"Brining" a Turkey
Discussion
Been speaking with some American workmates today about roasting Turkeys, they were saying that the best way to avoid the dreaded dryness was to "brine" the turkey before roasting - i.e. keep it submerged in a salt and sugar solution for 10-15 hours before cooking it.
Anyone tried this, is it worth doing?
Anyone tried this, is it worth doing?
Absolutely worth it.
I'd go with a 5% water weight brine, 2.5% sugar. Leave it in for about three days. Forget the Nigella aromats such as maple syrup and another £20 worth of ingredients. They impart little flavour. Go with herbs and plenty of basting during the roasting process for true flavour.
So start with cold water and whisk in the salt and sugar until dissolved. Add the bird and store below 5c for the duration.
Dry it off and roast. Ideally the breast needs to be less than 70c near the sternum to remain juicy. I do mine at 63 in the water bath.
You could cook the legs separately to ensure they're tender if you like.
I'd go with a 5% water weight brine, 2.5% sugar. Leave it in for about three days. Forget the Nigella aromats such as maple syrup and another £20 worth of ingredients. They impart little flavour. Go with herbs and plenty of basting during the roasting process for true flavour.
So start with cold water and whisk in the salt and sugar until dissolved. Add the bird and store below 5c for the duration.
Dry it off and roast. Ideally the breast needs to be less than 70c near the sternum to remain juicy. I do mine at 63 in the water bath.
You could cook the legs separately to ensure they're tender if you like.
Only comment to add, was that when working in the good 'ole U S of A, I had a "Thanksgiving" turkey that had been brined, and was deep fried whole in canola oil.
It remains to this day this nicest version of a said bird to pass my lips.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bayou-Turkey-Fryer/dp/B00K...
The contraption, was somewhat similar to the above...
It remains to this day this nicest version of a said bird to pass my lips.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bayou-Turkey-Fryer/dp/B00K...
The contraption, was somewhat similar to the above...
I did it last year. Best turkey I have cooked and eaten and I will be doing the same this year. To add, I will brine for longer than 24 hours this year. I have to say though last years still did take on alot of the flavours.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=136...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=136...
Edited by The GMan on Friday 12th December 13:40
Had an interesting discussion pre Christmas with a food scientist and a commercial poultry person - both of whom recommended against brining.
Science aspect is that a salty solution will actually draw moisture from the meat due to osmosis, and would therefore have the opposite effect to that desired.
Poultry persons view was that brining started in the US, where apparently they use a chlorine wash on the plucked birds as defence against Salmonella and so was most likely initially used to get rid of the chlorine taste.
As I'm married to the food scientist I followed her advice
Followed the method of turning the oven up high and then reducing to cooking temp as you put the bird in - it came out not too bad, but little a bit dry in the breast, and was done very quickly so I think I overdid the high starting temp - I had the fan oven up to 250, normally I would use 220 as a starting temp.
Also, although a meat thermometer indicated the bird was done, the internal juices were still a bit red, so it went back in for a bit longer - I should have trusted the thermometer more, and let it rest at that point I think.
Science aspect is that a salty solution will actually draw moisture from the meat due to osmosis, and would therefore have the opposite effect to that desired.
Poultry persons view was that brining started in the US, where apparently they use a chlorine wash on the plucked birds as defence against Salmonella and so was most likely initially used to get rid of the chlorine taste.
As I'm married to the food scientist I followed her advice
Followed the method of turning the oven up high and then reducing to cooking temp as you put the bird in - it came out not too bad, but little a bit dry in the breast, and was done very quickly so I think I overdid the high starting temp - I had the fan oven up to 250, normally I would use 220 as a starting temp.
Also, although a meat thermometer indicated the bird was done, the internal juices were still a bit red, so it went back in for a bit longer - I should have trusted the thermometer more, and let it rest at that point I think.
Edited by Burrow01 on Wednesday 7th January 14:58
Edited by Burrow01 on Wednesday 7th January 14:59
Having eaten both roasted and sous vide brined and non-brined Turkey, I can honestly say that brining offers far better results.
Try it with pork tenderloins.
http://youtu.be/6-r7eY6UgYM
Try it with pork tenderloins.
http://youtu.be/6-r7eY6UgYM
Pferdestarke said:
Having eaten both roasted and sous vide brined and non-brined Turkey, I can honestly say that brining offers far better results.
Try it with pork tenderloins.
http://youtu.be/6-r7eY6UgYM
Do you mean identically cooked brined sous vide and unbrined sous vide? I brined mine this year. Clinged and steamed to a core of 60 then roasted for colour on the day.Try it with pork tenderloins.
http://youtu.be/6-r7eY6UgYM
Excellent results but not vastly different to unbrined sous vide chicken.
Brined mine for 2 days 5% salt, 5% sugar plus mountains of fresh herbs.
21TonyK said:
Do you mean identically cooked brined sous vide and unbrined sous vide? I brined mine this year. Clinged and steamed to a core of 60 then roasted for colour on the day.
Excellent results but not vastly different to unbrined sous vide chicken.
Brined mine for 2 days 5% salt, 5% sugar plus mountains of fresh herbs.
I mean un brined and brined both cooked at 63 sous vide. Notable difference. The brined was juicier and had better texture. Excellent results but not vastly different to unbrined sous vide chicken.
Brined mine for 2 days 5% salt, 5% sugar plus mountains of fresh herbs.
Brining makes a marked difference in meat tenderness in my experience, if I have the time I will always brine turkey, chicken and certain cuts of pork.
Turkey I will absolutely always brine, you just can't achieve the same level of tenderness any other way. My girlfriend used to hate turkey until I brined a crown and smoked it low n slow, now she's always asking me to do it again.
Turkey I will absolutely always brine, you just can't achieve the same level of tenderness any other way. My girlfriend used to hate turkey until I brined a crown and smoked it low n slow, now she's always asking me to do it again.
ali_kat said:
I stuff an olive oil/butter/herb mix under the skin of the breast, then cover & follow Delia - as per my Dad who always cooked it that way.
Never had dry Turkey
If you've never tried brining then you really should, you may not have had dry turkey using your method, but it's still not going to be as moist and tender as if it were brined.Never had dry Turkey
ali_kat said:
Have you tried mine?
Sorry, IMHO salt removes moisture
I've tried unbrined turkey in all manner of ways, including rubbing butter etc under the skin, and it just doesn't compare. Not precisely your method, but close enough I feel. I take it that you've tried brining and are therefore qualified in saying your recipe is the absolute best?Sorry, IMHO salt removes moisture
If you haven't then you've nothing to lose. I know in theory brining should draw moisture out of meat, but it doesn't and makes it even better!
The salt drawing moisture out isn't really an issue. For starters there's already some salt in the meat (if you get put on a drip in hospital it's usually just under 1% saline solution) so the relative strength of solution isn't as much as you'd think. Brining the meat increases the weight of it so it is definitely absorbing moisture, but the salt also starts to break down some proteins which softens the tissue.
Not tried brining a turkey (did a turducken this year with plenty of moisture inside form the stuffing and it didn't seem dry after 4 hours cooking) but have done it with chicken a few times and definitely made a difference.
Not tried brining a turkey (did a turducken this year with plenty of moisture inside form the stuffing and it didn't seem dry after 4 hours cooking) but have done it with chicken a few times and definitely made a difference.
Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff