Dawn of the Red Polynesian Inspired Beer Brined TurkeyUsing the flavors of the Hawaiian Islands was this year’s theme for Thanksgiving.  With many of the new hop varieties having tropical fruit flavors, I wanted to use those essential hop oils to enhance the Thanksgiving table’s main feast, the turkey.  Ninkasi Brewing Co. created a India Red Ale, using Galena, Millennium, Ahtanum, El Dorado and Mosaic hops, to construct the essences of papaya, pineapple, mango and a caramel malt backbone into their brew.  Using those flavors into a beer brine for turkey, brings these tropical sweetness into the white and dark meat.

Makes: 10 quarts of Beer Brine; perfect for one 16 – 26 pound whole turkey, 4 whole chickens or 10 Cornish Game Hens

 

Dawn of the Red Polynesian Inspired Beer Brined Turkey Special Equipment:

1        each             Thermapen Cooking Thermometer

   and | or

1        each             ChefAlarm by ThermoWorks

1        each             All-Clad Stainless Steel Large Roti Combo with Rack and Turkey Lifters

 

Other recipes to make a Hawaiian Themed Thanksgiving Feast:

 

 

Adapted from BeerAdvocate Magazine: Cuisine à la Bière | Nov 2016 | Issue #118

Dawn of the Red Polynesian Inspired Beer Brined Turkey
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Using a tropical fruit forward tasting brew, along with brown sugar and salt, creates a wonderful Beer Brine with a Polynesian twist, that flavors the poultry from the inside out, creating a moist, juicy and tender bird everyone will be talking about!
Servings Prep Time
16 guests 15 minute
Cook Time Passive Time
3 1/2 - 4 hour 48 hour
Servings Prep Time
16 guests 15 minute
Cook Time Passive Time
3 1/2 - 4 hour 48 hour
Dawn of the Red Polynesian Inspired Beer Brined Turkey
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Using a tropical fruit forward tasting brew, along with brown sugar and salt, creates a wonderful Beer Brine with a Polynesian twist, that flavors the poultry from the inside out, creating a moist, juicy and tender bird everyone will be talking about!
Servings Prep Time
16 guests 15 minute
Cook Time Passive Time
3 1/2 - 4 hour 48 hour
Servings Prep Time
16 guests 15 minute
Cook Time Passive Time
3 1/2 - 4 hour 48 hour
Ingredients
Dawn of the Red Polynesian Inspired Beer Brined Ingredients:
Turkey Ingredients:
Servings: guests
Units:
Instructions
Dawn of the Red Polynesian Inspired Beer Brine Directions:
  • At least 2 days in advance of Thanksgiving | event | Holiday, start the brine. In a large stock pot add the water, salt, brown sugar, crystallized ginger, orange, tangerines and bay leaves.
  • Place this over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook the brine for 15 minutes, to infuse all the flavors together, dissolving the salt and sugar. Turn off the heat.
  • In the pitcher of a blender, add the pineapple and some of the water. Purée until smooth.
  • Add the rest of the ice cold water to the brine, cooling down the mixture, then add the pineapple purée along with the cold Ninkiasi Brewing Co. Dawn of the Red. Mixing to combine and take the temperature of the finished brine. A thermometer should read 40°F | 4°C or lower in order to be used. If it is warmer, place the pot into a refrigerator until 40°F | 4°C is reached.
Turkey Preparation:
  • Take the fresh turkey and remove it from its package in a large sink. Remove the neck, gizzards and liver, setting aside (for stock or gravy). Rinse the bird under cold water, turning the bird over a few times, washing any blood from the cavity and under the neck flap. Remove any remaining quills from the skin, if visible. Remove any excess fat from around the inside cavity. Turn off the water and lightly dry the turkey off with paper towels.
Beer Brine Instructions:
  • If you have room in a refrigerator or kegerator, have ready a Cambro 22 qt Polypropylene Food Storage Container, large stock/brew pot or a Ziploc XL HD Big Bag. Place the turkey into the container of choice, then top off with the chilled brine, submerging the turkey completely. Then place in the cold space. If cold space is an issue, use a large cooler and either clean it with a bleach water solution to sanitize it or use a Ziploc XL HD Big Bag. Place the turkey in the cooler or bag and cover with the brine. Use gallon size sealable bags fill with ice, to keep the bird and brine ice cold, but not diluting the salinity or flavor of the brine. Beer brine the turkey for at least 24 (for a smaller bird 16 pound) to 48 hours (for a larger 22+ pound bird). Keep the turkey and brine cold during this marinating process. Every 12 hours, rotate/flip the turkey in the brine to evenly marinate it.
Oven Roasting Instructions:
  • Remove the turkey from the brine and dry well with paper towels, inside and out. This will help the browning of the skin, as moisture will steam the skin instead of roast it. Truss the bird with twine, to help hold its shape and to aid in cooking the turkey evenly. Place the turkey, back side down, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. To the roasting pan, add the cut up pineapple, carrots and onions, that will caramelize as the turkey roasts, while collecting the drippings that will later become a Roasted Pineapple Sauce. Let the turkey sit on the counter at room temperature for 2 hours prior to being placed into an oven. This will let the turkey warm up, allowing it to cook more evenly. Discard the brine, as it has done its purpose.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 350°F | 177°C, convection roast/bake if this setting is an option. I highly recommend using a probe thermometer to make sure the turkey is cooked to a certain temperature (160°F | 71°C) vs a length of time. Insert the probe into the middle of a breast or in the thigh. Make sure the probe isn’t touching a bone, as the temperature reading will be false.
  • If you don’t have a probe, a 16 - 20 pound turkey should take between 3.5 and 4 hours to fully cook to 160°F | 71°C. Check both the breast and the thigh temperature to make sure the turkey is evenly cooked. As the turkey sits covered, covered, carry over heat will continue to cook the turkey, bringing the final temperature to 165°F | 74°C.
  • Let the turkey rest at room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes before carving. This will help re-distribute the juices, keeping the turkey moist, relaxing the muscle fibers. Cover the turkey with a tent of aluminum foil.
  • While the turkey is resting, make the Roasted Pineapple Sauce recipe. Then carve the turkey, arranging the meat onto a platter and serve with the sauce.
Recipe Notes

dawn-of-the-red-beer-brine-turkey-plate-300

 

Check out my Thanksgiving Feast for more ideas, recipes and suggestions.

Have turkey bones?  Make the best Turkey Stock with this recipe.

 

Other Beer Brined Turkey Recipes and Cooking Techniques:

 

Alternative Beer Brine Turkey Recipes:

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