The countdown to Thanksgiving has started, less than one week – just six days to go. I’ve pulled my menu together, I’ve actually even finished shopping – except for the perishables, and now I’m trying to think about what I can do ahead so I don’t have to do everything last-minute.
There are actually quite a few things I can do that will keep for almost one week: the cranberry chutney (check), the maple-Dijon vinaigrette for the salad (check), and finally, the rub to dry-brine the turkey. The turkey is probably the last thing to get cooked (well, roasted), but its dry-brine rub can be made today.
Several Thanksgivings ago, I prepared a Tex-Mex Thanksgiving. My son was attending SMU in Dallas and I thought, now that he’s home for the holiday, let’s make him feel like he’s back at school! Actually, I didn’t think that, but I did want to embrace his Pony status, so I planned a Tex-Mex Thanksgiving. I was lucky to find a comprehensive article in the Dallas Sun Times, by Kim Pierce (which is no longer available). I had all my side dishes sorted from the get-go. And she had a traditional recipe for roasting turkey, including some very Tex-Mex seasonings for the gravy. Except that I always use the high-heat-roasting method (from Fine Cooking Issue 74, by Pamela Anderson) for my roast turkey. No problem! I just borrowed Chef Pierce’s gravy spices for my dry-brine rub. It turned out the most flavorful roast turkey I’ve ever eaten. It was so good that I repeat this recipe year after year, regardless of what my theme is for Thanksgiving. It’s that good. And it can be made way ahead, too.
So, the Tex -Mex Rub includes similar amounts of black pepper, dried garlic, and ground cumin; a little less kosher salt and oregano; and a whole lot more chili powder. Then, one whole day before the bird gets roasted, the rub gets put on the turkey, under the skin, in the cavity, and then it’s left to sit uncovered on a wire rack in the refrigerator until it’s roasted.
Right before putting it in the oven, the turkey gets “stuffed” with some carrots, onions, and celery; carrots, onions, and celery also get spread on the bottom of the roasting pan.
Roasting it is easy and relatively fast: the turkey goes into a hot oven (400˚F) for 30 minutes; then water or chicken broth is added to the pan, and it goes back in the hot oven for another 30 minutes; then it’s gets turned so that it’s breast-side up (and more water or broth is added to the pan) and roasts for another 45 minutes – 1 hour or 1½ hours depending on the size of your turkey, until an instant-read thermometer registers 170˚F in the thigh.
Phew. And that’s it! So quick! So easy! And while the turkey is “resting” (before the exertion of carving), the gravy gets made.
Tex-Mex Dry-Brine Turkey Rub (and High-Heat Roasting Instructions)
Ingredients
- 1⅔ T. black pepper
- 2 t. kosher salt
- 1⅔ T. dried garlic
- 1⅔ T. ground cumin
- 2½ t. oregano
- 3⅓ T. chili powder
- 1 turkey (12-17 pounds)
- 2 carrots, sliced in 2" pieces
- 2 onions, cut into 2" pieces
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 2" pieces
- 2½ c. water or chicken broth
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
- Store the dry rub in a container with a lid.
- One day before roasting, rub the dry brine mixture all over the turkey, under the skin, and inside the cavity.
- Place on rack in roasting pan with carrots, celery, and onions stuffed inside the turkey and spread under the rack in the pan.
- Refrigerate rubbed turkey for 24 hours, uncovered.
- One hour before roasting, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Also, tuck the wings behind the neck and under the turkey.
- Position turkey breast-side down on rack and roast turkey for 30 minutes.
- Add 1 c. water (or broth, if using) to roasting pan and roast another 30 minutes.
- Remove the turkey from the oven, and reposition breast-side up on rack. Return turkey to oven, and add additonal ½cup water (or broth). (Keep adding water/ broth as needed to keep vegetables in bottom of pan moist.)
- Continue to roast turkey until instant-read thermometer inserted in thigh reads 170℉ (about another 45 minutes for 10-lb turkey, about another 1 hour for 12-lb. turkey, or about another 1½ hours for 17-lb. turkey).
- Transfer turkey to a carving board or platter, tent with foil, and let rest for 45 minutes-1 hour before carving and serving.
- Meanwhile, make gravy from the pan drippings.
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