Turkey: For Christmas this year I was on turkey duty. I didn’t know if I was going to be baking a local bird or a Butterball – so I decided to brine the bird. The brine initially forces the moisture out of the bird, then as the bird draws moisture back in, it brings in all the salty, smoky goodness with it.

I lucked out and the boys found a Butterball at Finest. It came out tender, juicy and incredibly tasty. Even cooked faster than normal.

MOD: I used 1 Cup of double-refined salt (rather than canning salt) and nearly 4 liters of water, so it worked out. Also, tossed a peeled fist of garlic into the bird while it was roasting to bring out a little more flavor.