Brined Wild Turkey Breast with Herb Butter

A boneless wild turkey breast brined for a few hours, seared, then roasted just to 165°F and sliced thin.

Serves: 5
Hands-on: 30 min
Total: 5 hr 5 min
Skill: Some experience

Stove and oven · Dinner

Ingredients

2 lbWild turkey breast, boneless, one boneless breast half
2 tbspBrown sugar, for the brine
3 tbspButter, softened
2 clovesGarlic, minced
½ tspBlack pepper, ground
4 cups cold water and 40 g kosher salt (about ¼ cup Diamond Crystal or 2 tbsp Morton), for the brine
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or sage
1 tbsp neutral oil
⅓ cup chicken stock, for the pan sauce
½ lemon

You'll need

Stovetop, Oven, Cast iron skillet, Instant-read thermometer.

Contains

Dairy.

Method

Lay the breast smooth side down. Cut into the thick end horizontally and fold it open like a book, or pound it, so the whole breast is an even 1 to 1½ inches thick.
Stir the salt and brown sugar into the cold water until dissolved. Submerge the breast, cover, and refrigerate 3 to 6 hours.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the breast from the brine, pat it very dry, and season with the pepper (no more salt). Mix the butter with the garlic and the thyme or sage.
Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown the breast without moving it, 3 minutes per side.
Turn the heat off, spread the herb butter over the top, and move the skillet to the oven.
Roast, spooning the melted butter over the top once or twice, until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part, usually 15 to 30 minutes depending on thickness. Start checking at 15 minutes and take it out the moment it reaches 165°F.
Move the breast to a board, cover it loosely with foil, and rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile set the skillet over medium heat, add the stock, scrape up the browned bits, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes. Squeeze in the lemon.
Slice the breast thin across the grain and spoon the pan sauce over the slices.

When it's done: 165°F

The federal chart lists poultry at 165°F, and Kansas State University Extension says to fully cook game birds to at least 165°F. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer.

If it goes wrong

Dry: Wild turkey breast is lean and has no skin to protect it. Pull it as soon as it reaches 165°F, rest it, and slice thin across the grain.
One end done long before the other: Butterfly or pound the thick end to an even thickness before brining.
Too salty: Keep the brine time at 6 hours or less and skip any extra salt when seasoning.
Garlic in the butter browning too dark: Tent the top with foil for the rest of the roast.

Leftovers. Brine in the refrigerator, never at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F.