Wrapping a turkey in bacon means no need to salt, brine, or basting. Making a bacon blanket is easy, and butter “glue” holds the bacon in place. Weave the bacon strips tightly together to compensate for shrinkage during the cooking process.
You can refrigerate the bacon-wrapped bird for two days before cooking. It should sit at room temperature for two hours before roasting.
Bacon Butter Ingredients
8 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 oz thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped
1 tsp dried sage
1 Tbsp dried thyme
Turkey Ingredients
1 turkey, 12- to 15-lbs
1 medium-sized onion, peeled and quartered
1 ½ lbs thick-cut bacon (about 22 slices, longest ones you can find)
Directions
Make the Bacon Butter
Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with blade attachment and pulse until smooth. If making ahead, store in the refrigerator and bring back to room temperature before using.
Prepare Your Turkey
Remove neck and giblets. Set turkey breast-side-up on a roasting rack set inside a roasting pan.
Generously rub turkey inside and out with bacon butter.
Put onion pieces in cavity of turkey and tie legs together with kitchen twine.
Wrap each leg with two slices of bacon and each wing with one slice of bacon. Tuck ends in the crease between leg and breast.
Lay eight slices of bacon side by side, as close together as possible on a piece of parchment paper. Weave another eight slices of bacon into these slices.
Set the piece of parchment paper next to turkey at an angle, so as to create a diamond.
Carefully flip the paper over the breast. Remove parchment and tuck any bacon ends in the creases between breast and legs.
Using kitchen scissors, trim any extra-long bacon.
Roasting
Heat oven to 425º. Arrange rack in bottom third of oven, and remove any racks above it.
Add two cups of water to roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes to crisp and darken the skin.
Reduce temperature to 325º and roast for 2 to 2 ½ more hours, until a probe thermometer reads 165º between thigh and breast.
Resting and Carving
Let turkey rest at least 30 minutes before carving.
Use drippings and reserved giblets to make gravy if you’d like.
Remove legs before carving breast.
Cut through bacon first and then breast; to help keep bacon intact.
Serve turkey with any bacon crumbles that fall off as you carve.
The holidays are a time to celebrate community and all that we are grateful for.
BriarPatch Food Co-op is grateful for the hard-working folks at Hospitality House, a non-profit organization that provides food, shelter and other resources to the folks in our local community who are experiencing homelessness.
We’re thrilled to share their recipe for Prime Rib, just in time for the holidays! Check out the BriarPatch Meat Department for natural and sustainably raised Standing Rib Roasts.
Drizzle with Keto Ultra Rich Gravy and prepare to dazzle your guests!
Ingredients
15 lb. prime rib roast
1 cup kosher salt
¼ cup cracked black pepper
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
15 garlic cloves
1/8 cup fresh thyme leaves
Directions
Trim fat. Make 15 cuts through the top of the rib.
Push a garlic clove into each cut. Mix remaining ingredients together and rub them over the top of the rib. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 10 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place rib roast in the center/middle shelf. Cook for one hour, rotating the rib every 20 minutes. After 1 hour, reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees.
For 1 more hour, check the temperature of the prime rib every half hour. Prime rib is cooked to medium-rare when 115 degrees.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the fat cap from the rib. Slice and serve with horseradish or au jus.
Check out our recipe for Ultra Rich Keto Gravy (see recipe below)!
Ingredients for Keto Ultra Rich Gravy
Makes approximately 2 ½ cups
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
½ cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups bone broth
1 cup water to soak the mushrooms
Salt & pepper
Directions
Add water to mushrooms and soak for about 30 minutes, until soft. Peel and dice onion and garlic.
Add garlic and onion into a hot pan greased with butter and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add lemon zest, sage and parsley and cook until the onion is golden.
Pour in bone broth, lemon juice and add the soaked porcini mushrooms with the water.
Add red wine vinegar and mustard and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer until the amount is reduced by about half.
Add cream and cook for five minutes on low, stirring constantly. Once done, take off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Blend with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately or let it cool down and store covered and refrigerated for up to five days. Reheat as needed.
