Posted on 09/07/2019 8:36:22 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
Sorry, it is NOT an option. If you are preparing turkey you MUST brine your turkey. As I explain in this video, brining changes the chemistry of the turkey to the extent that it changes both the texture and the color of the turkey as well as its taste. The main ingredients to make a brine are 2 cups of kosher salt and 2 cups of brown sugar. You can also add rosemary and thyme along with other herbs along with whole peppercorns and crushed garlic for flavoring. Prepare your brine mixture by heating one quart of water but not to boiling and then mix in the ingredients. Pour over the turkey and add in cold water until it is completely covered. Let the turkey sit in the brine mixture for at least 2 full days.
If your turkey is too large to fit in the bottom shelf of your refrigerator, you can use a large bucket or a sealed plastic bag.
Remember, if you don't brine your turkey for Thanksgiving, I might be showing up at your table and punish you by grabbing your turkey and tossing it in the garbage for committing the gastronomic crime of not brining your turkey.
Pink salt.
Don’t waste my time. I butter inject it and spatchcock the bird with a bacon lattace. Bird looks ugly as hell, but is perfectly cooked in half the time with 1/3 of the effort. You can also escape the brine, by shoving a Fosters beer up its ass and cook it like a beer butt chicken. Moist all the way through.
Same thing.
We have had the raccoons drag our water color with the brining turkey all over our back yard and fail to get into it.
That sounds yummy!
Care definitely required, but the final product is worth it. Turn the off burner after heating the oil when the turkey is first immersed in the hot oil, then re-light, assuring that no oil has slopped over before doing so.
And keep that extinguisher handy.
It kind of looked like a half melted bowling ball but it was good.
Okay to crush up a livestock salt block to get your salt?
Only if it's been blessed by a rabbi ;-)
Brown sugar softens the brine and adds a detectable but not “up-front” hint of sweetness.
Yep, they are already injected. We stuff ours with soggy stuffing so that the liquids are forced to remain in the meat and BBQ it with Juniper or Mesquite. Juniper is the best.
“To each his own. We prefer turkey taste.”
Same here, why suck all the natural flavor out with salt and replace it with non-turkey flavors. It’s like putting crap in coffee, why even drink it then if you don’t like the taste and have to change it to make it palatable.
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