Because at least two people out there might be interested in this, here's the process I'm following for this brined bird for Turkey Day Dinner. First and foremost, organic, free range, is a must. Seriously folks, if you aren't getting enough hormones in your milk, beef, and other Safeway products, there's a guy in Mexico who can sort you out. "Just say no to drugs" is more than a nice slogan for the little kiddies.

I got our turkey at Whole Paycheck Foods, which normally is really pricey but always a good source for great food. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this particular organic, free-range, Diestel Turkey Ranch beastie was only about $3 per pound, so $30 for a 10 lb. bird. I'm sure that's a lot more than a butterball, but how often do you do this, really.

So, the brine. You want to do this a day before, because after it's brined you'll want to let it dry out in the fridge. Apparently the brining process make the skin so moist that it won't crisp up on the grill, and I don't know about you, but I think that a turkey without crispy skin is just wrong. And I say apparently because I've never done this before. So come with me on this little adventure!

There are over 1.2 million websites on brining your turkey, (seriously, check google) so I went with the ol' tried and true source of info, Cooks Illustrated. Avoiding any copyright naughtiness, I'll just tell you what I did here. I started with 6 quarts of water, really because that's all my pot would hold. I wanted 8, but figured 6 should do it. Per quart, I mixed 3 Tablespoons of Morton Kosher salt and 2 T of sugar (just C&H, no I didn't buy organic sugar, but I like to think I'm supporting the local economy... the C is for California, in case you were wondering. OK, now someone can tell me I'm wrong). Anyway on the stove it went, hot enough to dissolve the white stuff, a good stir and off the heat to cool. Then I dumped in a bunch of ice to cool it down faster.

First mistake... I used all my ice, which as I quickly discovered was a Bad Idea.

OK so with the solution cool (enough), I dropped the bird in the bag and dumped in the water. I quickly discovered that a bag that is big enough to hold a 20 lb bird means a LOT of empty space to fill when only 10 lbs of meat are present. No matter how I propped, tugged, or otherwise positioned the bag, I could not get the buggering thing submerged. So, back to the stove. Another 4 qts of water, salt, sugar... and no ice to cool it with. Oh well... patience is a virtue but I'm short on it, so after a short cooling session, in the rest of the water went. Pushing and prodding the bird in a bag into the drip pan I'll use later on the BBQ (oh you didn't think I was oven roasting this did you? Shame on you!) I got it sufficiently covered and crammed into the fridge.

I had to take my beer out of the fridge though to get the bird to fit. That's a crime in some states. But fit it did, where it will now sit for the next 8 hours. That's one hour per pound, not to exceed 8 hours, according to Cooks. Seems long, but I'll pull it out and rinse it before I go to bed tonight.

The next step will be drying, where the bird sits uncovered in the fridge overnight so the skin can dry out a bit. Or I suppose you could take it to chinatown and ask some restaurant to hang it in their window next to the ducks.

More later, unless I completely screw it up, in which case you'll hear nothing ;-)