Thanksgiving: How About A Brine?

I got the November 2009 issue of Food & Wine in the mail yesterday. It boasts “70 Classic and creative Thanksgiving Recipes…” Yep, turkey time is not that far away.

Last year I brined a turkey. I kept hearing about the process on the The Food Network (Yes, I know I always mention The Food Network. Yes, I do watch it that much. It’s like my kids and Spongebob). The brine is supposed to yield a moister bird. It’s a scientific process wherein the salt causes the muscle cells of the turkey to absorb water through osmosis. This hydrates the bird and denaturing seals that moisture into the meat when it’s cooked.

My biggest concern before brining, was how to keep my kitchen from being flooded with nasty-salty turkey water. It never happened. I filled the bottom of my cooler with ice, then put it on top of two thick beach towels in case it leaked.

I cleaned my turkey and placed it in a cooking bag, that I placed on top of the ice in the cooler. I mixed my brine, cooled it, then poured it over the turkey. I sealed the bag completely, then put another bag over it, sealed well. I poured more ice over the top of the turkey. I closed the lid and went to bed.

In the morning, I turned the turkey bag over, added more ice, and left for a turkey trot-type event with my youngest. When we got home, I rinsed the turkey completely and got it ready for the oven. I threw the bags away and cleaned my cooler out. The whole process was pretty easy and everyone loved the results.

If you are interested in giving a brine a try here are a couple brine recipes:

*Alton Brown’s Good Eats Roast Turkey
*Advice from the folks at Foster Farms

Here’s a peek at Alton’s brining advice in action.

Image credit: Sxc.hu