Marinated Turkey Breast

This turkey breast gets the low-and-slow treatment in a roasting bag, marinating and cooking in the same step. Apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, salt, and a heavy hand of both coarse and fine-ground black pepper create a simple but aggressive marinade that tenderizes and seasons the meat as it bakes.

The roasting bag is doing important work here. It traps steam and the marinade vapors around the turkey, essentially braising it in its own juices. The result after 4-5 hours at low heat is meat so tender it practically falls off the bone. The six small cuts in the bag let just enough steam escape to prevent the bag from bursting without losing all the moisture.

Two kinds of black pepper, coarse and fine ground, give the turkey a layered pepper flavor. The coarse grind stays intact and provides sharp, crunchy bites of pepper on the surface. The fine grind dissolves into the marinade and seasons the meat all the way through.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a proper oven-safe roasting bag, not a regular plastic bag. Regular bags melt and release chemicals at oven temperatures.
• Place the bagged turkey in a shallow roasting pan to catch any drips if the bag leaks.
• Skim the fat from the marinade after cooking. What’s left is a concentrated, peppery jus that works as a simple sauce.
• Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes after removing from the bag before slicing. The juices redistribute and each slice stays moist.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of smoked paprika and a teaspoon of garlic powder to the marinade for a smokier, more complex flavor.
• Replace apple cider vinegar with white wine and add fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs for a more herbal, French-inspired approach.
• Slice the cooked turkey thin and serve cold on sandwiches. The peppery vinegar marinade makes excellent deli-style turkey.