pan. Arrange pan on the prepared grill. Grill 2 to 3 hours, to an internal thigh temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Remove turkey from grill and let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Combine the brine ingredients in a 5-gallon bucket and stir until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Put the gel packs in the brine. Completely submerge teh turkey pieces in teh brine and weight with a lid and a foil-wrapped brick to keep it under the surface. Marinate for 4 hours - no longer!
• Make the marinade: Chop the garlic to a paste with the salt and chipotles. Stir in the oil, soy sauce, and lime juice. Add the ground chile, cumin, oregano, and granulated garlic. Stir in the orange juice and cilantro to make a paste the consistency of sour cream. Thin, if necessary, with a little more orange juice.
• After 4 hours, remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. Rub the marinade all over the turkey.
• Heat the grill to medium hot. Grill the turkey pieces on all sides for about 30 minutes (total) until you have nice grill marks and the spices are cooked. I used my grill pan for this step). Turn off one side of the grill and move the turkey pieces to a disposable aluminum pan on the cooler side. Brush with more of the marinade, close the lid, and cook with the burner on medium (325 - 350 degrees) for about 1 hour, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.(Alternatively, transfer the turkey to a 350 degree oven.).
• Brush the turkey with the marinade twice more during cooking. If the turkey starts to turn black, cover with foil. Discard the marinade.
• Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving. Reserve the pan juices for sauce.

Steps:

• Coat the entire turkey breast in about half of the BBQ Chip Dust. Place on a sheet pan fitted with a rack and let it dry brine in the fridge, uncovered, for 8 hours and up to overnight.
• Install an air fryer searing plate in an air fryer and set the temperature to 400 degrees F for 35 minutes for the plate to preheat.
• In a large bowl, toss the parsnips, sweet potatoes and baby potatoes with the avocado oil. Sprinkle with the remaining BBQ Chip Dust and toss until coated.
• Remove the searing plate and place the turkey breast skin-side down on one side. Arrange the vegetables on the other side. Cook until the turkey skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes (see Cook's Note). Flip the turkey breast and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees F and the root vegetables are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes.
• Carefully remove the rib bone (if there is one) from the turkey breast and carve. Serve with the root vegetables.
• Combine the brown sugar, salt, chile powder, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne in a small bowl and mix until blended. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight resealable container.

Steps:

• For the brine: Combine the salt, peppercorns, thyme, sage, orange and 1 1/2 gallons water in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the salt is dissolved and the water is fragrant. Turn off the heat and let cool completely.
• For the turkey: To brine the turkey, place the turkey in a roasting bag, large plastic bag or bowl large enough to fit it with still more space for the brine. Pour in the brining liquid and seal or cover. If there's not enough room for all of the liquid in the brine, be sure to at least include the herbs, orange and peppercorns. Refrigerate at least overnight and up to 3 days.
• When ready to cook, remove the turkey from the brine and discard all of the brining liquid and solids. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
• To butterfly the turkey, using kitchen shears or a knife, cut out the backbone of the turkey. Break the breastbone to open up and flatten the bird by gently pressing down with the skin-side up. Flip over and pat dry. Using your finger, gently release the skin from the muscle of the turkey and insert the butter pieces between the skin and meat all over the bird.
• For the rub: In a medium bowl, mix together the cumin, paprika, chili powder, orange zest, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the rub in a small bowl and set aside.
• Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and sprinkle with the rub. Gently rub into the skin. Place the turkey cavity-side down on a rack in a roasting pan and allow to sit on the countertop for about 2 hours to come to room temperature.
• For the glaze: To the reserved 1 tablespoon of rub, stir in the honey and orange juice until smooth. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add 1 to 2 inches of water to the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the turkey in the oven, lower the heat to 350 degrees F and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven and brush the glaze over the skin. Return to the oven and continue to roast, glazing every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 160 degrees F, 1 to 2 hours.
• Let the turkey rest at room temperature before carving, tented with aluminum foil, until it comes up to 165 degrees F, about 30 minutes. Plate the turkey and garnish with orange slices and sage and thyme sprigs.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.
• Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
• Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.
• Slice the turkey and serve.

Steps:

• Remove neck and giblets; reserve for other uses. Remove and discard excess fat. Rinse the bird inside and out and pat dry. Season body cavity with salt and pepper. Tie legs together and twist wing tips under back. Brush turkey with oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange turkey breast side up, in center of cooking grate. Place lid on grill.
• Cook 11 to 13 minutes per pound or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh not touching bone registers 180 degrees and the juices run clear. Transfer turkey to a platter. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.
• Method for the Charcoal Kettle Grill: Open all vents on the grill. Use charcoal dividers to hold the charcoal briquettes. Divide the briquettes evenly, place them in the dividers and place the dividers on either side of the charcoal grate, as close as possible to the outside edges. Ignite the briquettes and, keeping the lid off, let them burn until lightly covered with a gray ash, about 25 to 30 minutes. If necessary, use long-handled tongs to rearrange the briquettes so the coals will burn evenly on both sides. Place a foil drip pan on the charcoal grate between the baskets of coals. Put the cooking grate in place, positioning the hinged sides of the grate over the briquettes so that more charcoal can be added easily. Arrange the bird breast side up in the center of the cooking grate. Place lid on the grill, leaving all vents open, and grill as directed above. Add briquettes as indicated on the chart below at the end of each hour to maintain the heat.
• Charcoal Briquette Guide for Kettle Grill: For a 26 3/4-inch grill, use 30 briquettes on each side for the first hour of grilling and add 9 briquettes to each side every hour to maintain heat.
• For a 22 1/2-inch grill, use 25 briquettes on each side for the first hour of grilling and add 8 briquettes to each side every hour to maintain heat.
• For an 18 1/2-inch grill, use 20 briquettes on each side for the first hour of grilling and add 7 briquettes to each side every hour to maintain heat.
• Method for the Gas Barbecue: Ignite the grill and turn all burners to high. Close the lid and preheat 10 to 15 minutes to bring the grill to 500 to 550 degrees. Turn burners down to medium heat. Place turkey breast side up in a roast holder inside a foil drip pan. Position pan in the center of the cooking grate and place the lid on the grill. For three burner grills, set front and back burners to medium and turn off center burner. For two burner grills, turn the front and back burners to medium. Keep grill covered.

Steps:

• Whisk cider vinegar, vegetable oil, and salt together in a small bowl. Combine cabbage, scallions, and cilantro in a separate bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over top and toss to coat; set cabbage slaw aside.
• Combine chili powder, salt, coriander, cumin, and pepper in a bowl. Pat fish dry and rub with vegetable oil. Rub fish evenly with spice mixture. Place fish on a wire rack and refrigerate until grill is ready.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat with the lid down for 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the grill is heating, combine mayonnaise, 1/2 of the lime juice, chipotle peppers, and garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Scrape the hot grill grate until clean. Dip a paper towel in vegetable oil and quickly rub it over the grate. Lay fish on the grill, perpendicular to the bars of the grate.
• Cook until fish is opaque and flakes apart when gently prodded, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Tear fish apart into a bowl and pour remaining lime juice over top.
• Place several tortillas in a single layer on the grill and cook until warm, about 10 seconds per side. Transfer to a tortilla warmer and repeat to warm remaining tortillas.
• Smear warm tortillas with mayonnaise mixture, then add fish, cabbage slaw, and queso fresco.