November 21, 2010 8:13 AM
Brining your Thanksgiving turkey
The first Thanksgiving after I started blogging, we had a discussion here at MommyLife on how people cooked their turkeys. You may have a tried and true method, but if you're still trying to perfect your Thanksgiving dinner, you might want to glance at Your Turkey Experience - especially the comments - for some new ideas.
The idea that grabbed my attention was brining as it promised a more moist turkey. And I must admit: no matter how good our turkey looked, I always thought it never lived up to its potential.
While we didn't try the brining method until the following year, we were completely sold on it and will never again cook a turkey without preparing it this way. In order to free up our oven, we use a roaster to cook our turkey - but no matter what method you use for the actual cooking, you will experience the best results if you brine first.
Since Greta was the person who turned me - and who knows how many others - on to brining in the first place, and since she has spent years as a caterer and knows her stuff, I asked her to write the directions for anyone who wants to give it a try:
The best turkey is a brined turkey!There are some things in life that once you have discovered them, there is no turning back. Brining poultry, especially turkey, is one of those things. As a caterer, I was always looking to perfect any recipe I came across. We all know the challenges of roasting a turkey - the meat, even when you haven't overcooked it, tends to be dry. It is next to impossible to not overcook it, which only exacerbates the problem. The issue is that dark meat is fully cooked at a higher temperature (165-175 degrees) than white meat (152 degrees), so in order for the dark meat to be done, the white meat gets overcooked and turns to sawdust. Brining is the answer!. Not only does it keep the meat juicy even when "overcooked", it seasons the all meat (not just the skin) and draws the blood out of the meat (similar to koshering).
The science behind all of this is quite fascinating. Meat is, of course, muscle. Muscle fibers, when cooked, begin to shrink and loose moisture at 120 degrees. Anything above 140 degrees causes major shrinking and loss of moisture. This is where brining can help. Water passes in and out of cells always towards the strongest concentration and away from the weakest. There is a lot of water inside muscle cells, but it contains many dissolved substances and is held by the proteins. The liquid inside these muscle cells is quite strong in concentration, so that when a piece of meat is placed in a salt and sugar liquid (brine), the liquid from the brine flows into the cells of the meat. In with the liquid goes whatever seasonings the cook adds to the brine. This added liquid keeps turkey moist even when cooked beyond desired temperatures.
Basic Brine
1 ½ cups kosher salt
½ cup dark brown sugar
Cold water to completely cover the birdAdditions
1 6 oz container of frozen OJ
Bay leaves
Peppercorns
Sage
Rosemary
Any citrus sliced
Any other herbs you like(I like the addition of citrus and peppercorns, but use what appeals to you)
Dissolve the salt and sugar in 1 quart of hot water. Cool the liquid with 3 quarts of cold water. Completely submerge the turkey adding more water if necessary. Brine for at least 8 hours in a cold location. I prefer overnight. You can brine the turkey in the fridge, but I have found a cooler to be the ideal spot. You can put the cooler in the cold garage, or outside in the cold. If you live where it is hot, fill the cooler with ice. I love what is easy, so I put two CLEAN garbage bags in the cooler (one inside the other). I place the turkey in the bags, pour the brine over the turkey and draw the bag close so the bird is completely covered. Twist or tie the bag securely. It is easy to lift the turkey out the next day, pour the brine down the drain and toss the bags. There is no need to rinse the bird, just pat dry with paper towels, and roast. Do remember to allow any meat to sit at least 15 minutes before carving to keep juices from spilling out.
Believe me, you'll never go back.
May God bless you all richly. May we feel profound gratefulness to our Savior as we do simple tasks, such as making that turkey, for the precious ones He has given us - our families.
Love,
Greta
I just want to add that this is one thing that your hubby may be very interested in being involved in. Tripp has always taken charge of the turkey, so he was happy to add the brining process.
Thanks, Greta, for adding to the quality of life in the Curtis house!
Posted in Thanksgiving | Permalink
Comments
Barbara, Greta mentioned using clean trash bags to make things simpler. I just want to make sure of something. Is she sure that there isn't a coating put onto trash bags so as to make them stronger? I wish the powers that be made cooking bags that big so that we could be sure. I'm concerned about the chemicals used in making trash bags.
I'll probably give this brining a try anyways. I'd love to make a better turkey. Thanks for the recipe.
Posted by: Sue from Buffalo | November 21, 2010 10:18 AM
I have read up on brining, and will attempt it this year. Seems all the top chefs on Food Network do it, and they would know best, right? I have read to use a fresh turkey, not frozen, as most frozen turkeys are infused with a saline solution already...and brining would make them extra salty. Also, no matter if you use fresh or frozen, they do recommend rinsing the turkey thoroughly after brining. Wash and pat with dry paper towels. I can't wait to try it this year.
Posted by: terry | November 21, 2010 4:24 PM
Just wondering if the brining process would work or interfere somehow if we deep fried our turkys?
Posted by: deb santini | November 22, 2010 12:35 PM
