Blended whiskey, rum and brandy mixed with fresh dairy cream make this a holiday favorite! Try adding a pinch of cinnamon and ground nutmeg for a wonderful cocktail.

How to Brine a Turkey

As the holidays approach, our chefs are busier than ever! You might recognize our executive chef, Fred Youngblood, from our ads in Sauce and St. Louis Magazine. He has compiled the following information to help you prevent turkey “fowls” and prepare for a really great-tasting centerpiece.

Why do we brine?

Brining a turkey is a fundamental step in the cooking process. It does take more time than other suggested remedies, but it helps to retain moisture during the cooking process and increase the flavor of the bird. The seasonings and liquid from the brine slowly work their way into the meat of the turkey while it’s marinating—a process that keeps the meat from drying out in the oven and becoming chewy. Some chefs go into great detail about the science of this process, but we are more concerned with flavorful, moist meat than molecules.

Straub’s Brine Recipe (Yields 2 gallons – can be kept refrigerated for up to 30 days)

1 ¾ gal. warm water

1 ¼ lbs. kosher salt

13 oz. brown sugar

1 oz. peeled, minced garlic

4 fl. oz. lemon juice

1 ½ yellow onions, peeled & chopped

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Let the brine stand for at least one hour before using to ensure the ingredients mix properly.

Brining Your Turkey

Plan ahead and reserve enough time to brine the turkey before cooking. Generally, this is about an hour per pound. If you are starting with a frozen turkey, also allow enough time for the bird to thaw completely before the brining process. You will need a container large enough to hold your submerged turkey and plenty of refrigerator space. Most turkeys should fit into a large stainless steel stock pot or a clean 5 gallon plastic tub. If your refrigerator is too small, try using a large cooler packed with ice. If it’s cold outside and not freezing, you can leave the turkey to brine in a closed container in a place that is inconspicuous to wildlife. As always, be safe when handling raw poultry.

1) Choose a turkey that is the proper size for your gathering. It is best to brine only natural turkeys that have not been injected or pre-treated with salt (i.e. self-brining turkeys and kosher turkeys are typically a poor choice for additional brining). If you start with a pre-brined turkey, the brining will result in a very salty turkey.

2) Prepare the brine recipe above by combining all ingredients in a large pot. Let the brine stand for at least one hour before brining to ensure the ingredients mix properly.

3) Ensure that the turkey is cleaned out and completely thawed so that the liquids can travel freely through the meat.

4) Place the completely clean, thawed turkey into the brining container and pour the brine over the turkey. You will want to submerge the turkey in brine so that there is an inch or two of liquid above the bird.

5) Keep it cool! Place the brining container – full of brine and turkey – into the refrigerator or cooler as described above.

6) Over brining is far worse than not brining long enough, so watch the time or set a timer. For a 12-14 pound turkey, you will want to brine it for about 12 hours. Estimate an hour per pound if your turkey varies in size. If you’re worried about sodium or salty juices, try brining for a shorter period of time so that less salt has a chance to absorb into the meat.

7) Once the turkey has soaked in the brine long enough, remove it from the brining container and discard the used brine. Make sure to rinse the bird thoroughly to remove excess salt water from the inside and the skin.

8) Allow turkey to air dry completely, or gently pat dry with a clean towel before cooking.

9) Season as desired before placing the turkey in the oven. If you would like the skin to brown while cooking, try spreading a thin layer of oil or baking spray over the top of the bird.

Enjoy!

It’s not too early to order your Straub’s Thanksgiving turkey! Our fresh, never frozen turkeys are specially selected for us from the Northern Pride in Thief River Falls, MN. All of our turkeys are all natural and free-range.

Supplies are limited, so stop in or call any of our locations and order your turkey today. Make your Thanksgiving memorable with a Straub’s turkey.

All turkeys are $2.99/lb.

Our hen turkeys come in three sizes:
10 —12 lbs.
12 — 14 lbs.
14 — 16 lbs.

Our Tom Turkeys range from 16 to 28 lbs and up.

16 — 18 lbs.
18 — 20 lbs.
20 — 22 lbs.
22 — 24 lbs.
24 — 26 lbs.
26 — 28 lbs.
28 lbs and up.

Our butchers recommend the following cooking times.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Cooking time vary by the weight of your turkey. Always use a meat thermometer to make sure your turkey is cooked to a safe temperature (180 to 185 degrees).

For 10 — 12 lbs, cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
12 — 14 lbs, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
14 — 16 lbs, 4 to 4 1/2 hours.
16 — 18 lbs, 4 1/2 to 5 hours.
18 — 20 lbs, 5 to 5 1/2 hours.
20 — 22 lbs, 5 1/2 to 5 3/4 hours.
22 — 24 lbs, 5 3/4 to 6 hours.
24 — 26 lbs, 6 to 6 1/2 hours

*For stuffed birds please allow an extra 30 -60 minutes of cooking time.

You can pre-order your holiday bird at the counter with your favorite butcher, or by calling your local store.

Order early to ensure you will have the best Turkey in Saint Louis!

Clayton 314.725.2121 ext. 25
Town & Country 314.434.4707 ext. 4
Webster Groves 314.962.0169 ext. 4
Central West End 314.361.6646 ext. 4

Buying a quality olive oil can be harder than you think. There are books on the subject, but here are a few tips.

The most important question to ask yourself is what are you going to use it for? If you will be using it for the health benefits or as a finishing drizzle over foods like cheese, vegetables, meat or fish, where taste matters, you will want to look for higher quality oil. Taste test olive oil straight up. Better quality oils will have distinguishable flavor notes like tomato, grassy, or fruity (referring to the olive flavor). The quality of the oil is determined by several things, including the olive variety, the time, length and method of harvest, the condition of the olive at the time it was pressed or processed and, lastly, if it was pressed from a full olive or the remaining pulp after the first mechanical pressing.  Up to 8% of the oil is left over after the first press and the remaining pulp is further processed with solvents to extract the remaining oil. Be cautious what you buy and from where you buy. Ask yourself if you really want to put the “bottom of the barrel” in your diet. All olive oil comes from olives and reputable brands do not cut the olive oil with cheaper oils, but there has been a long history dating back to 2500 years ago, on clay tablets, that detail the problem to the more recent mention of the practice in Mark Twain’s memoir, Life on the Mississippi. There are vast differences between quality and one of the measurements is oleic acid content which determines how much deterioration has occurred in processing and bottling. Look for oil with low oleic acid. Better quality oils either have it on the bottle or accessible through their web site.

The second important question to ask yourself is: are you buying it for health reasons? Just like all apple juice pressed from the wide variety of apples and apple quality would not be expected to be the same, neither should olive oil juice from the wide variety of olives and olive quality be expected to be the same. The two main health benefits of olive oil are the heart healthy monounsaturated fats and the cancer fighting polyphenols. There are differences in fat and polyphenol levels resulting from the olive variety, time of harvest, environmental factors, and extraction and storage methods. Oils that are higher in polyphenols have a slight bitter taste and peppery astringency usually noticed on the back of the throat 3 to 5 seconds after a nice gulp.

The term “extra virgin” is defined by the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) as “oil that has a free acidity of less than .8%, has 0 defects and greater than 0 positive attributes.” The best way to get great extra virgin olive oil is to look for reputable brands that have had a history of producing excellent quality. The cheapest will definitely not be the best and is likely low grade oil. You get what you pay for! Most of the brands Straub’s carries have been hand selected and taste tested and has acidity levels of .2% and less. If you are going to spend the extra money for olive oil instead of other oils, make sure you are getting the qualities that matter most.