I'm changing it up this year, gonna cook the bird on my Primo instead of the oven. Bc of this i'm open to any and all changes. Usually i'd brine the bird in water and salt for 24hrs then let it dry over night before cooking. I've come across several "recipes" online for different brines - citrus rinds, peppercorns, white sugar, brown sugar etc etc etc...
Question 1:
Isn't that all baloney? Nothing but the salt is going to effect the flavor right? And won't sugar just cause the skin to burn more quickly?
Question 2:
My unscientific theory in the past was that the salt would grab the water molecules and move into the meat. Creating both salt flavor and more moist meat. Is that false?
Question2A:
Will wet brining allow me to over shoot the desired internal temps for turkey and still maintain moist meat - or at least more moist than without the brine?
My plan is to wet brine as usual (unless there is a real flavor benefit from adding other ingredients), dry it over night, spatchcock it and then cook it indirect at 400 degrees until 165 in the breast and hopefully 175 in the thigh. If the skin is not crispy then i'm going to flip the bird over direct heat until the skin is good. I'll probably check the skin at 155 and decide then if I'm going to hit the skin w direct heat. My only concern is that when I do that w chicken the internal temps can shoot up pretty quick and cause a little bit of dry meat - but I don't wet brine a chicken, so I don't know if that would mitigate for the turkey.
Also, what's your best guess for how long this'll take if i'm cooking a 12-14lb bird. Thanks in advance!
Question 1:
Isn't that all baloney? Nothing but the salt is going to effect the flavor right? And won't sugar just cause the skin to burn more quickly?
Question 2:
My unscientific theory in the past was that the salt would grab the water molecules and move into the meat. Creating both salt flavor and more moist meat. Is that false?
Question2A:
Will wet brining allow me to over shoot the desired internal temps for turkey and still maintain moist meat - or at least more moist than without the brine?
My plan is to wet brine as usual (unless there is a real flavor benefit from adding other ingredients), dry it over night, spatchcock it and then cook it indirect at 400 degrees until 165 in the breast and hopefully 175 in the thigh. If the skin is not crispy then i'm going to flip the bird over direct heat until the skin is good. I'll probably check the skin at 155 and decide then if I'm going to hit the skin w direct heat. My only concern is that when I do that w chicken the internal temps can shoot up pretty quick and cause a little bit of dry meat - but I don't wet brine a chicken, so I don't know if that would mitigate for the turkey.
Also, what's your best guess for how long this'll take if i'm cooking a 12-14lb bird. Thanks in advance!
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