Thanksgiving Tradition, Apple Brined Turkey

George Hirsch November 27, 2025

First, start with Turkey 101.

Then, resume with my apple turkey brine tradition below.

Hands down, my Apple Brined Turkey recipe is an all-time winner for a moist and flavorful turkey. Need more kitchen? If your oven is all jammed up – take it outdoors and grill it. Or, a Thanksgiving turkey solution: Cook one turkey in the oven and one on the grill.

George’s Apple Brined Roasted Turkey

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Brining is an overnight process requiring TWO days of preparation.

If preparing a frozen turkey, be sure to thaw it in the refrigerator well in advance. Brine the turkey in a large stockpot or a large food-safe plastic bag. The turkey must be completely submerged in brine, or you must turn the turkey every couple of hours. I prefer turkeys no larger than 12-14 pounds for the best tenderness and flavor. If grilling, I have my butcher split the turkey for ease of brining and grilling. Cook additional turkeys if serving more than 12-14 people. As a guide, figure each pound of turkey on the bone feeds one person.

STEP 1: First day

On the day prior to cooking: Brine for a 12-pound turkey; prepare a double brine recipe for a larger turkey.

Apple Brine Mixture

8 cups apple cider

1/4 cup Maple syrup

2/3 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed

2 bay leaves

To prepare brine, combine ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until sugar and salt dissolve. Cool completely.

STEP 2: First day

Add Flavor Ingredients to Apple Brine Mixture:

6 garlic cloves, peeled & cut in half

1 onion, quartered

1 rib of celery, chopped into two-inch pieces

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled & sliced

3 each sage leaves, rosemary sprigs, thyme

4 cups ice

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for making gravy. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Stuff the body cavity with orange quarters, ice, onion, ginger, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Place turkey in a large stockpot or food-safe plastic bag. Pour the apple brine mixture over the turkey. Depending on the size of the turkey, refrigerate for 6 hours for a split turkey or 12 hours for a whole 12-pound turkey, turning occasionally. Add one hour of bringing time per additional pound of turkey.

Spice Rub

1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

To Roast:

1-yard kitchen twine

2 cups chicken broth or stock

4 Tablespoons butter

fresh ground black pepper

6 slices of pancetta or bacon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Remove the turkey from the brine, and discard the brine and orange quarters. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Lift wing tips up and over the back; tuck under turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Place garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, onion, and broth in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the roasting rack in the pan. Arrange the turkey, breast side down, on a roasting rack. Brush turkey back with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350º. MORE INSTRUCTIONS Below

Remove the turkey from the oven. Carefully turn the turkey over, breast side up. Put the turkey neck and giblets in the pan. Brush the turkey breast with one tablespoon of butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper; lay slices of pancetta over the breasts. Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center meaty part of the thigh registers 170º.

If the breast of the turkey browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it stand for 30 minutes. Pour off the drippings and remove the turkey neck and giblets for gravy; cover the turkey to keep it warm.

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Honey Glazed Acorn Squash as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch November 22, 2025

As sweet as candy! This is one of my long-time favorite dishes. Seasonal, simple, and a wow for your guests. A type of winter squash known for its distinctive ribbed, dark green exterior (often with an orange patch) and sweet, nutty, yellow-orange flesh. It is commonly baked, roasted, or stuffed and is a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins A and C.

I've prepared acorn squash several ways, roasted in an oven and grilled on an outdoor grill. Yes, squash is just perfect for the grill. Wow, your family and friends will love my candy-like acorn squash.

A perfect dish to go with my Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf! or for a holiday celebration, drizzled with honey and filled with cranberries.

Honey Glazed Acorn Squash

Makes 6 Servings | George Hirsch Lifestyle

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3 Acorn Squash, split in half lengthwise, remove seeds

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 Tablespoons, honey, melted

pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

Brush six halves with olive oil and place upside down on a low to medium temperature grill. Cook for 10 minutes or until the inside begins to lightly brown. In a small bowl, mix melted butter, nutmeg, and honey. Turn over the squash and baste with the butter mixture. Close the cover of the grill and continue to cook on a low temperature for 15 – 20 minutes or until the inside is tender.

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Summer Corn Chowder

George Hirsch August 21, 2025

When the corn is fresh, it's time for chowder. Make magic with the goodness from the earth, simply with corn and potatoes.

One of my most often requested soup recipes, especially during summer when the farms are abundant with fresh, candy-like corn and our famous Long Island East End Yukon Potatoes.

It is known that eastern Long Island has some of the best soil for farming in the world. Off the record, I have had some farmers tell me - that farmers in other regions are envious of the rich, well-drained earth here on the East End. Adding the pancetta and chicken adds flavor and protein for a hearty meal, or omit it for a lighter, warm-weather soup.

Summer Corn Chowder

Makes four to six servings

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1 Tablespoon olive oil

Optional: 4 Tablespoons pancetta or bacon, chopped

3/4 cup chopped sweet onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

Optional: 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped carrot, chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery, chopped

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 cups corn (about 4 ears), fresh cut from the cob, or leftover grilled corn

1 cup Yukon potatoes, well-scrubbed skin left on, chopped 1/4 inch pieces

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

pinch of sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup half-and-half

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, or one sprig fresh thyme

Preheat a soup pot to medium temperature. Add olive oil and pancetta, and cook until light brown. Add onion, garlic, and chicken and cook until lightly colored.

Add carrot and celery, and cook for three to four minutes. Add flour, cook for two minutes, and slowly add chicken broth. Bring soup to a boil, and add corn, potatoes, thyme, hot sauce, and bay leaf. Simmer the soup for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat half-and-half, add sea salt and pepper to the soup, and top with fresh chopped parsley or fresh thyme.

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Sausage Campagnola, an Old World Tradition

georgehirsch August 11, 2025

Cooler nights and a bounty from the garden. Campagnola, an italin style hearty country dish fitting for this time of year.

The old world tradition of sausage and vegetables makes this rustic country dish ideal for cooking on the grill or stovetop. Cook it today and it will taste even better tomorrow.

Note: With this country-style dish, you can add seasonal and readily available vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini, and peeled carrots.

Sausage Campagnola

Makes 4-6 servings

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2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 pound Italian Ring Sausage or 4 links

½ sweet onion, chopped

6 cloves of garlic

1 red bell pepper, cut into small strips

2 small Yukon potatoes, sliced thin

¼ cup dry white wine

pinch red pepper flakes

3 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, torn

¼ cup pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add olive oil and sausage and cook until the sausage has browned. Add onion, garlic, red bell, and Yukon potatoes and cook on low to medium heat until soft and a rich golden color and fully cooked.

Add Kale, red pepper flakes, fresh ground black pepper, and wine, cook 4-5 minutes.

Serve topped with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

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Frankfurter Wurstchen

George Hirsch August 7, 2025

My number one pick for a hot dog was found in a German rathskeller. A "Frankfurter Wurstchen" (Frankfurter Sausage) is a thin, smoked, then-boiled sausage made from pure pork meat in a sheep's casing. Traditionally, it's served very simply on a plate with hearty brown bread, mustard, and sometimes horseradish. You know it's great sausage when a frank can be served solo without a pile of toppings to drown out the taste. The name "Frankfurter Wurstchen" has been protected in Germany since 1860 as a denomination of geographical origin and may only be used for sausages from the region around Frankfurt am Main, aka just Frankfurt. BTW, this sausage has been around since the 13th century in Frankfurt.

Here in the US, there are so many packaged hot dogs in varieties made from beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and, let's not forget, soy. I have found in the US that most local butchers carry, frankly, a better quality wiener and are even better when they make their signature links. A good example of a German-style butcher frankfurter done well in the US is Forest Pork Store in Huntington, LI, which is as close to an authentic "Frankfurter Wurstchen" as you can get on these shores.

However, if you are in a pinch and your butcher is closed, follow my top criteria for packaged hot dogs. You want to taste the meat and not the fillers. Check the ingredient label and avoid fillers and other ingredients that contain non-food listings you've never heard of. Hebrew National makes an all-natural promise—no fillers or by-products, no artificial flavors or colors—and comes close to fulfilling that statement.

If I'm at home grilling "Frankfurter Wurstchen," I use New York's Brooklyn Hot Dog brand; it's an all-beef smoked hot dog—just about the best of the wurst between a bun. This frankfurter has just the right amount of snap, with a meaty flavor with zero aftertaste. Grill them just right and top with spicy mustard and kraut, too!

In Germany, the frank is served solo with dipping mustard on the side, a sure sign it's something good. It makes you wonder why, in the US, everything from kraut, onions, chili, pickles, relish, salsa, tapenade, and faux cheese toppings makes its way to top off a hot dog. That's got to be the reason we are not allowed to call it "Frankfurter Wurstchen."

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