Quote:
Originally Posted by Boomer
Here I am at almost 2:00 AM, reading articles on the internet about cooking the perfect turkey……..
T’Day is exactly one week away, and it’s at our house. I am fine with having it at our house, but I must admit to being completely intimidated by THE TURKEY.
I have ordered a fresh one, so that’s a start.
People are bringing all kinds of good things, and the Army taught Mr. Boomer to peel potatoes really fast. (I guess he did that when he was not busy jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.)
BUT my turkey angst is getting the best of me tonight.
To brine or not to brine? Actually, any turkey roasting secrets or suggestions from TOTVland will be very appreciated. (Yeah, I know. We shoulda left town.)
Boomer
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We are eating our 15# turkey now. Couldn't wait.
We brined the turkey for 1.5 hours while we prepared stuffing and other goodies. Brine was 3/4 c Koser salt, pepper, and herbs dissolved in 5 c of warm water. Then chill or ice the brine and let the turkey soak in it, cold. I have brined for 8 hours in a bag in an iced cooler for 8-12 hours before, but shorter times improve the flavor just enough for our fresh turkey. We don't need the extra sodium.
I do lightly stuff the bird and use a cooking bag. Check the meat temperature (165). Let the cooked turkey rest 30 minutes at the end before carving. We mix the bird stuffing with other crisp cooked (sausage) stuffing.
There are brine injectors out there, but we just soak in a brining bag. I think the effect is more subtle.