I rarely hosted Thanksgiving dinner as the first Saturday in December (right after Thanksgiving) was “gingerbread house” day for my family. I often served a honey-baked ham, lots of sides and desserts too – who wants turkey again? As the years passed the family would bring their own special side to share.
As time goes by I no longer cook a 24 lb. turkey, the almost 20 year tradition of decorating gingerbread houses is no more (see the picture of 2 nephews on the side of this post). This year I made a much smaller bone-in turkey breast. It was a little too small as I would have preferred a 7 or 8 lb. turkey breast, instead of 5 lbs. You get what Whole Foods has for you when you order ahead of time (4-8 lbs. and they don’t tell you which weight). I might do things differently next year!!! Also, it is more difficult to handle a 24 lb. bird and 5 lbs. suits me much better. I have never liked dark meat and so do many others so this is the perfect answer when the crowd is small. I make my gravy early and freeze it and it’s just as good as gravy using the drippings from a turkey.
I also have never brined a turkey, but I liked the idea of using buttermilk. To be honest, I wasn’t impressed – maybe I needed to add more salt and some fresh herbs certainly would have helped. I can remember my condo days with Gene and a neighbor always made the best fried chicken she soaked in buttermilk. So, I may try this again next year!
Buttermilk Brined Bone In Turkey Breast
This recipe is for a 5 lb. bone in turkey breast so make any necessary adjustments if yours is smaller or bigger.
Note: I looked at various recipes and discovered some differences; various cooking temps – 325, 350 and 375 and even a recipe calling for 425 degrees; how much salt; how long to marinate; adding additional ingredients such as fresh herbs; what temp the turkey should be before taking it out of the oven. I went with the following recipe and it worked for me, so you be the judge.
- 5 lb. bone in organic turkey breast (I ordered mine from Whole Foods)
- enough buttermilk to partially cover the turkey breast – you will be turning it a few times (I used 4-6 cups)
- add fine sea salt to taste (I am salt sensitive so I add very carefully – 1 tbsp.)
- I would also add some fresh herbs such as thyme or sage
A couple days before you plan to cook the breast combine all of the ingredients and marinate for up to 48 hours. I like to use a gallon-size resealable bag. Place in a pan/bowl in case of any leakage and turn the bag every now to be sure the whole breast gets marinated.
One hour before you plan to start cooking, take the turkey from the bag and scrape off as much of the buttermilk as you can – do not rinse. Discard the buttermilk and bring the turkey to room temperature. I also spot pat dry with scott towels.
I lowered the oven rack a notch and preheated the oven to 350 degrees 30 minutes before roasting. Place the turkey skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack. My turkey rack was too big and so I improvised but I did order a smaller one for the next time. Good ole Amazon!
A 5 lb. bone in turkey breast takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes; allow 20 minutes per pound. It was done in 1 hour and 30 minutes. Test in a few spots, take out when the temperature has reached 160 degrees. When you allow it to rest for 15 minutes the temp should climb to 165 degrees.
You can keep your turkey at room temperature for up to 2 hours, no longer.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
Looks so very delicious! By now I also opt for smaller portions, as most clients are not into the large birds anymore. 🙂
I love the breasts of poultry – just never cared for dark meat. Way back when I needed a big turkey but now a turkey breast is sufficient 🙂
I’m more into the dark meat, but I do have more requests for the breast for the holidays. It’s definitely more festive visually. 🙂
I am a big fan of buttermilk brine. I have brined my turkey in buttermilk for the last two years and love the moistness and flavor it produces. I think using the right amount of salt is important to ensure the turkey doesn’t dry out. This year I also stuffed our turkey after brining with apple, lemon and onion and basted it with herb butter – the buttermilk really made the meat tender and the salt kept it from getting dried out. I love Thanksgiving!
Yes, I cut way back on the salt. If I make one again I will increase it, also add some fresh herbs to the buttermilk and brush it with a glaze like you did. Even putting some pats of butter under the skin will help. Thanksgiving is my favorite “food day.” 🙂
That meal looks delicious Aunt Juju! I can’t believe you used to cook a 24 lb turkey, that’s huge! The mashed potatoes and gravy look really good too.
Edit
It was pretty good and I made many of my favorites and a few new ones. Yes, when I did host Thanksgiving I always wanted a big turkey so people could take home some leftovers. See the picture in the right column of your 2 cousins and my beautiful 24 lb. turkey!