Injected Turkey Food

CAJUN-INJECTED SPICY TURKEY

Steps:

• Make the marinade by combining the Worcestershire sauce, crab boil, apple cider, honey, beer, salt, allspice, Creole seasoning, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic in a blender and process until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Fill a large syringe* and inject turkey in the breast and thigh area, as well as the back, wings, and legs, with at least 2/3 of the marinade. You will have to fill the syringe numerous times.
• Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F and line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.
• Season the injected turkey well both inside and out with the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and pour the remaining marinade all over the turkey. Bake the turkey uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the roasting pan, and continue to bake the turkey until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part between the thigh and the leg registers 165 degrees F. (If the turkey begins to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil until it is done. Also, add more broth as necessary to keep the bottom of the roasting pan from burning.)
• When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and set aside to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

TURKEY INJECTED WITH RANCH DRESSING

Steps:

• Combine the mayonnaise, milk, parsley, dill, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, garlic salt and pepper in a blender and process until smooth, about 2 minutes. Measure out 3/4 cup of the ranch dressing and set the remainder aside for serving at the table.
• Fill a turkey injector with the 3/4 cup ranch dressing and inject 2 tablespoons of the dressing into each thigh of the turkey, 1 tablespoon into each drumstick and 3 tablespoons into each breast. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 30 minute to let the dressing soak into the meat. Discard any of the unused ranch dressing in the injector (it has been in contact with the raw turkey).
• Mix together the olive oil and melted butter in a small bowl. Brush the turkey with the oil mixture and then sprinkle with salt.
• Preheat an oil-less fryer for cooking (alternatively, follow oven-roasting directions below). Place the turkey breast-side up in the fryer with the legs in the deepest part. Cook the turkey until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees F, about 2 hours. (The breast cooks slower than the legs in the oil-less fryer; carryover cooking will cook it the rest of the way through.) Remove the basket insert with the turkey and let the bird rest at least 30 minutes over a roasting pan. Remove the turkey from the basket, carefully dislodging any parts of the turkey that are touching the basket so the skin does not tear. Carve the turkey and serve with the reserved ranch dressing or gravy.
• Alternatively, roast the turkey in the oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Inject the turkey with the dressing as directed above and set it in a roasting pan. Roast, basting every 30 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh reaches 160 degrees F, about 3 hours (the carryover cooking will cook it the rest of the way through). Transfer to a carving board and let rest 30 minutes before carving.

BUTTER-INJECTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Prepare Turkey:
• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Melt the butter.
• Use a hypodermic needle or baster-injector to inject the butter into the turkey. Or stuff solid butter under turkey skin.
• Place thyme in turkey cavity, lightly salt and pepper the bird inside and out.
• When temperature reaches 500°F, put turkey in the oven. Let cook for 20 minutes or until the exterior is crisp, but not golden brown. Reduce heat to 375°F. Let bird roast until finished. You should have a crispy, golden brown turkey with very, very tender, buttery meat.
• Prepare Dressing:
• Render bacon. Reserve fat.
• Add garlic and onion to bacon fat and saute. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Sauté onions until translucent.
• Add stock. Reduce slightly. Add bread cubes. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Add grated carrot. Gently mix.
• Crush bacon and add to mixture.
• Add walnuts to mixture. Let mixture cool.
• Mix in the eggs until they are well incorporated.
• Place in heatproof pan (or turkey cavity) and cook at 375°F until crisp on top.
• Garnish with dried raisins or cranberries.

PERFECTLY PAIRED TURKEY INJECTION MARINADE AND RUB

Steps:

• Stir chicken broth, lemon juice, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 clove garlic, mustard powder, and ginger together in a bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate marinade for flavors to blend, about 30 minutes.
• Mix 1 cup softened butter, rosemary, thyme, and 2 cloves garlic together in a bowl until rub is evenly combined.
• Separate skin from the meat of the turkey by running your hand under the skin to separate. Spoon rub mixture evenly under the skin in several different parts of the turkey.
• Pour marinade into a meat injector and inject the meatiest parts of turkey with marinade, changing the angle of the needle several times.
• Brush turkey with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; place in roasting pan and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate turkey for 12 to 24 hours.

BUTTER-INJECTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Prepare Turkey:.
• Preheat oven to 500°F
• Melt the butter.
• Use a hypodermic needle or baster-injector to inject the butter into the turkey. Or stuff solid butter under turkey skin.
• Place thyme in turkey cavity, lightly salt and pepper the bird inside and out.
• When temperature reaches 500°F, put turkey in the oven. Let cook for 20 minutes or until the exterior is crisp, but not golden brown. Reduce heat to 375°F Let bird roast until finished. You should have a crispy, golden brown turkey with very, very tender, buttery meat.
• Prepare Dressing:.
• Render bacon. Reserve fat.
• Add garlic and onion to bacon fat and saute. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Sauté onions until translucent.
• Add stock. Reduce slightly. Add bread cubes. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Add grated carrot. Gently mix.
• Crush bacon and add to mixture.
• Add walnuts to mixture. Let mixture cool.
• Mix in the eggs until they are well incorporated.
• Place in heatproof pan (or turkey cavity) and cook at 375°F until crisp on top.
• Garnish with dried raisins or cranberries.

BOURBON INJECTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Place all ingredients other than butter into a saucepan. Whisk, then bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, then simmer for 10 minutes.
• slice butter into small pats, and add the butter after the 10 minutes are up. Whisk until the butter is melted,.
• Using a 30ml flavor injector, inject the turkey in the breast, thighs,drumstick and upper wing ares. No more than 15ml should be injected at any one place.
• Cook bird according to your normal method.

TURKEY BRINE AND INJECTION MARINADE

Steps:

• You will also need 1 Ice chest just large enough to hold the bird, brine, and ice (not too big, bird must be submerged) and 1 Brine injector (preferred), or a large (50+cc) hydodermic with large diameter needle.
• Stir salt and sugar into boiling water until completely dissolved.
• Add remaining ingredients, except olive oil, and allow to set for at least 30 minutes for flavors to develop.
• Taste; brine will be very salty; that’s why it is called ‘brine’.
• Adjust any or all ingredients to your taste, keeping in mind that tastes should be quite assertive.
• Thoroughly blend everything in a food processor or blender.
• Whisk or blend in olive oil, and strain about half into a cup or bowl for injecting, returning all strained solids to the half to be used for brining.
• Thaw your turkey completely, if frozen.
• Better yet, get a fresh turkey that hasn’t been injected with all of the artificial quote ‘butter’ unquote stuff, so the only thing in the bird is what YOU put inside the bird!
• Remove and reserve the neck and innards for gravy making, or discard them if you are not a gravy freak.
• Wash the bird thoroughly inside and out, drain well, and pat dry with paper towels.
• Use a 2 ounce (about) brining injector or a BIG (50+ cc) ‘hypodeemic nerdle’ to inject the bird with the strained brine.
• Inject in at least 3-4 sites on each side of the breast, 2-3 in each thigh, and 2-3 into the meaty part of each drumsticks, pushing the needle in deep and injecting about 1/3 of the brine deep, pulling the needle back about a third, injecting another third of the brine, and repeating after pulling the needle back another third of its length.
• Pour any remaining injection-brine with the half to be used for brining.
• Place 1 bag of ice in the bottom of the ice chest, place the turkey on top, and pour all of the brine over the turkey.
• Dump the remaining bag of ice over the turkey, and add enough very cold water to just cover the bird.
• Slosh things around enough to combine the brine with the additional water, ice, and the turkey, and make sure the brine gets into the turkey cavity.
• Close the ice chest, and set in a cool place to marinate.
• After about 7-8 hours, turn the turkey over, top to bottom, and do it again after another 7-8 hours.
• Add more ice only if everything melts; don’t bother otherwise.
• After a total of at least 24 hours, you are ready to cook your bird any way you desire, stuffed or not stuffed, roasted, fried, nuked, whatever.
• Just be sure to drain the turkey well and pat it dry before cooking by your desired method.
• Throw away all of the brine, remaining ice, etc.
• ,and thoroughly wash your ice chest before using it for more legitimate purposes, such as storing beer and wine to go with your ‘wonnerful’ turkey dinner.
• Notes: This marinade/brine can also be used for chicken or pork-- just half the recipe, and follow the general instructions using smaller amounts-- or make a full recipe of the brine/marinade and save half in the fridge for next time.
• If you are lucky enough to actually have a fridge large enough and empty enough to hold a turkey for a day or so, forget the ice chest and most of the ice, and brine your bird in a plastic bag large enough to hold the bird and brine, squeezing out all of the air, and just turn it over every 7-8 hours so things marinate evenly.

DEEP FRIED TURKEY FLAVOR INJECTOR MARINADE

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in food processor or blender.
• Mix until thoroughly blended (about 2-4 minutes).
• Transfer into flavor injector and inject turkey in several places.
• Deep fry turkey as usual (about 3 minutes per pound).