Brining Reduces Cooking Time?????

[Andy M.]

I was talking to a guy yesterday about Thanksgiving preparations and he mentioned he brined his turkey. I said I had been brining turkeys forever and liked the results. His response really surprised me. He said he especially liked that brined turkeys cook a lot faster. HUH???

I have never heard this before and can't see how brining would make meat cook faster.

Any thoughts?

 

[Just Cooking]

I was talking to a guy yesterday about Thanksgiving preparations and he mentioned he brined his turkey. I said I had been brining turkeys forever and liked the results. His response really surprised me. He said he especially liked that brined turkeys cook a lot faster. HUH???

I have never heard this before and can't see how brining would make meat cook faster.

Any thoughts?

None which I can post publicly..

Ross

 

[Kayelle]

Apparently the guy is right. I was surprised after doing some research, that a brined turkey does indeed cook faster. Interesting.

Brined turkey cooks faster than un-brined turkeys. ... If you are used to your average size turkey, cooking in 3-4 hours, we recommend that you check it at 2 to 2-1/2 hours. And of course, the only way to really determine if your bird is thoroughly cooked is to use a meat thermometer.

 

[Andy M.]

Apparently the guy is right. I was surprised after doing some research, that a brined turkey does indeed cook faster. Interesting.

Thanks, Kayelle. Can you post the link to that quote?

 

[Kayelle]

Here tiz Andy. Lots of other useful info here too.
https://www.spicesinc.com/p-1370-turkey-brining-guide.aspx

 

[Andy M.]

Thanks Kayelle.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

The firdt time I cooked a turker with charcoal, I was excitrd by the results. The birf was done much faster than it yook me to cook it in the oven, and it ess the first time I had made a turkey that was so moist, and tender
I thought rjis was extraordinary
Wht I determined over.time was that the results were due to cooking to a peopper mrat temperature rather than waiting for the pop'up timer to pop up. The recipe that came with my Smokey Joe cookrd the bitd to a final temperature of about 160'F. The pop-up timer pops up at 180. Of coirse to me as an inexperiencrf cook, whao ised a recipe that used time rather than a thermometer, it seemed to cook faster.

Folloing scientific principles of energy transfer, conservation of energy, the fact that all temperatures will seek equality, etc. the only logival solution for a brinrrd turkey to cook faster all other factors being eaual, woud be if the un-brined turkey held significantly lrss fluid than its brinrd coubterpart, as I suspect that the fluids woud conduct,, and tranfer energy more efficeintly. However, I-m not sure that is the case, as the initial energy transfer is from radiation, and from the contact between hot air, and thr fat coating on the skin. Bout the again it still makes sense since the water and oils within the meat would transger the heat ftom the skin to the internal meat tissue more efficeintly, the same principle as evaporative colling, but reversed. The extra salt in the saline solution (brine) may add even mte thermal conductivity and raise the boiling temperatue of the meat juices, allowing them to absorb higher temperatures. So yrs, I can see why a brinrd turkey would cook faster


Did that make any srnse to anyone other than ?me?

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[WhateverYouWant]

Yes. Brined turkeys not hold on to water better, they actually take on quite a bit during the process.

 

[GotGarlic]

Yes. Brined turkeys not hold on to water better, they actually take on quite a bit during the process.

Which is why I don't like brining - it waterlogs the meat and skin, reducing browning and diluting the flavor.

 

[Andy M.]

Yes. Brined turkeys not hold on to water better, they actually take on quite a bit during the process...

As I understand it, brining doesn't ADD water to the turkey. It replaces plain water with salted water. the cells of turkey endeavor to equalize the salinity levels inside and outside the cell walls so plain water is released and some salted water replaces it. This transfer also serves to lock in the moisture so you end up with a moister bird. Not a wetter bird.

 

[WhateverYouWant]

Andy...

First off, I'm not a Briner, but everything I have read says the turkey is significantly heavier after brineing. Much heavier than the difference of specific gravity between fresh and salt water.

 

[GotGarlic]

Andy...

First off, I'm not a Briner, but everything I have read says the turkey is significantly heavier after brineing. Much heavier than the difference of specific gravity between fresh and salt water.

Kenji López-Alt of Serious Eats agrees with you.

From https://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11/the-food-lab-the-truth-about-brining-turkey-thanksgiving.html

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I'm not a briner either. However, i make a flavor rich broth from the neck, and innards, along with salt, onion, and aromatic herbs and spices. After it has cooled, I inject it into the bird, all over. Rather than dilute the turkey flavor, it strengthens it. Roasting to the correct temperature gives me exceptionally juicy and tender meat, both white and dark. The skin is crispy and flavorful as I rub bacon fat all over the dried skin, then season the skin, no basting, tenting with foil, or cheesecloth required.

I believe that people overthink turkeys. I don't use cooking bags, or roast the bird on its butt, or breast-side down. I just season it properly, and cook it to the correct thigh/body joint temp of 155 F. let it rest untouched for 30 minutes, then carve, put it on a platter, and serve it t people who tell me that it's the best turkey they have had.

Turkey skin does the same thing for the bird that your skin does for you. It keeps the outside things outside, and the inside things inside. Basting does not do anything except cool the oven,which makes it take longer to roast the bird. I know there are many who will disagree with me. But none who have eaten my charcoal smoked, or oven roasted turkeys disagree.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[pepperhead212]

I'm not a briner, either. I prefer a dry rub - something I started long ago, when rubbing down duck, chickens, and turkey, when making various Chinese dishes, and the poultry always ended up very moist. I would always rinse the salt (and garlic and rosemary) off, before roasting the turkey. No more or less salty than brining, and much easier.