Peppery Grilled Turkey Breast Food

GRILLED TURKEY WITH PRAIRIE RUB

Steps:

• Pat the turkey very dry, inside and out. Sprinkle the breast cavity with salt and pepper. Put the bay leaves, garlic and onion inside the cavity. Mix the brown sugar, Italian seasoning, garlic, mustard, paprika, ginger, orange peel, pumpkin pie spice, cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Pulse the rub in a spice grinder in a few batches until finely ground. Spread the Prairie Rub over the entire turkey.
• Prepare an outdoor charcoal grill over a medium-high heat for both direct and indirect grilling. Position a drip pan under the grate on indirect side of the grill.
• Put the turkey breast-side up over the drip pan. Toss 1 cup of the wood chips onto the coals. Cover the grill and rotate the lid so that the vent holes are directly over the meat. To maintain a medium-low smoky fire, add about a dozen pieces of charcoal and another cup of wood chips to the fire whenever the fire dies down. Rotate turkey about every 45 minutes to prevent the side near the coals from overcooking. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, garlic and onion before carving.

CITRUS GRILLED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• For the turkey and marinade: Combine the pineapple, Worcestershire, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, orange zest and juice and lime zest and juice in a large bowl. Add the turkey breast, toss to coat and cover tightly with plastic wrap. (Or pour the marinade into a resealable plastic bag with the turkey breast.) Marinate, refrigerated, for 3 to 4 hours.
• For the rub: Combine the salt, oregano, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and some black pepper in a small bowl.
• Preheat a grill to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the turkey all over with the rub, then lightly oil the skin.
• Place the turkey skin-side down on the grill. Cook until the skin begins to lightly char and crisp, about 10 minutes. Flip the turkey, then cover the grill and cook until the turkey registers 165 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes more. Loosely tent the turkey with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
• For serving: Serve the sliced turkey on buns with the Sweet-and-Sour Pineapple Marmalade and sliced red onion.
• Whisk the orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add the pineapple, red onion and jalapeno. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens, 15 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

GRILLED TURKEY WITH POMEGRANATE-BLACK PEPPER GLAZE

Steps:

• Whisk together all ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt to taste. Truss the turkey. Place turkey on a work surface, breast side up. Rub it with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Heat the grill to medium heat. Have the rotisserie shaft fitted with 1 spit fork. Making certain that the turkey is centered, push the rotisserie shaft through the turkey between the legs, exiting at the neck. Slide the spit fork onto the shaft. Insert the tines of the spit forks into the turkey, screw side up, and tighten the screws to secure firmly. Set the rotisserie shaft in place in the rotisserie ring. Loosen the retaining loop at the handle, and let the counterweight assembly hang down to counterbalance the weight of the breast. The rotisserie should rotate so that the heavy side of the turkey rotates down to the bottom. Swing the counterweight assembly so that the counterweight is directly opposite the heavy side of the turkey. Tighten the retaining loop. The counterweight travel should stick out a little bit above the shaft handle and retaining loop. You may need to adjust the travel of the counterweight as the food cooks, or if the motor sounds like it is straining. Insert the pointed end of the rotisserie shaft into the motor. Set the rotisserie shaft into the ring. Cover the grill, and turn the motor on. Grill the turkey 11 minutes per pound if unstuffed. During the last 30 minutes, baste the entire turkey with 1 cup of the marinade. Remove the turkey from the grill and immediately brush with the remaining glaze. Let rest for 20 minutes before slicing. To determine if the turkey is thoroughly cooked, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the inner muscle of the thigh, making certain not to touch the bone, and check that the temperature is 175 to 180 degrees F.

GRILLED TURKEY BREAST WITH VINEGAR AND CRACKED PEPPER

Steps:

• Cover the turkey slices with plastic wrap and pound to flatten. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper, brush lightly with olive oil and reserve. Preheat the grill or broiler. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over low heat. Cook the onions with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, stirring and shaking the pan frequently, until the onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Pour in the vinegar, turn the heat up to high and reduce by half.
• Thinly slice the remaining cold butter. Reduce the heat to low and whisk the butter into the sauce a little at a time. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cracked pepper. Grill or broil the turkey slices less than a minute per side. Serve over a bed of seared greens, if desired, with the sauce over all.

TURKEY-PEPPERONI BURGERS

Steps:

• Put the turkey, pepperoni, rosemary, half of the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix with your hands until combined. Form into four 1/2-inch-thick patties.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, undisturbed, until browned, 5 minutes. Turn and cook until golden brown on the bottom, 3 more minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the mayonnaise, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and the remaining garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Top each patty with 2 slices cheese, cover and cook until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Transfer the patties to a plate.
• Toast the buns cut-side down in the skillet, then remove from the pan and spread with the herb mayonnaise. Season the tomato slices with salt and pepper. Sandwich the lettuce, burger patties and tomatoes on the buns.

SALT-AND-PEPPER ROAST TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Keep the butter nearby. Place about 1/4 cup kosher salt in a small bowl and keep nearby as well, along with a black-pepper grinder. Transfer the turkey breast to a large sheet pan and thoroughly dry all over with a paper towel; get it as bone-dry as you can.
• Using your hands, very liberally rub the butter all over the turkey breast. (If the butter is difficult to spread, soften it further in the microwave in 10-second intervals.) Make sure to slather the butter on the underside and bones in addition to the entire surface of the skin. Wipe your hands with a towel.
• Generously season the turkey all over with salt, especially inside the cavity. You don't have to be precise here, but do go heavy on the salt - the turkey can take it. (In general, you should account for about 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon Morton coarse kosher salt per pound.) Next, generously grind black pepper all over the turkey; again, no need to measure this. Let the turkey breast sit so the seasoning can penetrate the meat and allow the bird to come to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the turkey breast in the oven, then with the oven door still open, carefully pour 1 cup water into the sheet pan with the turkey. Close the oven door and roast until the turkey's internal temperature reaches 150 degrees, 13 to 15 minutes per pound. (To read the temperature, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of one of the breasts, making sure to avoid the bone, which will give you an inaccurate reading.) Very carefully rotate the pan halfway through roasting and add another cup of water if the pan looks dry. When done roasting (1 1/2 to 2 hours), the skin should be golden brown and crispy.
• Let the turkey breast rest in its pan, uncovered, until cool enough to handle, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut along one side of the breastbone with a sharp knife, then the other, cutting each breast off the bone, and keeping the skin intact. Thickly slice each breast crosswise and serve on a large platter scattered with the lemon quarters. Taste the pan juices and, if they're a little salty, stir in a little hot water. If they need more seasoning, stir in salt and pepper. Spoon the pan juices over and around the sliced turkey.

PEPPERY HERBED TURKEY TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Pat tenderloins dry; flatten to 3/4-in. thickness. In a small bowl, combine the wine or juice, onions, parsley, 4 teaspoons oil, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Pour 3/4 cup marinade into a large shallow dish; add turkey and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade., Drain turkey, discarding marinade. Sprinkle turkey with pepper and 1/2 tsp. salt. In a large nonstick skillet, cook turkey in remaining oil for 5-6 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 165°. Remove and keep warm., In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, broth, reserved marinade and remaining salt until smooth; pour into skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Slice turkey; serve with sauce.