Best 6 Star Anise Brine Recipes

SPICE-BRINED PORK ROAST WITH ORANGE-SOY GLAZE

Steps:

• Brine the pork: Combine the salt, sugar, ginger, garlic, star anise and chiles in a large pot with 4 cups water. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Squeeze the orange juice into the brine, then add the squeezed orange pieces and 2 cups cold water.
• Place the pork on a cutting board, fat cap-side down and make a few slits between the ribs with a sharp knife; transfer to a large pot or resealable plastic bag. Add the brine, plus up to 2 cups more water if needed to cover the pork. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Remove the pork from the brine and pat very dry. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Set a rack in a roasting pan and place the pork on the rack, fat-side up. Roast until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 115˚ F to 120˚ F, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 425˚ F.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: Combine the orange juice, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Simmer, stirring, until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside about half of the glaze for serving.
• Brush some of the remaining glaze over the roast. Return to the oven and continue cooking, brushing with more glaze every 5 minutes, until the thermometer registers 135˚ F to 140˚ F, 15 to 25 more minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Serve with the reserved glaze and any collected juices.

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY WITH STAR ANISE AND CINNAMON

Steps:

• Bring 2 quarts cider, 1 cup salt, and the next 10 ingredients to a boil in a very large (16-quart) pot, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Let cool to room temperature. Stir in 1 1/2 gallons cold water. Add turkey to brine and press down to submerge. Cover; refrigerate overnight.
• Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels; discard brine. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a large heavy roasting pan and tie legs together with kitchen twine. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine the remaining 1 cup of cider and 3 cups water in roasting pan. Scatter apples around. Brush turkey with butter. Flip breast side down.
• Roast turkey, breast side down, basting occasionally, for 1 hour. Using paper towels, flip turkey. Roast, basting occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 1-1 1/2 hours longer. transfer turkey to a platter. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, strain the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan, reserving apples. Simmer over medium heat until juices have thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve the cider jus alongside the turkey and apples and garnish with extra star anise pods and cinnamon sticks.

BRINE-CURED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• In 16-quart or larger stockpot, bring 2 gallons water to a boil. Add salt and sugar, and stir until completely dissolved. Turn off heat, and add carrot, onion, celery and leek. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander, red pepper, fennel seeds, star anise and thyme. Refrigerate until cold.
• Remove giblets from turkey. Cover and refrigerate liver if using in stuffing. Discard remaining giblets or reserve for another use. Add turkey to stockpot. If necessary, weight it with a plate so that it stays below the brine's surface. Refrigerate for 72 hours, then remove from brine and allow to come to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Loosely fill the turkey at both ends with stuffing, and truss as you would a chicken.
• Place turkey in a large roasting pan, and roast until it starts to brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350 degrees, and roast for 12 minutes more per pound, until internal temperature at the deepest part of the leg reaches 130 degrees. (Total roasting time will be about 3 hours.) Baste frequently with olive oil or butter and pan juices, using rosemary branches as a brush if desired. If the bird begins to darken too much, cover it loosely with a piece of foil. Before serving, remove turkey from oven and leave covered with foil. Allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving and spooning the stuffing into a serving dish.

BRINED AND BARBECUED TURKEY

Steps:

• In heavy large stockpot over high heat, bring 2 gallons water to boil. Stir in salt and sugar until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add carrots, onions, celery, leeks, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, star anise, thyme, sage, and parsley. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Line large cooler with large heavy-duty garbage bag. Strain brine into cooler, discarding solids.
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Transfer, breast side up, to cooler. If necessary, place large plate on top to keep turkey submerged in liquid. Tie bag tightly, then close cooler and transfer to cool place. Allow turkey to brine for 12 hours, turning over once halfway through. Using probe thermometer, check temperature of liquid every 3 hours and if necessary, add freezer packs enclosed in resealable plastic bags to keep temperature at or below 40°F.
• Line large, rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and top with wire rack. Remove turkey from brine and transfer, breast side up, to rack. Let stand 30 minutes to drain completely, then pat dry. Transfer to roasting pan. Tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks loosely together with kitchen string. Place butter in pan next to turkey.
• If using gas grill, open hood, light all burners, and set on high. Close hood and preheat 10 minutes.
• If using charcoal grill, open bottom and lid vents and light charcoal. Let coals burn until completely coated in gray ash, about 25 minutes, then arrange around perimeter of grill to form circle.
• Transfer roasting pan to grill rack and cover grill. If using gas grill, turn all burners to low. During cooking, adjust burners to maintain temperature at 450°F.
• If using charcoal grill, if necessary lower temperature by partially closing vents (do not close completely). Maintain temperature by adding 60 new coals, prelit in chimney starter until completely covered in gray ash, every hour.
• Cook turkey, basting every 15 minutes with pan juices (tilt pan to let juices run out of cavity) and rotating pan 180° every hour, until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 1 1/2 hours. (Time may be longer in cold weather. Avoid opening lid often because of rapid heat loss.)
• Transfer turkey to platter, cover loosely with foil, and let stand 20 minutes before carving.

FENNEL, CHILE, AND MAPLE DRY BRINE

Steps:

• Toast star anise and fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor; add salt, maple sugar, thyme, and red pepper flakes and pulse to blend, about 30 seconds.
• DO AHEAD: Dry brine can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

TEA-BRINED MAHOGANY DUCK

Steps:

• To make the brine, combine the water, tea leaves, ginger, and star anise in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes. In a large nonreactive container, combine the steeped tea, soy sauce, and honey and stir until the honey is dissolved. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Add the bird(s) to the brine; refrigerate ducks for 4 hours, chicken for 6 hours. Keep the bird(s) submerged by placing a plate on top to weight down and at a temperature of not more than 40°F. Remove from the brine 1 hour before cooking. Rinse and pat dry.
• Prepare a medium-hot fire (400°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker.
• To make the basting sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until the honey is dissolved.
• To roast in a box roaster, place the bird(s) breast side down on a wire roasting rack in a roasting pan or clay baker and baste with the basting sauce. Light the charwood once the bird(s) is in place. Roast, covered, with indirect heat for 1 hour. Being careful not to pierce the skin, turn over, baste, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 175° to 180°F.
• To roast in a wood-fired oven or ceramic cooker such as a Big Green Egg, place the bird(s) breast side down in a roasting pan and baste with the basting sauce. Roast for 1 hour. Being careful not to pierce the skin, turn over, baste, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 175° to 180°F.
• Let sit for 10 minutes before carving and serving.