Dry Brine Your Turkey
November 18, 2010, By PJ Mullen 2 comments
Last year, I decided to smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving, but I needed to seek out some inspiration online. Since this was the first time in three years I’d be cooking a whole turkey I realized I needed to brush up on some brining techniques to make sure I put the best bird on my dinner table.
Many veteran turkey preparers are more than familiar with the traditional brine process that involves immersing the unsuspecting bird in an aqueous solution that is seasoned with salt, sugar or molasses and a near limitless combination of spices.
However, as I conducted my research I came across an article touting the concept of dry brining. Chef Judy Rodgers, owner of the Zuni Café in San Francisco whose method of chicken roasting involves applying salt in advance and allowing it to rest in the refrigerator for a few days, inspired the folks at the L.A.Times to try it with a turkey.
They tested four methods of preparing a turkey to determine which would produce the most moist and flavorful bird. The dry brined turkey won, hands down.
The dry brining process involves salting the turkey, using a predetermined ratio of salt to weight - reminiscent of curing. The salt draws in some moisture and opens up the pores in the skin. Over the resting period the juices are reabsorbed and the salt ends up seasoning the meat.
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