Cider-Brined Turkey Breast

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We will, of course, have a feast on Thanksgiving Day, but the Silver Fox and I shared a more traditional meal with friends back in September. Knowing that an overseas assignment would keep them from celebrating at home, we decided to have a Pilgrim feast for them before they left. I packed the meal with old-fashioned favorites but gave each of the courses a slightly modern twist, and, because we were all dieting, I cut back on calories wherever I could. The star of the show was a large turkey breast that I decided to soak in a spiced apple cider brine. The brine produced a moist and nicely flavored bird that deserved the place of honor it was given at the table. I used a fresh turkey rather than one that had been injected with a solution that might make it too salty. As an added precaution, I rinsed the bird and then covered it with cold water and let it sit for about 15 minutes to assure that salts that might have accumulated on its surface were washed away. Because we like poultry with really crisp skin, I dried the bird and let it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours before putting it in the oven. To heighten the apple flavor I worked a tablespoon of apple juice concentrate into the butter I used to coat the bird. If you also enjoy crisp skin, it is important not to baste the turkey once it goes into the oven. If you remove it from the oven when its internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, it will not be dry. At this time of year it's easy to find turkey parts that can be used to make a flavorful gravy well ahead of serving. I generally make a quart of gravy and add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of good apple cider to half of it, giving folks a choice of apple or a standard savory gravy from one simple preparation. I've never found Thanksgiving dinner hard to make, but it does require exquisite planning. The dinner I made for our friends was quite lovely and over the next few days I'll be sharing some of my favorite holiday recipes with you. I thought I'd start with the turkey. Here's how it's made.

Cider-Brined Turkey Breast...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Brine
4 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
4 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
Peel and juice of 1 orange
Peel and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
1 teaspoon whole allspice, coarsely cracked
1/2 gallon unsweetened apple cider, chilled (8 cups)
Turkey
8 to 10-pound fresh turkey breast

Directions:
1) Place water, salt, sugar, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, crushed garlic, bay leaves, ginger, orange and lemon peel and their juices in a large saucepan. Coarsely crush peppercorns and allspice and add to ingredients in pan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in apple cider and cool to room temperature. Submerge turkey in brine, adding additional water as need to cover. Chill for 12 to 24 hours.
2) Remove turkey from brine. Rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry. Transfer to a large baking pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, for several hours. This allows skin to dry and will allow it to crisp as it cooks.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer turkey to a heavy roasting pan. Cover skin with softened butter or olive oil. Add one cup of water to bottom of pan and place turkey in hot oven. Cooking time will vary depending on size of turkey breast. Check wrapper and cook according to weight. Roast until internal temperature at thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees F. Allow turkey to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

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Cider-Brined Pork Loin

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Early last week, I did a test run of the recipe I developed for the cider-brined pork that I'll be serving on Thanksgiving Day. It turned out well and I thought you might like to see the results. I know that most of you firmed up your holiday menus weeks ago, but I thought you might want to keep this mildly flavored roast in mind for other occasions. It is really easy to do and I think you'll be pleased with the results. While the recipe is straightforward, some things should probably be explained. I tie the boneless pork roast into a compact cylinder to assure even cooking and add a bit of eye appeal to its final presentation. When finished, the glazed cylinder is really beautiful to look at and it is really easy to carve. To assure it browns without over cooking, I sear the meat prior to oven-roasting. I use a meat thermometer to assure the meat remains juicy and is still slightly pink when it's served. When the thermometer registers 140 degrees F, I remove the roast from the oven, tent it with foil and allow it to rest for 10 to 20 minutes before serving. The wait time is important because the roast continues to cook while tented and its juices are set into the meat rather than lost on the carving platter. I've kept the recipe deliberately simple, but, if you like, quartered apples and onions can be roasted with the meat and served with it at the table. I'm not fond of the way that looks, so I tend to view their addition as an unnecessary complication. Not so the cider reduction. It contributes greatly to the flavor of the finished dish and assures that every slice of meat is kissed briefly with intense apple flavor. The addition of cornstarch will add sheen to the cider reduction and I recommend using it. While I given a range of time for brining the roast, its flavor is enhanced if it marinates for a full 24 hours. The meat gets mushy if it soaks too much longer than that, so resist the temptation. You also want to make sure that the pork is completely submerged while soaking in the brine. This is a lovely roast and it's perfect for those occasions when you want subtle flavors. It pairs beautifully with the apple stuffing that was featured earlier this week. I do hope you'll try this. Here's the recipe.

Cider-Brined Pork Loin...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Brine
5 cups apple cider, divided use
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
3 fresh bay leaves torn into pieces
5 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Cider Reduction
2 cups apple cider
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
Meat
1 (4 pound) center-cut boneless pork loin roast
3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1) To make brine: In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups cider, salt, brown sugar, bay leaves , cloves and peppercorns to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in 3 cups each water and cider and cool to room temperature.
2) Using kitchen twine, tie pork loin at 1-inch intervals to form a cylinder of uniform circumference. Place pork loin in a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag and pour in cooled cider solution. Allow meat to brine, refrigerated, for at least 8 to 24 hours.
3) Preheat conventional oven to 325 degrees F. If using a convection oven preheat to 300 degrees F.
4) To make cider reduction: Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cider has thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). If using cornstarch, add and stir until reduction is glossy. Set aside.
5) Remove pork from brine. Rinse and pat dry. Cut small slits in surface of meat and insert garlic slices. Season meat with rosemary, sage, salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy ovenproof skillet until oil begins to shimmer. Add pork; sear well, about 5 minutes per side, using tongs to roll meat until all surfaces are brown. Brush with cider reduction. Transfer skillet to oven and roast for 15 minutes. Brush again with cider reduction and roast for 20 minutes longer, or until pork reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. Remove from oven. Remove twine and brush again with cider reduction. Tent with foil; let sit for 10 to 20 minutes minutes before slicing. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.








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