Turkey brine

No. A lot of people use an ice chest. You want enough to be submerged in brine.

Rule of thumb is 1 cup salt, 1 cup sugar to 1 gallon water.

Then you can add whatever from there as far as seasonings, herbs, citrus, bay leaves, cloves etc...

Or cut back on sugar or salt but that is a basic brine. Some heat it then bring back to room temperature but I don't go to that trouble because it takes too long. I just make sure sugar and salt are dissolved.

Brine a whole turkey 24 hours, whole chicken 8-12 hours, chicken breast 1 hour, pork butt 12-24 hours. These are just benchmarks but it's what I go by. Too long makes them more rubbery, not long enough you don't get the moisture and flavor.

Always rinse several times in cool water and pat very dry. If you have time pat dry and let them "age" uncovered in the icebox for a few hours up to a day. This really makes the skin crisp up.

Season as you would anything without brine.

No need to re boil, just add it and stir in to dissolve or just add a cup of sugar whatever you like.

Just be sure it stays cold in the ice chest.

Try a pork roast in a brine. It's phenomenal. I brine most all poultry and pork provided I have time.

Everyone on this board would be better served if they stopped wet brining their turkeys. Dry brine it for far superior results. Google Judy Bird.

Trust but verify. Wet brine is an abomination and requires way too much logistics for lackluster results.

quote:

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Everyone on this board would be better served if they stopped wet brining their turkeys. Dry brine it for far superior results.

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I agree with this. Made the switch last Thanksgiving and will not be going back to wet brining.

Yeah I pretty much use a dry brine exclusively. Pork roasts (either salt, salt and sugar, or a more rub style), lamb, steak, chicken, etc...

Its so simple even an unfrozen cave man lawyer could do it.

Its just sprinkling salt on a protein and letting time do the work. It is sort of halfway between seasoning food and curing it. Read this to get caught up LINK

I bet you fry turkeys as well.

I kid.

But in all actuality, a dry brine doesnt require an unfrozen bird. It is incredibly easy to do and is much more hygienic and efficient(just a guess) than using a cooler for 3 days to get something that is waterlogged.

I once believed wet brining was the way to go. Then I tried a dry brine and I've never looked back. And I bet if you try a dry brined, you wont go back to eating turkey ham ever again.

Whole chicken, I'll do dry brine in morning, leave uncovered in fridge while at work for example.

Pork - depends on the precise technique and cut. But lets say pork chops - 4 hours. A whole butt - overnight.

Cut up chicken, like breasts, about 30 minutes to an hour.

Beef - same issues as pork, but usually a steak I'll dry brine for about an hour or as long as it takes to heat grill. Big roast 6 hours or so.