LogFAQs > #912211273

Oops_All_Berrys posted...

captpackrat posted...

I used to hate turkey. It was dry and bland and tough and terrible. Especially the white meat. The white meat was literally inedible unless you chewed it with water.

Or at least, that's the way my grandmother used to make it. Every single damn year.

Then she got too old to do the cooking, so I tried making the turkey, following the instructions from Good Eats. I brined that bird for 2 days.

It was the best turkey I'd ever had. Even the white meat was tender and juicy. I had seconds, and thirds. So did everyone else. Everyone loved my turkey.

Except my grandmother. She said it was awful. I think she was just bitter that my turkey was so much better than hers and on my very first attempt.

You got a recipe?

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe-1950271

The keys things to remember are:

1. Soak the thawed turkey in the brine solution for at least 8 to 16 hours. This causes the meat to absorb moisture and seasoning.

2. Cook very quickly at a high temperature (500F for 30 minutes, then 350 until done). The causes less moisture loss, resulting in a juicier turkey.

3. Don't stuff the bird. Stuffing makes it take longer to cook, making the turkey dry.

4. Use a probe thermometer with an alarm set to 161F. That takes all the guesswork out of it.

5. Let the turkey sit under foil or a large mixing bowl for at least 15 minutes to let the meat settle and the juices get reabsorbed.