Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [105]
DIRECTIONS:
Combine turkey tenders and brine in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag, squeeze out the air, and seal the bag. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 425°F.
Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. Discard the brine. Coat the tenders with oil and season with 5½ teaspoons of the rub. Mix the remaining ½ teaspoon rub into the saffron butter and keep warm.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the turkey on the grill, close the lid, and grill until the tenders are firm to the touch and browned on both sides, about 10 minutes, turning halfway through.
Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with the butter, and serve.
TURKEY THIGHS
Barbecued Turkey Poblano Nachos
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Mole poblano, the best known Mexican mole, is traditionally made with turkey, which became the inspiration for this extravagant grilled nacho platter. Turkey thighs are brined with chiles and cocoa, rubbed with more chiles and cocoa, and then grilled until the meat falls from the bone. The turkey meat is pulled apart, seasoned further, and then layered with grilled chiles, onions and tomatoes, tortilla chips, lime, and lots of cheese. The pile is then returned to the grill for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Mexican heaven is at hand.
INGREDIENTS:
3 bone-in turkey thighs (about 3 pounds total), washed and patted dry and skin removed 4 cups Mole Brine
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons Mole Rub
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
2 poblano chiles
1 medium red bell pepper
1 large tomato
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
5 ounces corn tortilla chips (about 3 dozen large chips), preferably unsalted
6 ounces Manchego cheese, coarsely shredded
DIRECTIONS:
Put the turkey in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Add the brine, press out the air, and seal. Massage the brine into the turkey and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours.
Light a grill for indirect medium heat, about 350°F.
Remove the turkey from the brine (save the brine) and pat dry with paper towels. Coat the turkey with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the mole rub. Bring the brine to a boil in a saucepan or in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave; set aside.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the turkey on the grill away from the direct fire. Close the lid and cook until the thickest part of the largest thigh is fork-tender (about 180°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 1 hour, basting the meat four times with 1 cup of the boiled reserved brine.
While the turkey is cooking, coat the onion slices with the remaining tablespoon oil. Put the onion slices, poblano chiles, bell pepper, and tomato on the grill directly over the fire and grill until browned, 10 to 15 minutes, turning as needed to brown the surfaces evenly.
Dice the onion slices coarsely. Remove the stem and skin from the tomato and chop coarsely. Remove the stem and seeds from the peppers and cut into a medium dice. Combine all of the vegetables in a bowl with the lime zest and juice and half the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
When the turkey is done grilling, remove it from the grill, but do not shut the grill down. Set the turkey aside to rest for 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the bone and cut or pull into bite-size pieces. Moisten with ⅓ cup of the reserved boiled brine (toss the remainder).
Make a layer of corn tortilla chips in a grill wok, a grill skillet, a grilling sheet, a large cast-iron skillet, or a large metal pie or pizza pan. Top with the turkey mixture, the vegetables, and the cheese. Return to the grill, close the lid, and grill until the cheese melts, about 8 minutes. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve.
TURKEY THIGHS
Slow-Grilled Turkey Thighs Stuffed with Hot Pepper Polenta
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Turkey thighs are cheap. They are frequently on sale, and because they have the highest ratio of meat to bone of all poultry cuts, they are one of the best buys for cooking protein. Chicken breasts