Brining and Cooking a Turkey

[BWinCA]

Hi,

In cooking turkey, has anyone ever used one type of seasoning powder for brining and a completely different one for cooking the turkey? I know in many recipes they use different spices in this way but in the case of seasoning powders it might be a bit stronger and interact in a way which I don't want.

TIA,
Barry

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Typical brine:

1 gallon vegetable broth
1 cup sea salt
1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
4 tbs black peppercorns
1 gallon ice water
4 Bay leaves
4 cloves peeled garlic

Place all ingredients except ice water into a pot and bring to a light boil. Cover, and boil for ten minutes. Pour liquid into brining bag. Add ice water. When brine is cold, add turkey. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Turn the turkey beast side down, and place into a cooler with bags of ice. Let the bird sit in the brine for 18 o 24 hours.

I like to further enhance the bird by boiling the packet of giblets, neck, and liver in water, seasoned with salt and pepper, lt cool, and inject half of the broth into the bird.

These flavors will work if you stuff the bird with a savory stuffing, or with aromatics such as onions, gallic, orang/lemon quarters, celery, ginger.

Note; Some brines use apple juice, or add brown sugar in place of vegetable, or broth.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Andy M.]

This recipe has been around for a long time and works great.


https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe-1950271

 

[GinnyPNW]

The key to liquid brine is the salt to liquid ratio. You've got a couple of great options, above. The only thing I would add is that I like to remove the turkey from the brine about 24 hours prior to cooking. Pat it down really well and then place it back in the fridge. This allows the skin to dry out so that you'll get that crispy skin. Can't get that with wet skin.

For me, the real key to a great turkey is getting the best turkey possible. There's nothing better than a fresh turkey. But, if all you can get is a frozen turkey, just make sure to get it well in advance so that it can thaw sufficiently prior to your prep, (brine or whatever you do to it.) Best way is just to put it in the fridge, allowing 24 hours for each 5 pounds of frozen turkey. So, 10 pound turkey needs 48 hours...and so on.

Work backwards to figure out when you need to get your bird...you may need to shop the week before Thanksgiving!

 

[BWinCA]

I think there is a misunderstanding about my question. I am not interested in brining recipes. I want to know if you can use one type of seasoning powder, e.g. Old Bay, in your brine and another type of seasoning, e.g. a creole seasoning powder, as a rub when cooking your turkey. I want to know if anyone has done something similar and what their results were. Thanks.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I think there is a misunderstanding about my question. I am not interested in brining recipes. I want to know if you can use one type of seasoning powder, e.g. Old Bay, in your brine and another type of seasoning, e.g. a creole seasoning powder, as a rub when cooking your turkey. I want to know if anyone has done something similar and what their results were. Thanks.

In my post, i show how the herb mixture flavoring the brine works well with other flavors, such as aromatics, fruits, and things like fresh rosemary sprigs. Old Bay is a good general purpose seasoning that would work with the brine favors. Creole powder will also work, especially if making a seafood based dressing., such as rice, wild rice, shrimp, and scallops, etc.


if in doubt, mix the two seasonings you want to use, put them on a chicken breast, or pork chop, and bake until done. For richer flavor, mix the seasonings with butter to make a compound butter, and test it by spreading's a little on bread, and grilling it. This will let you know if you like the mixture, or if you need to adjust ratios of one to the other.

Seeeeya; Chief longwind of the North

 

[GinnyPNW]

I think there is a misunderstanding about my question. I am not interested in brining recipes. I want to know if you can use one type of seasoning powder, e.g. Old Bay, in your brine and another type of seasoning, e.g. a creole seasoning powder, as a rub when cooking your turkey. I want to know if anyone has done something similar and what their results were. Thanks.

Might you explain why you would want to change the flavor somewhere in the process? I guess, I just don't get it. Unless you ran out or something like that?

 

[dragnlaw]

BWinCa, if you think of it that way, the brined flavour might actually soak into the flesh and the rub flavour will be on the skin.

It could quite possibly be a delicious mix, especially with the two that you have mentioned.

I have never done it so honestly can't say. I do think you should give it a try - really don't think it would be a disaster.

Let us know what you decide to do!

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Most turkeys are already brined by the manufacturer (i.e. Butterball) and don't really require wet brining. You can, however, before or during cooking, rub the turkey down with a dry seasoning such as creole or Old Bay, or some celebrity chef's favorite dry rub, or you can even use this not so famous chef's dry rub of equal parts evaporated cane juice, fine ground coffee, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, kosher salt , black pepper.

 

[BWinCA]

Might you explain why you would want to change the flavor somewhere in the process? I guess, I just don't get it. Unless you ran out or something like that?

This is just a 3 lb boneless turkey breast that I want to experiment with and fry (I am making 2 turkeys the more traditional way). Both Old Bay and Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning are excellent and, instead of just using one seasoning, I thought of the idea of using both.

Sometimes I like combining flavors which you normally don't think of, and I think the potential is there for this to be good but, like any new idea, you don't know until you try it. I am concerned about the spices conflicting with one another which is why I asked my question. I think if I don't apply them too heavily the chances of it being successful are greater.

 

[BWinCA]

BWinCa, if you think of it that way, the brined flavour might actually soak into the flesh and the rub flavour will be on the skin.

It could quite possibly be a delicious mix, especially with the two that you have mentioned.

I have never done it so honestly can't say. I do think you should give it a try - really don't think it would be a disaster.

Let us know what you decide to do!

Yes, that's what I was thinking- the Old Bay for the flesh and Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning, being a stronger flavor, for the skin. As I mentioned above, I am going to do this on a boneless 3 lb turkey breast which I will fry. I am also cooking 2 turkeys the more traditional way so this will be my 'experiment' this year. Thanks for asking! I will let you know the results.

 

[dragnlaw]

Well, BWinCA, didn't realize it was only a breast. That's a bit of a game changer in that you'd best be rather careful with the timing.

Think you might have a completely different reaction with frying as well.

Again, I've never done either! Let us know how it tastes!

Sir LOB, the only turkey I've ever seen at the grocer that has actually been brined is Butterball. Maybe it is different in Canada. Especially if you look at prices, Butterball reflects the fact it is brined. Whereas Christmas turkey prices are so much lower it is not to the suppliers benefit to brine.

 

[GinnyPNW]

I thought Butterball turkey are "injected" with some proprietary solution. Not brined? At least, that's what I remember from the old TV commercials. And everything on TV is true, right?

Of course, I don't remember seeing a Butterball commercial in recent years. Since they took off the booze and cigarette ads and replaced them with the drug and ED ads.

 

[Andy M.]

Frozen Butterballs are injected with a proprietary solution. A flavored brine. However, if you want an unburned/injected bird, get a Fresh Butterball.

 

[dragnlaw]

Yeah, I stand corrected... injected.

Which makes sense of course, suppliers try to get their monies back as soon as possible and brining takes time.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

I think there is a misunderstanding about my question. I am not interested in brining recipes. I want to know if you can use one type of seasoning powder, e.g. Old Bay, in your brine and another type of seasoning, e.g. a creole seasoning powder, as a rub when cooking your turkey. I want to know if anyone has done something similar and what their results were. Thanks.

So BW, I guess to answer your question, it seems that no, no one here (so far) has done what you are posing to the group.