Chef Darryl's BBQ Turkey Breast
Ingredients
For the Brine
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
Amount
Cold water
1 Gallon
Salt
2 1/2 cups
Brown sugar
1 cup
Pale ale
1 Bottle
Oranges, cut in half, squeezed
1 Each
Ginger root, fresh, peeled, and sliced
1/4 Cup
Garlic cloves, fresh, crushed
4 Each
Red pepper flakes
1 tsp.
Black peppercorn, fresh cracked
1 Tbsp.
Bay leaf, fresh
3 Each
Ingredients
Amount
Kentucky-style BBQ sauce
1 Cup
Method
- In a large, non-reactive pot, combine the water, salt, brown sugar, pale ale, the ginger root, chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, cracked black peppercorns, and the bay leaves. Cut and squeeze the orange into the pot, adding the cut, squeezed orange halves to the pot.
- Bring the brine liquid in the pot to a boil, remove the pot from the heat, cool to room temperature, and then transfer the brine to large non-reactive container.
- Submerge the Butterball® Ready-to-cook Turkey in the brine making sure it is completely covered by the liquid. Cover the container and refrigerate the brine and turkey breast overnight (up to 12 hours).
- Remove the turkey breast from the brine, pat dry, and reserve.
- Place the brined turkey breast into a plastic vacuum bag and vacuum pack.
- Using a sous vide circulator and thermometer, sous vide the vacuum-packed turkey breast at 147 degrees Fahrenheit / 64 Celsius for 1.5 hours. Remove the breast, ice, and reserve under refrigeration.
- Prepare a smoker or for finishing the turkey.
- Unwrap the turkey pack and place the turkey breast directly onto a 225 degrees Fahrenheit / 107 Celsius BBQ smoker (or grill with cover), cover, and cook until done, basting the turkey breast occasionally with the KC BBQ sauce.
- When cooked through, remove the BBQ turkey breast, rest, slice and serve.
Note:There are many different types of turkey you might consider adding to this recipe including: confit, smoked turkey and chorizo. You will need vacuum-pack bags, a vacuum sealer, a sous vide circulator, and thermometer for this recipe.