Let's Talk Turkey

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

Brined for a day. Then roasted breast side down for first 75% of the time and finished at a slightly higher heat breast side up until perfectly done.

Seconded the brine. Have to try breast side down.

I heat my brine with a sliced onion, couple celery stalk, bay leaves, minced garlic, rosemary, then cool. Then a good 24 hour brine w/the turkey.

originally posted by: Boadicea

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

Brined for a day. Then roasted breast side down for first 75% of the time and finished at a slightly higher heat breast side up until perfectly done.

Breast side down? That's a first for me!!! Does that keep the juices in the meat better? That's what I'm figuring anyway... gravity and all ya know!

I'm intrigued...

Definitely brine it.

Also good to do it put a bunch of herbed butter between the skin and meat oce the bird is once right side up. I usually stuff mine with a sliced apple, celery, onion, lemon, rosemary, and garlic.

I also bought a duck, but I don't think I'm going to cook it.

a reply to: Liquesence

Let me know how it works out for you.

a reply to: Liquesence

Brining sure is popular here on ATS!

I doubt I'll ever try it myself -- my method works for me and if it ain't broke ya don't fix it! -- but I love reading the different herbs and spices folks use.

Doesn't look like we've got any rookies cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year though. We've got some capable cooks here!

originally posted by: Boadicea
Brining sure is popular here on ATS!

It works well, the meat remains moist and plump. I use it on other things like whole chicken or pork chops with the same results.

a reply to: Boadicea

I don't know if you use butterballs but they are kind of pre-brined. Injected with salt water and spices. I'm not sure if all the brands do it but some do. Should be on the labels.

originally posted by: FauxMulder
I don't know if you use butterballs but they are kind of pre-brined. Injected with salt water and spices. I'm not sure if all the brands do it but some do. Should be on the labels.

It should also say on the label, 'throw me away and buy a fresh turkey'.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Real men go out and shoot their own damn turkey.

originally posted by: FauxMulder
Real men go out and shoot their own damn turkey.

Really real men pay their personal assistant to do that and also grab them a bottle of Pappy on the way back.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Well, if you ever want to lend me DB for a day, I can see what that feels like.

originally posted by: FauxMulder
Well, if you ever want to lend me DB for a day, I can see what that feels like.

You'll see what it smells like too.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I'll have to give it a try soon. I'll probably use a roasting chicken first and see how that works out.

Do you make your own brine?

I'm trying to picture how I would brine a turkey... what would I put it in? I have a galvanized tub I suppose I could clean and use... or maybe a big ice chest?

a reply to: Boadicea

Most store bought turkeys are pre-brined, so you've likely got a brined turkey already and don't know it. You actually have to consciously look for one which isn't brined and some places don't even have them at all.

The reason for brining a turkey is not what most people think. The salt solution draws more moisture into the meat through osmosis so you wind up with a juicier turkey when it's cooked. Some people add spices to the brine to flavor the bird, but this is actually just a secondary reason to brine, not the primary reason.

If you look on your turkey packaging and see something like "contains 5% turkey stock" or something to this effect...it's already brined.

We get our turkeys fresh, so they are not brined, hence the brining step in the preparation process.

Now, you being in the UK, might actually have an unbrined turkey because of your food regulations, so you might check.

I can guarantee you one thing; if you've never had a brined turkey and you try one, you will never go back to doing it any other way. Unbrined turkeys are dry. Brined turkeys have juices just running out of even the white meat. It's heaven!

originally posted by: FauxMulder
a reply to: Boadicea

I don't know if you use butterballs but they are kind of pre-brined. Injected with salt water and spices. I'm not sure if all the brands do it but some do. Should be on the labels.

I've used Butterballs in the past... the last few years I've been picking up my turkeys at Sprouts though. All natural, free roaming and antibiotic and hormone free. I'm pretty sure they don't brine their birds. They aren't frozen either!

a reply to: Boadicea

You can make the brine as simply as using 1 lb (.5 kg) of Kosher salt to 1 gal (roughly 4 ltr.) of water. That's it for a minimum. You can add spices like garlic, sage, thyme and rosemary along with bay leaf if you like.

As for how, you just use a large pot. Or, they have turkey brining bags where you put the solution and the turkey in the bag and then set it in a cooler. You can put ice in the cooler to keep it cool. This is the method I usually use.

a reply to: Boadicea

If you got it at Sprouts, chances are it is not brined.

Oh, and I meant to add to my other post...Brining time = Roughly 1 hour per pound.

ETA - Oh, and for a container, just make sure you don't use a metallic pot. Stainless is 'okay', but a ceramic lined pot would be better. Metal will impart a metallic taste to the bird.

originally posted by: Boadicea
I'll have to give it a try soon. I'll probably use a roasting chicken first and see how that works out.

Do you make your own brine?

Yes, I just use kosher salt and water for turkey and chicken, for pork I'll add aromatics like juniper and bay leaf.

I'm trying to picture how I would brine a turkey... what would I put it in? I have a galvanized tub I suppose I could clean and use... or maybe a big ice chest?

I use the large 10 gallon buckets you can get at Home Depot.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Now, you being in the UK...

Color me embarrassed... I have to confess my cultural appropriation here. I'm not in Britain. I just adopted the good Queen's name...

...might actually have an unbrined turkey because of your food regulations, so you might check. I can guarantee you one thing; if you've never had a brined turkey and you try one, you will never go back to doing it any other way. Unbrined turkeys are dry. Brined turkeys have juices just running out of even the white meat. It's heaven!

I bought a fresh, all natural turkey at Sprouts... I don't think it's brined. I'll have to look at the label though.

I will definitely try brining, but I can oh-so-proudly say that I've never turned out a dry turkey!!! Probably because I cover my turkey for most of its cooking time (not true "roasting" I know). I'm also pretty stuck in my ways. But if I can find a way to improve, I'm happy to give it a try!

a reply to: Boadicea

My error. I thought you were. You can go ahead and ignore my crummy metric conversions then!

a reply to: Boadicea

The Joy of Cooking has some really simple and highly consistent recipes for preparing turkey, one of the few cookbooks I always recommend to people along with the Italian version, The Silver Spoon.