Dry brine for Thanksgiving turkey

Here is a recipe I have used numerous times.  Originally it came from the Portable Kitchen website.  I’ve even used it for a whole turkey breast which are the pictures below.  Worked great…just skipped the stick of butter.

It is a dry brine.  It makes it a heck of a lot easier to store the bird overnight in the refrigerator

Combine a dry rub mixture consisting of one-cup salt, one-cup of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of sage and 1 teaspoon of thyme.

Rub the fresh or thawed turkey inside and out with mixture.

Place in a bag and refrigerate overnight.

Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper toweling.

Place bird breast down, in a pan with a stick of butter in the cavity.

Grill, indirect heat (or on a rotisserie).  I allow about 2-3 hours, but a lot depends on the temperature of the grill.  November barbecue also adds the element of outdoor wind, cold temps, adding significantly to cooking times.

I always rely on an internal temperature gauge for turkey. I shoot for about 170  degrees in the breast before pulling.

Boneless, rolled turkey breast prior to brining

The dry brine ingredients. Simple

Covered with the salt/sugar/herb mixture

Using the rotisserie

slow roasted over hardwood coals