Roasted Turkey

Juicy Roasted Turkey

If you started following me on this Roasted Turkey Journey, then you started with the last recipe for a Turkey Brine. There in lies one of the biggest secrets of all time and it’s the only way I’ll prepare and cook a Turkey. It infuses the bird with flavor because it makes the meat retain water. Water has memory so, any ingredient added to the water or brine will marinate the meat. Flavor absorbed into the meat makes a tasty bird but it doesn’t end there. No, I’ve got a simple recipe and technique that is so good it will make your family gobble-gobble.

Roasted Turkey Secret

Whether you’re baking a Roasted Turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas, this recipe is a winner because I’ve added in the season ingredients to make both holiday dinners special. In the Turkey Brine, I add the peel from 2 oranges. Well, nothing goes to waste here in the PMGK so, I use those two oranges to stuff the turkey along with 2 halves of an onion and some fresh rosemary. The secret lies in the rub.

The Rub consists of a few seasoned cubes of butter that are stuffed both under and over the skin of the entire turkey. The technique is simple and easily explained in the video tutorial, but the secret doesn’t end there. There’s a double bake; first at a higher temp to color and crisp the skin of the bird and the second is to Roast the bird, slow and low, at a lower temperature.

425 degrees for 10 minutes, then baste, and 325 degrees for the next 1 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on the size of the bird. Core temperature, in the breast, should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also poke the outside leg with a fork and if the juices run clear, the bird is done.

Roasted Turkey Ingredients:

Rub
1 cup Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 sprig Fresh Rosemary, leaves pulled and chopped
1 tbsp Sage
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Ground Clove
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Stuffing
2 Oranges, pealed and halved
1 Onion, halved
2 Sprigs Rosemary
A few pinches of Kosher Salt and Pepper in the cavity under the breast meat.

There’s a follow up gravy recipe, that’s used from the drippings and stuffing of this Roasted Turkey, and I’ll be posting that recipe next. So, be sure to watch for that and watch the video tutorial for this Roasted Turkey recipe and I’ll show you just how easy this is to make with the above ingredients.

Fire Roasted Salsa

Grilled, Broiled or Fire Roasted Salsa

I can honestly say that this Fire Roasted Salsa is amazing and it is, quite possibly, the best salsa I’ve ever tried. It starts with fresh Hot House Tomatoes, Yellow Onions, Green Bell, Anaheim and Jalapeno Peppers, cilantro, lime and a few other key ingredients. Although you can find recipes, similar to this one, all over the web, I seriously considered keeping this one all to my self. But I get too excited when I discover the secrets to authentic recipes. It makes me want to share it with everyone. So that’s what I’m going to do today.

Fire Roasted Salsa Preperation

To get the best results, and be sure that your Fire Roasted Salsa tastes amazing, there’s only one thing you need to do before you take the vegetables to the grill. Cut your onions in half. It isn’t going to matter if you peel them before or after they roast but it is important that those onion layers get exposed to the grill. Salsa gets a lot of great flavor from onions and they have memory, so adding that smoked flavor to the rings will insure that your salsa tastes amazing when you blend them, together, with the other ingredients.

Fire Roasted Salsa Grilling Technique

Whether you choose to grill, broil or roast your vegetables over an open pit, to make this Fire Roasted Salsa, the timing and flipping is simple. I average 25 to 30 minutes of roasting time, over medium heat(350 Fahrenheit), and I rotate and flip everything about every 5 minutes. Look for some good color on the under side and flip. It’s that easy. I tend to check the peppers first because they burn quicker than the tomatoes and onions. The onions I worry about the least. The tomatoes just need to be pulled off the grill before they pop and loose their juice to the grill. You should pay attention to where the hot spots are and rotate everything accordingly. Then remove them from the heat and let them rest for a half an hour or so, until they are cool enough to touch and handle with your hands. Remove the stems, peel the onions and add the other ingredients.

Fire Roasted Salsa Formula

I have a basic formula that you might find useful when you’re making Fire Roasted Salsa. For every large Tomato, I add 1 medium sized Onion, 1 Bell Pepper, 1 Anaheim Pepper, 1 Jalapeno and a few cloves of Garlic. It’s pointless making salsa on that small of a scale and that’s why I double that amount in the ingredients below. If you want it spicier, add more peppers, different kinds or use less tomato. It’s really not that difficult to trick up. But that should give you a better understanding of how to approach your own homemade salsa in the future.

How to Spice Up Fire Roasted Salsa

If the Peppers aren’t providing enough heat and flavor for your tastes, there are a few other ingredients you can add to your Fire Roasted Salsa and I’ve included them in this recipe. Cumin, Smoked Paprika and Mexican Oregano are definitely among my favorites. You can even add some Cayenne if you’re feeling froggy. Just be sure that you stay true to your tastes and be considerate of the pallets and less tolerant individuals, like children you may be serving, if they can’t handle spice.

Fire Roasted Salsa Ingredients:

2 Hot House Tomatoes, large
2 Onions,
1 Bell Pepper
1 Anaheim Pepper
1 Jalapeno
5 Garlic Cloves
1 lime, squeezed
1 bunch Cilantro
1 tbsp Oregano
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 tbsp Chicken Bouilion, Caldo con Sabor de Pollo(Knorr)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Lamb Chops – Rack of Lamb with Aju

Amazing Lamb Chops

These Lamb Chops I cooked and prepared from scratch completely blew my mind. It was as good as any Prime Rib I’ve ever had, and that’s saying something. The real crazy thing is, it only took me 15 minutes from start to finish and I was eating the most succulent tender Lamb Chops you could ever wish for. And the flavor… Ah… UNBELIEVABLE! I’m telling you this because normally I’m not a fan of lamb. But these Lamb Chops are unreal. I would recommend this recipe to any fan or non believer out there because these meaty bites of heaven are a slam dunk in any kitchen.

Update: Since this recipe was published I put together another video tutorial for a Rack of Lamb. This first recipe was so amazing I started exploring other ways to prepare Lamb Chops and this is what I came up with. A “Garlic Crusted Rack of Lamb!” It takes the same amount of time to cook and prepare and it’s equally amazing yet very distinctive from this Lamb Chops Recipe. I highly recommend it!

I also have a Rack of Lamb recipe with a Mint Panko Crust you might want to consider, along with several spare rib recipes if you’re interested. Just search for “Ribs” in the search bar on this page.

Lamb Chops Ingredients:

1 Rack of Lamb, 8 bones
4 oz Water
2 tbsp Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

Sear the Rack of Lamb over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes on all sides and bake at 400 degrees f for 10 minutes. Then Cut into Lamb Chops and serve with Aju.