The Best Thanksgiving Ever!

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I'm certainly glad you posted the original recipe. That their is disagreement is natural. Whether you are right or wrong is not important. The recipe is out for all to see.

I'm not selling anything here, but rather am explaining a principle, so please bear with me. I write cookbooks as one of my hobbies. Teh recipes and techniques in them are proven before putting in the books. But in every recipe, I encourage the reader to use my version as a way to learn the technique, and as a starting point. They might like other herbs, spices, or flavorings that I don't. They might not like the ones I like. Every person has differing tastes, all of them valid.

I new a lady who "tenderized her steaks with baking soda. I thought they tasted terrible. She loved them. For her, the technique she used was valid. For me, it wasn't.

I also knew a lady who made pancakes by proofing sour-dough into a huge batch, and using only that to make her pancakes. She loved them. The rest of us thought they were terrible. Her family wouldn't eat her pancakes and said they hated pancakes. Then they tried mine and begged her to use that recipe. I sincerely hope she still makes her recipe as she really loved the flavor. It was certainly unique, and a valid recipe for her.

The point is, we are all different, and what I enjoy might be something you detest and vice-versa. Your recipe looks good to me. I'd be willing to give it a go.

Remember, the only people who never make mistakes are those who do nothing. And if we all did nothing, who would there be to create amazing things?

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Constance]

nytxn...don't feel bad. The people who criticized your recipe didn't know what they were talking about. One taste of your turkey, and they'd be sold.
I also brine my boneless pork loins, and that is the ONLY way I have ever come up with one that is truly tender and juicy.
One of my dear friends, who is an excellent cook, does her bonesless rib roast in a 1" layer of rock salt, and it isn't salty tasting either...the salt just seals in the juices.

I dare one of you all to try nytxn's recipe or mine, and I promise, you won't be sorry!

 

[Andy M.]

I don't think anyone ever said it was a bad recipe or that it wouldn't taste good. There were just some questions about the amount of salt in the brine. It is a higher salt concentration than normal. That's not to say it would make a bad turkey. It may be balanced by the sweet ingredients.

I know I've had good results with a few of Wolfgang Puck's recipes and wouldn't hesitate to try another.

 

[middie]

ny please keep posting. if someone disagrees so be it but please don't stop posting recipes because of it.

 

[HanArt]

Constance, there were no criticisms ... just observations and opinions.

I know that many people love brined meats. I'm not one of 'em. Have tried it and found it too salty and I use much less salt than the recipe shared. Maybe it's all about what you're used to.

 

[Constance]

HanArt, I realize that. Some of us are just more sensitive than others.
I am puzzled as to why your brined meat tasted salty...it shouldn't. Maybe it's because you didn't use enough salt. The whole idea is that the salt seals the meat juices in.
Did you wash the meat off and pat it dry before you cooked it?

 

[nytxn]

Ok... I'm over it. I was in a rotten mood yesterday.

Sorry for wearing my emotions on my sleeve, and getting offended.



Now... where were we?

Oh yeah... this recipe kicks some fried turkey butt.

I love fried turkey, by the way, but this one was better than any fried turkey I've had, IMO.

 

[HanArt]

I am puzzled as to why your brined meat tasted salty...it shouldn't. Maybe it's because you didn't use enough salt. The whole idea is that the salt seals the meat juices in.
Did you wash the meat off and pat it dry before you cooked it?

I'm a little surprised that you can't taste the salt in brined meat. I think that may suggest you have a higher tolerance for salty flavors.

Yes, every time I've brined, the meat was rinsed and dried prior to cooking.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brining.html

[font=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]"Some people find that flavor brined meat is just too salty for their tastes. Will a flavor brine still work if you cut the amount of salt in half? Not according to the November/December 2002 issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine.[/font]

[font=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]Cook's brined shrimp, pork chops, and whole chicken in a full-strength solution and a half-strength solution for 1 hour per pound. After cooking and tasting, they found that the meats brined at half-strength were a lot less salty than those brined at full-strength, but the improvement in moisture content was marginal, at best. In fact, for shrimp and chicken, Cook's felt that there was no point in flavor brining at half-strength at all.[/font]

[font=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]
If you are very sensitive to salt, we recommend that you skip brining, says Cook's."[/font]

 

[Constance]

Evidentally I do, Hanart.
By the way, the recipe we use for pork is the one from the Cook's Illustrated Grilling Book.

 

[luvs]

i want to try this! the maple syrup sounds like a lovely addition.
too bad i'm not in charge of the turkey on Thanksgiving.
do you think if i cut the brine recipe down to a quarter of the amount and used a turkey breast it'd turn out good? i can't make a whole turkey since it's only me and sometimes the fiance i'm cooking for.

 

[tnr42]

nytcxn, this recipe recipe sounds great! I've saved it to use this Thanksgiving. thanks

 

[nytxn]

nytcxn, this recipe recipe sounds great! I've saved it to use this Thanksgiving. thanks

None of our guests were disappointed, and neither was my wife (who is always sweetly honest with me when I really blow a recipe).