It is time to brine ! Merry Christmas!
The Christmas Goose is headed for splashdown in the brine!
Second year we will be trying this, and if last year's bird was any hint, tomorrow's din-din may well be spectacular!!
Cheers & Merry ho Ho Folks!
Nog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNNhzkJ-UU&feature=related
Egotistical, Self Centered, Son of a Bitch Killer that Doesn't Play Well With Others.
Guess he got to Know me
Seems like a good time to revive the annual turkey brining thread. This year I am thinking of trying the below "dry" method vs the usual "wet" approach I have adopted in years past. Anyone tried this?
B
I do not wet brine turkeys. It does nothing for the texture and it makes the juices watery. Not to mention that simply having pots or vats big enough for the process is another pressure. Instead, I dry brine.
Measure out 1 tablespoon of kosher salt for every 4 pounds of turkey. Unwrap the turkey and place on a baking sheet. Rub the salt all over including throwing some in the cavity and refrigerate, uncovered, for up to two days. This also helps to make a crispier skin.
When it’s time to roast, rub the skin with a flavoured butter, tarragon, rosemary, garlic, lemon mix, or even a Mediterranean dry mix, and try to get some under the skin for self-basting.
Trussing helps the turkey roast more evenly by protecting the breast. It also preserves the shape after cooking and keeps the stuffing from falling out. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Bend the wing tips under the wing to keep it close to the body. If there are no wing tips, loop a string around one wing and go under the bird to loop it onto the other wing. Pull together. If the bird is stuffed, use a metal skewer to close the cavity or sew cavity closed with a trussing needle and string.
Many years ago, I developed a way to roast turkey that I call the high-heat method. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Roast the bird for an hour then turn the heat down to 350 F. Timing is approximately 15 minutes a pound for the first 10 pounds then 7 minutes a pound after that. A 14-pound turkey will take just less than three hours, but check with an instant-read thermometer, which should read 155 F to 160 F in the thickest part. If the skin gets too brown, cover with buttered parchment paper.
Roast the bird on a rack in a roasting pan or broiler pan. This allows the air to circulate so the turkey will brown underneath as well as on top.
Let the turkey rest on a carving board for 10 to 15 minutes to let the juices retract and to make the bird easier to carve.
^^^^^^ I never brined my turkey until the wife got me on it and it made me a believer. So I experimented with both dry and wet brining over the years. My personal(!) experience is: Wet brining makes it easy to get "consistent" and reliable results. Dry brining, the results varied for me over the years from "just as good as wet" to "did I actually put the salt on the turkey"? I never found the results of dry-brining to be better than wet.
As for the container, I use an old cooler, easy to clean and perfect size.
The SKIN, however, is easier to get crispy with dry brining: As a professional chef explained it: If you you want crispy skin, you need the skin to be dry. The dryer the better. That's why you put chicken without cover in the fridge for a few days before roasting - to dry the skin. Dry brining will suck the moisture out of the skin and hence give a nice crisp exterior.
I tried blow-drying the turkey (make sure no one's watching!), rubbing it with salt after blowing a roll of paper towels,etc. You get very similar results as dry-brining if you dry the skin very very well after wet brining, but it's a process.
Sorry for geeking-out!
Thanks WRBF - that is some pro advice! I was thinking of going dry brining just to change it up. My wet brining results have been consistently good so maybe I should not mess with what works.
that time again, another experiment under way
going to try a 'spatchcock' bird like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_CZOLYpayc
but adding a 'spiced brine' component also.
Sounds hot at 450 but should crisp up nice.
Never say whoa in the middle of a mud hole
First time we'll be doing a turkey for Christmas in about 30 years. Shortage of geese this year...
Gate, I have a question or two...
Do you cover the bird for Step 1 or 2? I realize it should be uncovered for the final stage in order to brown the skin, but am uncertain prior to that.
We're doing this brine thing again as it turned out so damn fine with ducks and geese. Suspect the turkey might even turn out better, so don't want to screw it up!
Bird thawing now. Nice little 12 pounder...
Thanks in advance for the advice Big Guy!
Cheers,
Nog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNNhzkJ-UU&feature=related
Egotistical, Self Centered, Son of a Bitch Killer that Doesn't Play Well With Others.
Guess he got to Know me
No need to cover it unless you feel like it. I don't.
Knowledgeable shooters agree- The 375 Ruger is the NEW KING of all 375 caliber cartridges. ALL HAIL THE NEW KING!
Awesome Gate! Many Thanks!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNNhzkJ-UU&feature=related
Egotistical, Self Centered, Son of a Bitch Killer that Doesn't Play Well With Others.
Guess he got to Know me