With the festive season fast approaching, a lot of people are already asking how they should cook their Thanksgiving turkey. It seems that brining is now a popular option, but what’s the best way to do that?
Why Brine?
Brining is a relatively straightforward process that can make a massive difference to your meals this Thanksgiving. It can add a whole lot of flavor and texture to the food because it keeps your bird moist while also seasoning it. If you want to try it out, there are two ways you can do it, although one method will probably speak to you more than the other.
Wet Brining
This is often referred to as the more traditional method of brining and requires you to cover your turkey in a salt-water solution. Working with a ratio of ½ cup of salt to 2 quarts of water, heat up the solution then cool it with several cups of ice. You want the salt dissolved but the brine to be cold.
Once that’s done, leave the turkey in the solution for no less than eight hours, then rinse with cold water before cooking.
Dry Brining
With this method, you basically just put your turkey on a baking sheet then rub salt – and any other seasonings – onto the bird. When you’re happy that it’s completely covered, put the meat in a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight. You don’t need to wash the turkey before removing it from the bag and placing it in the oven.
Which Is Better?
Both methods of brining are entirely effective and will add a new taste sensation to your turkey. However, if you’re looking to cut down on time, the dry tactic is definitely the quicker of the two.
If you’ve never brined a turkey before then, perhaps this Thanksgiving is the perfect time to give it a go.