Alton Brown Chicken Brine Food

STUFFED PORK CHOP

Steps:

• Place 1 cup of the salt, the brown sugar, peppercorns, mustard and vinegar in a 6-quart container and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the ice cubes and stir to melt most of the ice. Add the chops and make sure they are submerged in the brine. Cover and refrigerate 25 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with the oven rack in the center of the oven.
• Remove the chops from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Holding a knife parallel to the cutting board, cut a deep 2-inch-wide pocket into the side of each pork chop.
• Combine the cornbread, walnuts, dried cherries, raisins, pepper, sage, 2 teaspoons salt and the buttermilk in a mixing bowl. Place about 1/4 cup of the stuffing into the pocket of each chop. Brush both sides of each chop with the oil.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet until smoking hot, about 600 degrees F. Add the chops to the pan and cook until well seared, about 5 minutes per side.
• Transfer the pan to the oven and cook about 12 minutes more or until the internal temperature of the chops reaches 140 degrees F for medium. Be sure to temp the chops in the thickest part of the meat close to the bone, not in the stuffing. Let the chops rest 5 minutes before serving.

RING OF FIRE GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Lay the chicken on a plastic cutting board, breast side up, with the neck facing you. Remove both wings at the joint between the wing and drumette. Remove the thigh quarters by slicing down on either side of the back end of the breast. Grab both legs, pop the joints that connect to the back, and turn the bird over. Remove the thighs and legs by slicing where they attach to the backbone. Hold the thigh and leg together, feel for the slight indentation where the joints meet and make an incision at this joint. Set the leg and thigh down and slice to separate. Repeat with the other leg piece. Turn the bird back over, breast side up, put your knife against the breastbone and slice down along the rib cage, cutting the breast meat away from the bone. Be sure to include the drumette when removing the breast. Repeat on the other breast. Freeze the carcass for making stock or discard.
• Put the chicken pieces in a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag with the water, honey, and salt. Seal the bag and move around vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to distribute the honey and dissolve the salt. Set the bag in a leak-proof container and refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine curry powder, chili powder, cocoa powder, adobo powder, cumin, and hot smoked paprika in a 1 gallon resealable bag.
• Pat the chicken with paper towels until very dry. Do not rinse.
• Put the chicken in the bag with the spice mixture and shake to thoroughly coat the chicken. Lay the pieces on a cooling rack set inside a half sheet pan. Rest for 30 minutes.
• Spritz 2 pieces of newspaper lightly with vegetable oil and put in the bottom of a charcoal chimney starter. Fill the chimney starter with natural chunk charcoal, 2 to 3 pounds, and set on the charcoal grate of a kettle grill until hot and ashy, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Prepare a ring of heavy-duty aluminum foil with the center 9-inches in diameter. Put this ring over the chimney starter and lay on the charcoal grate.
• Carefully and evenly distribute the hot charcoal outside the ring. Set an aluminum pie pan in the center of the ring to catch any drippings. Set the cooking grate in place and heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Lightly oil the cooking grate. Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side down, on the grate over the hot coals. Turn the legs a quarter turn every 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the thighs, wings, and breasts after 4 to 5 minutes. Skin should blister and darken in color. Adjust intensity of heat by turning the grill grate to expose chicken pieces to cooler or hotter coals, as needed, and to avoid flare-ups.
• After 9 to 10 minutes total cook time, move the breast to the center of the grill and cover with a second aluminum pie pan. After 10 to 11 minutes total cook time, put the wings on top of the pie pan. Lean the thighs and legs against the side of the aluminum pie pan away from the direct heat of the coals. Turn every 2 minutes. Put any pieces that finish cooking on top of the pan. After 18 to 20 minutes total cook time, check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer inserted in the deepest part of each piece. The pieces should reach 155 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken to a clean, medium bowl. Cover with a tea towel and rest 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately

ALTON BROWN TURKEY BRINE AND GOOD EATS ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Two to three days before roasting, thaw the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38° F, tops.
• To make the turkey brine: Combine the broth, salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice, and finger in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the brine.
• The eve before roasting, combine the brine and the iced water in a cooler. Place the thawed turkey (guts, neck, and whatnot removed) breast side down in the brine. Seal up the cooler and use it as an ottoman. Target bring time: 12 hours; flip the bird once about halfway through.
• On roasting day: Heat the oven to 500°F. Remove the bird from the brine and rinse inside and out. Discard brine.
• Place the bird on a roasting rack and place inside a roasting pan. Pat the bird dry (inside and out) with paper towels.
• Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon, and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add to the turkey's cavity, along with the rosemary and sage. Truss, if you like.
• Lightly coat the bird with canola oil. Roast the bird on the lowest rack of the oven for 30 minutes.
• Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
• Roast until the thermometer registers 155°F, about 2½ hours.
• Remove from the oven, cover closely with aluminum foil, and let rest for a least 15 minutes before carving.

PERFECT CHICKEN BRINE

Steps:

• Mix water, kosher salt, white sugar, garlic, sage, basil, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a large pot over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the salt and sugar are dissolved completely, about 20 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat and cover with a lid. Cool brine at room temperature for 2 hours before refrigerating to cool completely.

ROAST BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix together salt, brown sugar, and water in saucepan until sugar and salt dissolve.
• Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, add herb/spices and allow to cool to room temp.
• Place chicken in a food-safe plastic bag and add slices of 1 lemon to the bag or place in the chicken cavity.
• Add the brine to the bag, making sure the chicken is covered completely.
• Seal bag, removing as much air as possible, and refrigerate for 24 hours, agitating brine mixture from time to time.
• The next day, remove chicken from the brine and discard brine.
• Rinse chicken with water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Place chicken in a roasting pan and stuff cavity with additional sliced lemon, fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.
• Tuck additional garlic cloves under the skin of the chicken, if desired.
• Rub skin with unsalted butter and seaon with salt and pepper.
• Roast chicken at 400F until the internal temp reaches 170F and the leg moves easily in the joint, 1 1/2- 2 1/2 hours.

ALTON BROWN'S BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• 2 to 3 days before roasting:.
• Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
• Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
• The night before you'd like to eat:.
• Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
• Place the bird on rack of roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
• Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and cover the breast with a foil triangle. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.