Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway, it was the largest amount of entries to date! Congrats to Tonya and Buddy I hope you guys enjoy the Butterball turkey and I would to see what you make this year! Also a huge thank you to our sponsor Butterball for the turkey vouchers!!
Don’t forget all the ways you can “Butterball It” this season:
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- Live chats: 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372) TurkeyTalk Line experts will be available this season starting November 3, 2014, through December 24, 2014, to answer questions and assist all Thanksgiving cooks.
- Butterball App: Download the free Butterball Cookbook Plus app on your Apple device (Available for Android devices beginning in October) to get recipe ideas and cooking advice at your fingertips.
I bought a 11.30 pound turkey and it took a little less cooking time so be mindful of that when you buy a turkey and adjust it to the recipe. I also injected the turkey once I took the bacon off to make sure it stayed nice and moist. Overall the recipe is really good. My only word of caution is make sure you have a large enough pot to brine the turkey. We used our crawfish/turkey frying pot. I love how the gravy came out and hubby loved the nice crunch the bacon added.
Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon
(Adapted from Food & Wine)
1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
8 bay leaves
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
2 onions, cut into thick wedges
1 pound slab bacon, skin removed and meat sliced 1/3 inch thick
Six 12-ounce bottles Guinness stout
One 12- to 14-pound turkey
1 cup turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
In a very large pot, combine the mustard seeds, peppercorns and bay leaves and toast over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the brown sugar and salt and remove from the heat.
Add 4 cups of water and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved; let cool completely.
Add the onions, bacon, Guinness and 16 cups of cold water to the pot. Add the turkey to the brine, breast side down, and top with a heavy lid to keep it submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350° and position a rack on the bottom shelf. Lift the turkey from the brine, pick off any peppercorns, mustard seeds and bay leaves and pat dry. Transfer the turkey to a large roasting pan, breast side up. Scatter the onion wedges in the pan and add 1 cup of water.
Using toothpicks, secure the bacon slices over the breast.
Roast the turkey for about 2 hours, turning the pan occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted deep into the turkey thighs registers 150°. Remove the bacon and return the turkey to the oven.
Roast for about 1 hour longer, until the breast is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 170°. Transfer the turkey to a carving board.
Pour the pan juices and onion wedges into a saucepan and boil until reduced to 3 cups, about 5 minutes.
Add the turkey stock and return to a boil. In a small bowl, mash the butter to a paste with the flour. Whisk the paste into the gravy and boil until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the bacon crosswise 1/2 inch thick. In a large skillet, fry the bacon over high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes.
Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy and bacon.
Disclaimer: 3 Butterball checks where sent to me one for me and two to giveaway have been provided by Butterball for this Review & Giveaway. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
