a little glimpse of me

November 19, 2003

to brine or not to brine?

Lisa's snide dismissal of my concept of creamed spinach as a green vegetable is hardly worthy of note. i will say only this: last I looked, spinach was green. E.O.C.

On the other hand, Betsy's comment about the brining brings us to my annual week-before-Thanksgiving debate.

The thing is, I've never done it. I buy my Turkey fresh from the farm, free of hormones and injections of saline, chicken fat, and god-knows-what. It makes a nice roaster. But, all the top-notch home cooks I know brine.

So I ask you, my trusted friends and readers: should I bother? Is the improvement going to be bigger than the effort? Should I brine just the roaster, or Peter's fryer as well? And, most important, how the hell do I do it?


In other Thanksgiving Preparation News, here's what I made yesterday:

  • crust for the apple pie, rolled, placed in pan, and frozen (I figure if the doughboy can do it, so can I);

  • crumb topping for said apple pie (made mostly for my mother-in-law, who only likes the top bites, anyway);

  • one loaf of cranberry bread (I know, i keep saying we'll get back to that, and we will!), and a batch of mini muffins from the same batter for Brownie snack today; and

  • a batch of Cranberry and Dried Cherry Sauce that won't get hurt by sitting in the fridge for a week or so.

Lisa will, I'm sure, be happy to hear that I've made my very own Woman's Day-style planner, with a task or two for each day between now and Thanksgiving. The good news is that, while I have a lot of baking to do next Wednesday, my Thursday list says, more or less, "Roast the bird, make the salad, mash the potatoes, and heat everything else."

Posted by volfie at November 19, 2003 08:19 AM
Comments

I say a resounding YES to the question! I think it makes a superior turkey, even when you start with the best quality bird. I got a free-range organic turkey one year - great bird. But when I got the same brand next year and brined it, it was stupendous.

The only thing you need to rethink is the gravy, which may be too salty with all of the drippings from the bird itself.


Posted by: betsy on November 19, 2003 10:39 AM

Cajuns started the whole deep-fried turkey thing. They don't brine the bird, but they do inject it with spices. I don't have a recipe handy, but a watery mixture of typical cajun spices probably does the trick.

Posted by: ziggy on November 19, 2003 11:28 AM

This comment: The only thing you need to rethink is the gravy, which may be too salty with all of the drippings from the bird itself. pretty much put the kibosh on the whole thing, Betsy. I am so not willing to sacrifice the gravy. The bird was fine last year, and it's going to be fine again this year.

Posted by: terry on November 19, 2003 12:41 PM

America's Test Kitchen brines *everything*. I can look in my book and see what they do with turkey.

Posted by: delegatrix on November 19, 2003 12:49 PM

ATC says: Dissolve (4 cups koshering salt or 2 cups table) salt in 2 gallons of cold water in large stockpot or clean bucket. Add turkey and refrigerate or set in very cool (40 degrees or less) spot for 4 to 6 hours. Remove turkey from salt water and rinse both cavities and skin under cool running water for several minutes until all traces of salt are gone. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place turkey on meat rack set over rimmed sheet pan. Place turkey in refrigerator, uncovered, and air-dry for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Posted by: delegatrix on November 19, 2003 07:20 PM

You know what? Here's the truth...I just don't think I can deal with it. My guests are just going to have to call me a slacker.

Posted by: terry on November 20, 2003 06:33 AM

I watched Alton Brown of Food 911 brine a bird last night on Food 911 - what a pain in the ass! My mother used to make perfectly wonderful birds that were really juicy without brining ever. Tent the mother within an inch of its life until the last half hour or so, then remove the tent so the browning thing can happen.

Alton agreed with me on the stuffing inside the bird, btw. Said it extends cooking time and results in a dry bird, with the chance for food borne illness increased.

Posted by: Alan on November 20, 2003 07:32 AM

the stuffing from inside the bird is my very favorite part, bar none. there is no way i'm giving that up.

Posted by: terry on November 20, 2003 07:54 AM

Agree with you about the stuffing in the bird.

That brining process is a bit, er, intense. I did mine in a big plastic garbage bag set inside a cooler loaded with bags of ice, kept overnight on my back deck. And I didn't do the 8-hour cold dry in the refrigerator bit.

You should try brining meat at least once, though.

Posted by: betsy on November 21, 2003 03:03 PM

Oh, and has anyone ever done the bird flip? (roast it breast side down for part of the time, in an attempt to help it stay moist while the rest of the bird cooks).

I did it a few years ago with a smaller turkey, and thought it helped...

Posted by: betsy on November 21, 2003 03:05 PM
Post a comment