Brining Safely Will Bring Tender, Flavorful Meat to the Thanksgiving Table (2024)

FAQs

Brining Safely Will Bring Tender, Flavorful Meat to the Thanksgiving Table? ›

During brining, the turkey absorbs extra moisture, which in turn helps it stay juicy. Since the turkey absorbs salt (and other flavors) too, it also gets nicely seasoned. Even better, the salt breaks down some of the turkey's proteins, making it more tender.

It adds flavor, seasoning from the inside out, but it also changes the meat's physical nature. The salt in brine denatures the meat's proteins to allow the cells to retain more moisture. Meanwhile, the brine also tenderizes meat by causing its muscle fibers to unravel and swell.

The purpose of a brine is to produce a more tender and flavorful turkey. According to research published in the Journal of Food Science , the salt in the brine dissolves a bit of the protein in the muscle fibers, and allows the meat to absorb the brine and retain moisture during cooking.

You might be wondering why you'd want to brine a turkey in the first place, as not all recipes call for it. One key reason is the taste—whether you wet-brine or dry-brine, using all! that! salt! infuses the bird with flavor, giving it an extra boost before you add any spices or aromatics.

If you want the juiciest possible bird, you're going to want to learn how to brine a turkey. The process may take a little time (start at least 2 days ahead of the feast), but properly brining a turkey yields the juiciest, most succulent meat—no dryness here.

There is generally no need to rinse the meat after using either brine listed above, just pat dry with paper towels.

Properly brined meat shouldn't taste salty, just very juicy with good flavor. But do reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe; that is, don't add salt until the dish is at a point where you can taste it and judge.

Butterball Fresh Whole Turkey is all natural*, never frozen, gluten free, and raised without hormones on American farms. Every fresh turkey is pre-brined before packaging for meat that's always tender and juicy. *All natural means minimally processed and no artificial ingredients.

According to a study by the food safety experts at the USDA, washing or rinsing raw turkey can put you at risk of foodborne illness. There's only one time you should wash a raw turkey, and that is after brining. Otherwise, do not wash a turkey before cooking.

Leave the protein in the brine for about 1 hour per pound. Store in the refrigerator, as the brine must be kept cold at all times during the process.

Do you rub a turkey after brining? ›

After brining, remove from liquid and discard remaining brine. Rinse and pat your bird dry. Place the turkey in a roasting pan and generously seasoning the outside and cavity with salt and pepper. Place compound butter under the skin of the bird and rub the entire outside with the butter.

Remove turkey from brine and pat dry (inside and out) with paper towels. Fill turkey cavity with aromatics including fresh herbs (such as fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage), 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped, 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped, and 1 onion, coarsely chopped. Keep packing loose.

Brines can be simply salt and water however, the addition of herbs and spices can give your brine added flavor.

For a 12-pound turkey, cover and marinate in the refrigerator 8 to 12 hours. For a turkey larger than 12 pounds, increase the brine so the turkey will be totally submerged when weighted down with the plates. Marinate for at least 12 hours.

Yes! Do not leave a turkey brining on the counter or it'll spoil. Treat it just like you would a raw turkey, because that's what it is—always refrigerate it!

Brining for too long can result in meat that tastes overly-salty and has a spongy texture. If you're not ready to roast the bird after 18 hours, remove it from the brine, rinse it, pat it dry, and refrigerate for up to two days.

At its most basic, brining is submerging meat in a solution of salt and water for many hours before cooking, enhancing the meat's ability to retain moisture and tenderness, while also seasoning it.

How Long Does It Take to Brine Meat? A general rule of thumb is to leave your meat in its brine for roughly one hour per pound—never brine your meat more than the prescribed amount, lest the proteins break down too far, turning it into unappetizing mush.

Brining will also give you built-in forgiveness on the grill and in the oven, as it helps to season and tenderize the proteins. Leaner meats such as shrimp, chicken, and many cuts of pork don't have the same inter-muscular fat as beef. Therefore, they are less forgiving, and easy to overcook.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.