What's Good On: The Bird

Every year around now, people start asking us about their turkeys. How long should it brine? Can it go on the grill? What if there are only four of us this year? This installment of What's Good On is all about the bird: how to season it all the way through, and a few directions you can take it from there.

Season it all the way through

A rub seasons the skin, and a brine gets salt and flavor into the meat underneath. Whether you brine wet or dry, clear a shelf in the fridge first. A turkey takes up more room than you remember.

Wet brining soaks the turkey in seasoned saltwater for 12 to 24 hours. One bag of Northwest Forest Brine, led by juniper, makes a gallon. A big bird can take several gallons, so use a bag for each one, or top up with plain salt brine at 1 cup of kosher salt per gallon of water.

Dry brining skips the water. You rub salt and spices over and under the skin, then leave the bird uncovered in the fridge for one to three days, and the skin roasts up crisp and deep golden.

Brining Poultry: Wet & Dry Methods walks through both step by step, and Brining Basics has a recipe if you'd like to mix your own.

What's good on the bird

For a classic herb-roasted turkey, reach for Poultry Rub. With Fin & Feather BBQ Rub, you get that familiar flavor with a barbecue twist. To take the bird somewhere new, try savory, floral Ras El Hanout or deep, chocolatey Mole Olé.

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Four ways to cook it

Fin & Feather Turkey

This one cooks on the grill, low and slow at about 300°F, which leaves the oven free for the sides and maybe an extra pie. Fin & Feather BBQ Rub starts with a classic barbecue base, lightened with lemon peel, sage, and marjoram for poultry. A 10 to 12 pound bird takes four to six hours, and you baste it along the way with butter melted with more of the rub, using a bundle of fresh sage as the brush. One tip for this one: before you buy, make sure the turkey fits on your grill with the lid closed. There have been close calls.

Cascade Turkey Roulade

For a smaller table, skip the whole bird and roll up two turkey breasts instead. You butterfly and brine them overnight in Northwest Forest Brine, rub them with Poultry Rub (sage, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary), then spread on a cornbread stuffing with dried cranberries and Cascade Mushroom Mix and roll each breast into a spiral. Rolling and tying the breasts takes a little practice, and the recipe links to a step-by-step guide if you've never tied a roast.

Jerk Turkey with Pineapple Salsa

This is a wild card and best for a group that likes it hot. You spatchcock a whole turkey, cutting out the backbone so it lies flat, then dry brine it overnight with kosher salt and Jerk Seasoning. A flat 16 pound bird grills in about two hours. Serve it with a fresh salsa of pineapple, poblano, red bell pepper, and lime.

Tea Rubbed Roast Chicken

Not everyone is cooking for a crowd, and a whole roast chicken makes a fine holiday centerpiece for two or four. Asian Tea Rub is built on smoky Lapsang Souchong tea with citrus on top. You stir it into honey, olive oil, and orange to make a glaze, tuck cracked Black Lemons inside the bird, and roast it in a cast iron skillet for about an hour. The pan juices are the best part, so serve them spooned over the meat.