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Whether for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any celebratory meal, preparing a holiday feast requires you to prioritize. Maybe homemade mac and cheese is nonnegotiable, but you’re fine with stuffing from the box. Maybe you prefer cranberry sauce from a can. But there’s one dish that accepts no compromises: the Thanksgiving turkey.
If you want the juiciest possible bird, you’re going to want to learn how to brine a turkey. While properly brining a turkey yields the juiciest, most succulent meat—no dryness here—it may take some time to prepare, so begin at least two days before the feast. Chef Thomas Keller’s simple brining technique allows you to enjoy the crispy skin of a dry-brined turkey with the incredible juicy texture of a wet-brined bird. How, you ask? Let’s get into it.
Get ready to experience the juiciest, most flavorful turkey of your life with this comprehensive guide to wet brining! We’ll combine the best insights from two trusted sources, Epicurious and Well Plated, to ensure your Thanksgiving feast is a resounding success.
What is Wet Brining?
Wet brining is a simple yet powerful technique that involves soaking a turkey in a flavorful saltwater solution for 12-24 hours before roasting. This process infuses the meat with moisture and seasoning, resulting in a succulent, melt-in-your-mouth bird.
Why Wet Brine?
- Unmatched Juiciness: Brining breaks down muscle fibers, allowing the turkey to retain more moisture during cooking, resulting in a juicy, tender bird that won’t dry out.
- Enhanced Flavor: The brine solution infuses the turkey with delicious flavors from herbs, spices, and aromatics, creating a mouthwatering taste throughout the meat.
- Crispy Skin: Wet brining helps achieve crispy skin by drawing out moisture from the surface of the bird, allowing it to crisp up beautifully in the oven.
Choosing the Right Brine Recipe:
Both Epicurious and Well Plated offer fantastic wet brine recipes, Here’s a breakdown of their key features:
Epicurious:
- Focuses on simplicity and classic flavors: Uses a basic brine solution with salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, and optional additions like apple cider or maple syrup.
- Provides a step-by-step guide: Walks you through the entire process, from preparing the brine to roasting the turkey.
- Offers additional tips and tricks: Includes advice on achieving crispy skin and troubleshooting common issues.
Well Plated:
- Emphasizes bold flavors and customization: Uses a more complex brine solution with apple juice, brown sugar, rosemary, and orange peels.
- Provides detailed instructions and helpful visuals: Includes photos and videos to guide you through each step.
- Offers a variety of tips and variations: Shares ideas for using leftover brine and adapting the recipe for different meats.
Ultimately, the best recipe for you depends on your personal preferences and desired flavor profile. Both Epicurious and Well Plated offer excellent options, so feel free to explore and choose the one that speaks to you.
Additional Resources:
- How to Brine a Turkey for Thanksgiving (Epicurious): https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-brine-a-turkey-for-thanksgiving-step-by-step-article
- Turkey Brine Recipe (Well Plated): https://www.wellplated.com/turkey-brine-recipe/
Now, let’s get brining! Follow these steps to achieve the perfect Thanksgiving turkey:
- Thaw the turkey: Allow 24 hours of thawing time for every 5 pounds of turkey.
- Prepare the brine: Choose your preferred recipe and mix the ingredients in a large stockpot.
- Cool the brine: Let the brine cool completely before adding the turkey.
- Place the turkey in the brine: Transfer the turkey to a brining bag or bucket and submerge it in the cooled brine.
- Refrigerate for 12-24 hours: Keep the turkey in the refrigerator during the brining process.
- Rinse and dry the turkey: Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse it thoroughly. Pat it dry with paper towels.
- Roast the turkey: Follow your favorite roasting recipe for a perfectly cooked, juicy turkey.
With these tips and resources, you’re well on your way to creating a Thanksgiving masterpiece that will leave your guests raving! Remember, the key is to relax, have fun, and enjoy the process. Happy brining!
Wet brine vs. dry brine:
You have two ways to go here: the wet-brining method or the dry-brining method. Dry-brining is smearing a turkey with salt (and maybe some aromatics) and letting the skin dry in the refrigerator for up to three days or overnight. This method is best for achieving crispy skin—but if you want an extra-juicy bird, consider the wet brine.
A turkey that has been wet-bringed—that is, soaked in a saltwater solution for the entire night—becomes incredibly flavorful and moist. When a raw turkey is soaked in unsalted water, it will plump up a bit, but when salt is added, the proteins absorb more brine and hold onto more water while cooking. For instance, a 12-pound turkey soaked in a wet brine for the entire night will weigh more than 13 pounds when it comes out. This additional moisture in the oven will balance the juices released during roasting, making the bird extremely moist. You can also add other flavors to a wet brine; some ideas are apple cider, maple syrup, chile peppers, or star anise.
Detractors of wet brining complain a wet-brined bird can be slow to brown. But Keller’s foolproof method includes a smart final step that results in extra-crispy skin.
How to Brine a Turkey
FAQ
Do you rinse a turkey after wet brining?
What is the ratio for wet brine?
Do you fully submerge a turkey in brine?
What is wet brining a Turkey?
Wet-brining involves soaking a turkey in a saltwater solution overnight, resulting in an incredibly flavorful bird, plump with moisture. A raw turkey left to soak in unsalted water will plump some, but when there’s salt present, the proteins absorb more of the brine and retain more of that water as it cooks.
How much salt do you put in a turkey brine?
To make a wet brine for a turkey, the general rule of thumb is to use **2 cups of kosher salt or coarse sea salt for every 2 gallons of water** . For a 12-pound turkey, you can use **5
Should you brine a Turkey a wet or dry brine?
A wet brine produces a (slightly) plumper, juicier turkey. Most purists who want to roast a competition-level turkey choose a wet brine. Any brining (wet or dry) is better than no brining. Most years, I do a dry brine, because it’s less messy and the results are still stellar.
What is in a wet turkey brine?
The only two 100% necessary ingredients in a wet turkey brine are water and salt, but if that’s all you use, you miss an opportunity to add extra flavor to the turkey. Instead of only water, I make my turkey brine with apple cider or apple juice, then add whole spices, citrus, herbs, and brown sugar. Kosher Salt.