"Weekend at Brining" (With Otter & Audeo)
- Thread starter Audeo
- Start date
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mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
well done tp both of our contestants. now let's have a round of applause and demand after-action reports!
Otter
Sous Chef
Careful Audeo, don't let the cat anywhere near the turkey! 
mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
Otter said:Careful Audeo, don't let the cat anywhere near the turkey!
how is Bridget holding up?
Otter
Sous Chef
Bridget is exhausted and sleeping. The cable layers were on our street all week, and she got worn out barking at them. Today, we went to town and she barked at the horsies. She's a tired puppy! I'm sure she will recover when I put her giblets (unbrined) on her plate.
Audeo said:
Thats what I get for thinking.
Okay, let the "Annual Holiday Dinner Delays" begin.
Ahem. Temp readings at 3:10 are 158.1 in the thigh, 147.8 in the breast. Do you think it might help if I stop taking temp readings every ten minutes and KEEP THE OVEN DOOR CLOSED?????
(Otter, you may be well ahead of me anyway...)
UGRENT UPDATE: Neighbors with the Stinker Schnauzer have just returned home from touring garage sales and have found an ELECTRIC FENCE to enclose their yard and keep Fido WITHIN!!!!! They're burying the cable AT THIS MOMENT!!!
:twisted:
This may be one of the best days of my life.
Back to the kitchen....asparagus to wrap...
:twisted:
This may be one of the best days of my life.
Back to the kitchen....asparagus to wrap...
mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
Yay! You get to save those habaneros for nobler purposes, such as Chernobyl jelly and such like.
Bird is done, but I'm reeling from mild disappointment....
Hungry husband could not wait for bird to finish cooking and sneaked in two deli turkey sandwiches at 3:10, while I was here posting an update, then laid down for a post-golf nap. Meanwhile, No. 1 and No. 2 Sons left at about the same time to "run an errand...be right back." Mother called wanting an update on the pre-holiday test run, and I kinda forgot what I was doing for a few moments....
EGADS! 3:25 p.m. and Temp reads 175 degrees in breast! ARRGGGHH!!!
Immediately removed turkey from oven, removed from the roasting pan and set aside to cool uncovered. More than a little ruffled (this, by the way, is when I first became aware that hubby was MIA), I deglazed the roasting pan with a cup of boiling water, then removed browned mirepoix from the liquid. Heated the drippings in a saucepan and thickened with cornstarch. YUM!!! Turkey now reads 180 degrees in breast. Great.
Went to find hubby to come see this beautiful looking bird, but heard him snoring behind the closed bedroom door. Sons still running that errand at 3:45 p.m.
Fine. Change of plans. I poured a very chilled glass of chardonay.
1. Obviously, this is an overcooked turkey. But it sure looks good and smells wonderful. As I removed the thermometer from the breast, a slow and steady stream of clear juices ran. And ran. And ran! This is very good.
2. The skin is exceptionally crisp. Sliced off a small section and found it very crunchy, similar to that of a fried turkey, and not too terribly salty at all. About normal there, really. This is also very good!
3. Sliced a 1/4-inch thick slab of turkey expecting the outer flesh, at least, to be as dry as cardboard, BUT IT ISN'T!!! Wow!. Tasted a piece and WOW! This isn't salty at all and I can definately taste the rosemary and thyme! This is very, very good news!!
4. I began carving the entirety of this breast, cut same into chunks and placed on a cheery paper plate. Now I cut into the adjacent thigh, and OH MY GARSHWITZ!!! This flesh is, well it's indescribably juicy! Took a bite of that. Oh my. Oh, my, my, my. Sliced more of same and added to breast meat and took the plate outside.
5. The outdoor call of "Who wants a taste-test of my trial turkey?" yielded an immediate influx of youngsters ranging in age from 7 to 15, along with five adults who have heard volumes about my attempts today. After the universal Oohs and Aahhs, we all got down to business.
Seriously, without one single exception, every single person young and old stated:
The turkey is really, really moist (I, of course didn't reveal that it was so overcooked).
The turkey tasted fantastic. Not salty at all in both white and dark meats.
The seasonings were easily identified in both white and dark meats.
My conclusions:
I truly believe the brining saved my turkey. It was way too hot when it came out of the oven and should have been extremely dry (as my normal turkeys are despite best efforts before), but it certainly wasn't dry in the least. Without exaggeration, this was the most moist turkey I remember. And the skin was crispier than I can remember, too.
Despite the 3% salinity to begin with, the turkey was not salty. In fact, it would not have been harmed by soaking longer. The syrup added just a very subtle hint of maple and was not in the least bit "sweet." Even with such a short soak, the flavorings permeated all the way to the bone and fairly evenly. That amazes me. I could taste the rosemary and thyme in the meat from dead center of the breast muscle.
I can't wait to hear Otter's results with a longer soak! But I will tell you this, I will most certainly be soaking my Thanksgiving turkey in a brine, for 6-8 hours perhaps, and I WILL NOT allow it to overcook! On that note, this turkey also cooked faster than normal (I think) and there was a significant crescendo in meat temperatures in the last 20 minutes of cooking. Had I pulled the bird out ten minutes earlier, I feel it would have been absolutely perfect. It irritates the soul out of me that I won't know on this one.
Now that the bird has become a carcass and tuperwared in the fridge with the rest of what would have been dinner, the husband is now awake. We grabbed a white meat slab that was slightly chilled, I nuked it for 20 seconds :twisted: and the meat is still moist. Darned tasty, too. That also amazes me.
As I sit here typing upstairs, I just heard hubby say to returning sons, "Did you guys go to Taco Bell?" They're all on their own now.
By the way, I made smashed red potatoes and steamed asparagus to go along.
Geez. I'm tired.
Hungry husband could not wait for bird to finish cooking and sneaked in two deli turkey sandwiches at 3:10, while I was here posting an update, then laid down for a post-golf nap. Meanwhile, No. 1 and No. 2 Sons left at about the same time to "run an errand...be right back." Mother called wanting an update on the pre-holiday test run, and I kinda forgot what I was doing for a few moments....
EGADS! 3:25 p.m. and Temp reads 175 degrees in breast! ARRGGGHH!!!
Immediately removed turkey from oven, removed from the roasting pan and set aside to cool uncovered. More than a little ruffled (this, by the way, is when I first became aware that hubby was MIA), I deglazed the roasting pan with a cup of boiling water, then removed browned mirepoix from the liquid. Heated the drippings in a saucepan and thickened with cornstarch. YUM!!! Turkey now reads 180 degrees in breast. Great.
Went to find hubby to come see this beautiful looking bird, but heard him snoring behind the closed bedroom door. Sons still running that errand at 3:45 p.m.
Fine. Change of plans. I poured a very chilled glass of chardonay.
1. Obviously, this is an overcooked turkey. But it sure looks good and smells wonderful. As I removed the thermometer from the breast, a slow and steady stream of clear juices ran. And ran. And ran! This is very good.
2. The skin is exceptionally crisp. Sliced off a small section and found it very crunchy, similar to that of a fried turkey, and not too terribly salty at all. About normal there, really. This is also very good!
3. Sliced a 1/4-inch thick slab of turkey expecting the outer flesh, at least, to be as dry as cardboard, BUT IT ISN'T!!! Wow!. Tasted a piece and WOW! This isn't salty at all and I can definately taste the rosemary and thyme! This is very, very good news!!
4. I began carving the entirety of this breast, cut same into chunks and placed on a cheery paper plate. Now I cut into the adjacent thigh, and OH MY GARSHWITZ!!! This flesh is, well it's indescribably juicy! Took a bite of that. Oh my. Oh, my, my, my. Sliced more of same and added to breast meat and took the plate outside.
5. The outdoor call of "Who wants a taste-test of my trial turkey?" yielded an immediate influx of youngsters ranging in age from 7 to 15, along with five adults who have heard volumes about my attempts today. After the universal Oohs and Aahhs, we all got down to business.
Seriously, without one single exception, every single person young and old stated:
The turkey is really, really moist (I, of course didn't reveal that it was so overcooked).
The turkey tasted fantastic. Not salty at all in both white and dark meats.
The seasonings were easily identified in both white and dark meats.
My conclusions:
I truly believe the brining saved my turkey. It was way too hot when it came out of the oven and should have been extremely dry (as my normal turkeys are despite best efforts before), but it certainly wasn't dry in the least. Without exaggeration, this was the most moist turkey I remember. And the skin was crispier than I can remember, too.
Despite the 3% salinity to begin with, the turkey was not salty. In fact, it would not have been harmed by soaking longer. The syrup added just a very subtle hint of maple and was not in the least bit "sweet." Even with such a short soak, the flavorings permeated all the way to the bone and fairly evenly. That amazes me. I could taste the rosemary and thyme in the meat from dead center of the breast muscle.
I can't wait to hear Otter's results with a longer soak! But I will tell you this, I will most certainly be soaking my Thanksgiving turkey in a brine, for 6-8 hours perhaps, and I WILL NOT allow it to overcook! On that note, this turkey also cooked faster than normal (I think) and there was a significant crescendo in meat temperatures in the last 20 minutes of cooking. Had I pulled the bird out ten minutes earlier, I feel it would have been absolutely perfect. It irritates the soul out of me that I won't know on this one.
Now that the bird has become a carcass and tuperwared in the fridge with the rest of what would have been dinner, the husband is now awake. We grabbed a white meat slab that was slightly chilled, I nuked it for 20 seconds :twisted: and the meat is still moist. Darned tasty, too. That also amazes me.
As I sit here typing upstairs, I just heard hubby say to returning sons, "Did you guys go to Taco Bell?" They're all on their own now.
By the way, I made smashed red potatoes and steamed asparagus to go along.
Geez. I'm tired.
chez suz
Senior Cook
Have you ever thought of becoming a reporter??!! 
Great results...Bravo for you.
Great results...Bravo for you.
Otter
Sous Chef
Congrats Audeo, glad yours came out well! Here are my observations: When the timer went off, the skin did not appear as browned as I am used to, but I did the thermometer thing and both the thighs and the breasts were on target, so I took it out. Even though the skin was not particularly browned, it was pleasantly crisp. The interior meat was moist. Anyway, it was (unamiously) the moistest, best-tasting turkey that we have ever had - definitely worth the extra effort!
Otter, great news! Tell me: did you rinse your bird also following brining? Or did you immediately begin drying?
Chez, I actually tried to get a job with the college review as a sophmore in undergrad school, but the editor ran screaming from the room following a very quick review of my admittedly verbose sampling. I interpreted that moment as a clear sign not to change majors to Journalism.
Chez, I actually tried to get a job with the college review as a sophmore in undergrad school, but the editor ran screaming from the room following a very quick review of my admittedly verbose sampling. I interpreted that moment as a clear sign not to change majors to Journalism.
Otter
Sous Chef
Audeo, I rinsed the bird after brining because I was doing the 8 hour drying thing.
Otter
Sous Chef
Audeo, I'm glad to hear that I wasn't the only one to blow an editor into the cheap seats! I believed you should tell it like it was - she believed you should tell it pleasantly. Check your pm.
Check your pm.
Otter
Sous Chef
Company coming today, so I took a bite this morning to be sure it hadn't gone weird over night. It still tasted great.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Wow this is great! success from both. Audeo, one of the things I love about brining is that if you do accidentally overcook the bird, no one will notice. It can be your little secret.
One note about rinsing the bird after brining. This is an unnecessary step IMO. It will not get rid of any bacteria. The only thing that will do that is heat. You can run the bird under Niagara falls and the bacteria will still remain. I think the only reason some people say to rinse after brining is to get rid of some of the salt on the skin.
Next you guys will have to try other meats. Give chicken a shot. Pork is a great candidate for brining as well. Look up Alton Browns pork chop brine recipe on foodtv.com. I tried it once was was very pleased with the results.
Congrats to both of you and to your lucky families who got to eat your projects
One note about rinsing the bird after brining. This is an unnecessary step IMO. It will not get rid of any bacteria. The only thing that will do that is heat. You can run the bird under Niagara falls and the bacteria will still remain. I think the only reason some people say to rinse after brining is to get rid of some of the salt on the skin.
Next you guys will have to try other meats. Give chicken a shot. Pork is a great candidate for brining as well. Look up Alton Browns pork chop brine recipe on foodtv.com. I tried it once was was very pleased with the results.
Congrats to both of you and to your lucky families who got to eat your projects
