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With the Eatin' holidays coming up, I'm starting the preparation now!
I refuse to make a blah turkey, I grew up eating all kinds of nasty birds and I won't suffer through another one!
I'll be brining and smoking my bird. It'll be a brown sugar - bourbon - apple brine, with dry rub and smoked in Cherry and Hickory. The traditional accompaniments will be the Asiago Garlic Mashed taters, grilled onion & mushroom green bean casserole and since my brother is coming up, I'll throw a Ricotta Raisin Cheesecake out there too!
I decided to try a test run with a chicken, I made the brine, but without bourbon since I really don't care for bourbon anyway. Next time I will make it with less salt and more brown sugar/molasses/maple syrup & apple cider. Except for being a little salty, it was glorious.
Here's the bird, soaking in brine since early this afternoon. I did increase the amount of brown sugar by 1/2 C, and kept the salt the same, but there is more water in this mix. Plenty of good seasonings - garlic, onion, sage, marjoram, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, black pepper, maple, and probably a few more I can't remember right now. Anyway, its really looking like a good idea!
I put it in the smoker just before noon, with some apple wood to start. I'm making apple pecan stuffing (not in the bird) and the garlic asiago mashed taters and some homemade cranberry sauce.