Brining Your Bird
by Gena on 11/18/09 at 9:14 pm
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Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving
Every year I look forward to receiving all my holiday magazines filled with delicious festive recipes. Almost every publication contains an article on the latest trend to preparing the perfect turkey and I have come close to trying all of them. I can honestly say that the best way to add flavor and moisture to a turkey is by brining.
Brining adds moisture to lean meats that tend to dry out during the cooking process.  When ingredients such as spices, herbs, and citrus are introduced to the brine the results are juicy and full of amazing flavor. A mixture of salt, sugar, and water, brine unwinds meat proteins to form a hollow tubes; as the solution transfers into the meat, it becomes trapped – adding moisture and flavor. At Fire & Flavor, I created a ready made brine mix for those busy cooks that don’t have time to mix there own. If you are like me and enjoy playing the kitchen then creating your own unique brine can be fun.
Add a variety of dried herbs, citrus slices, crushed garlic cloves, or any of your favorite aromatic ingredients. You can even substitute some of the water orange juice, apple cider, or wine and you can replace some of the sugar with sweeteners such as maple syrup or brown sugar.
If you have detailed brining questions visit www.turkeyperfect.com for answers.
Visit www.genaknox.com for some holiday side dishes to go along with your brined turkey this Thanksgiving.
Gena's Secret, a Perfect Brine
BASIC BRINE RECIPE
2 cups kosher salt
2 cups sugar
2 gallons of water (orange juice or apple cider can be substituted for some water)
Optional ingredients for flavor:
3 bay leaves
½ cup of your favorite dried herbs and spices (sage, oregano, thyme, basil, cloves, cinnamon, etc)
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
lemon or orange slices
crushed garlic cloves
FIRST
In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, combine 1 gallon of water, salt, sugar, and optional flavor ingredients. Stir until sugar and salt have dissolved, but do not boil. Remove pot from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
NEXT
Spread a layer of ice into bottom of a cooler that is a little larger than the turkey. Set the brining bag inside cooler of ice and place turkey, breast side down, inside bag. Pour cooled brine over turkey and additional 1 gallon of water or juice. To further cool brine, add 2 scoops of ice into brine bag. Seal bag, making sure to let out as much air as possible. Add additional ice to cooler so that your turkey stays at 40°F while brining. Brine for one hour per pound of turkey. Do not over brine or turkey will be salty.
LAST
Remove turkey from brine, scooping some of the herbs and spices from brine solution and spreading onto the skin of the turkey for extra flavor. Brush turkey with vegetable oil or melted butter and cook as desired (roasting or smoking) until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Discard brine and use an antibacterial cleaner to clean area exposed to raw poultry.
*You can store a brined turkey in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before cooking. Store turkey on a V rack set inside a roasting pan, uncovered.
* If you are stuffing your turkey or making a gravy I don’t recommend adding any additional salt to the gravy or stuffing since the brine itself contains salt. There is lots of controversy on whether stuffing a bird is safe. In the south we don’t stuff our turkeys – cornbread dressing is generally served on the side. The stuffing inside the turkey often times does not reach a safe temperature of 165°F without the turkey becoming over cooked. One way to avoid this risk is by scooping out the stuffing once the turkey is fully cooked and finishing it in the oven in a separate baking dish.
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