TURKEY MEATLOAF ALTON BROWN RECIPES

Steps:

• Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and set aside to rest. Leave the drippings from the turkey in the pan and place the roasting pan over medium heat. Add the broth and wine at the same time. Whisk to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan until all of the bits have come loose. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes in order to reduce the mixture slightly. Transfer the liquid to a fat separator and let sit for 5 minutes to allow fat to separate. Return 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the fat to the roasting pan and place over medium-high heat. Discard any remaining fat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture starts to thicken and become smooth, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Once this happens, gradually add the liquid back to the pan and whisk until smooth and you have reached your desired consistency, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Remember, your gravy should be slightly thin in the pan as it will thicken once you serve it. Add the herbs and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• 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.
• Early on the day or 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 roasting rack inside a half sheet 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 reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 151 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 for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
• Start with the bacon weave.
• To make the weave, lay out eight strips of bacon vertically on a piece of foil or plastic wrap.
• Then, fold over every other vertical piece of bacon in the middle. Next, place a strip horizontally across the vertical bacon.
• Then, unfold the folded strips and fold back the alternate row of bacon that you previously left flat. Place the next piece of bacon across the vertical strips directly adjacent to the first horizontal piece. Repeat this process two more times.
• Once you finish the first half, repeat with the other half.
• Season the top of the bacon with a little salt and pepper.
• Now it is time to prepare the turkey breast. You can do this with a bone-in turkey breast, but it will take a lot more bacon. I prefer the ease of a boneless turkey breast. If your turkey breast was packaged with a net around it, make sure to cut the net off and dispose of it. There really won't be a need for the net as the sweet bacon weave will take its place. Once you have the turkey breast unwrapped and de-netted, season with a little salt and pepper. Then, wrap in the bacon. The foil/plastic wrap that you assembled your weave on will help you encase the turkey with the bacon.
• Once you have the turkey wrapped, place it on a rack on foil lined sheet pan.
• Insert a probe thermometer and then place into the oven. Cook until the internal temperature of the turkey breast is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This took about 1 hour and 45 minutes for my 2.5 lb turkey breast. This time will vary based on the size of your breast. As always, make sure to cook based on temperature and not on time.
• Once the breast has come to temperature, remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
• Serve and enjoy!