Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 dirtyfrank Apr 15, 2009 0:10:36	Turkey Brine A brine is simply a seasoned salt-water bath that the turkey soaks in for 6-12 hours prior to cooking. The brine adds some flavor, but most importantly provides a chemical method to keep the meat tender and juicy while cooking. Pictures of Ingredients
#2 dirtyfrank Apr 15, 2009 0:11:30	Turkey Brine Continued 2. In the bucket, combine the cooled (room temperature) broth with the ice water, salt, pepper and fresh herbs and mix well.
#3 dirtyfrank Apr 15, 2009 0:12:03	Roasted Turkey Steps 1-3 are taken care of if you brine the turkey 1. Make sure the bird is fully thawed by placing it in the refrigerator at least 3 full days before cooking. If, on the night before, it is not thawed, place the turkey in a room temperature bath until it thaws. 2. The night before roasting, clean the turkey by removing the neck and giblets enclosed in the bird. Use them for the gravy, or discard. 3. Rinse the raw bird completely with cold water, using your hands to "massage" the bird as it is rinsed with the water. Do this all over, and inside the bird's cavity. MAKE SURE that everything you touch is thoroughly cleansed afterwards.
#4 Reg06 Apr 15, 2009 1:04:50	Brining makes all the difference in the world, it truly is magical. I've never tried it with chicken broth though. In the past I've cooked up my own brine (water+lots of salt+sugar+pepper corns+herb stems+juniper berries), which works well on turkey, chicken, and fish (for smoking). I'm curious to know what the difference is, and if I have the means in the near future I'd like to get a couple fryers and try it out the broth brine.
#5 dirtyfrank Apr 15, 2009 1:13:08	I have no clue what the difference is because I've only done it with the broth. I'm sure there is a difference although I'm thinking it's probably only a slight taste difference.
#6 Reg06 Apr 15, 2009 1:18:41	Oh yeah, chemically it'll work the same. I just want to find out how the taste differs. I'd bet the broth brine would result in a fuller tasting bird, but the bird already tastes like poultry so it might be negligible.
#7 dirtyfrank Apr 15, 2009 1:25:49	I know that a lot of the taste that comes with the recipe I use is from the veggies and herbs that are stuffed in the turkey over night. I've cooked it while having the veggies in it over night and while it cooks and with the veggies only being stuffed in right before cooking and I've noticed that causing a bit of a flavor difference. Maybe I should try a different brine sometime to see how the taste will change.
#8 Reg06 Apr 15, 2009 1:34:28	All those aromatics are going give the bird a nice round flavor. I notice a serious lack of garlic though, is that on purpose?
#9 dirtyfrank Apr 15, 2009 1:36:59	I've never cooked my bird with garlic. I could try putting it in at some point. I put some garlic in with the olive oil, pepper, and salt mix that I rubbed on the turkey. I've just never tried cutting it up and placing it in my bird.
#10 KillerGM Apr 15, 2009 16:32:41	Yay internets minutiae! :D Lovely pics. Looks very yummy! :D
#11 awesome_dude Apr 15, 2009 16:53:46	You people and your meat!
#12 dirtyfrank Apr 15, 2009 16:54:07	Lovely pics. Looks very yummy! :D It tastes very yummy too. :D
#13 terronus Apr 16, 2009 19:12:28	Excellent recipe. One thing I've always done is cut the turkey where the legs meet the body to ensure a more even cooking, but then bard it with bacon or fatback to help it stay nice and tender. As far as I know, also, the long cooking time typical of turkey makes it unideal to add garlic, because overcooked (note: not just cooked slowly) garlic can have a very bitter flavor. A good garlic salt or spice blend would be preferable... Cavender's Greek Seasoning is my favorite. As for broth, its pretty much as simple as you think. Try it sometime in a recipe that calls for water... like mash potatoes, noodles or something, it will indeed enhance the flavor.
#14 Reg06 Apr 17, 2009 14:28:15	Excellent recipe. One thing I've always done is cut the turkey where the legs meet the body to ensure a more even cooking, but then bard it with bacon or fatback to help it stay nice and tender. I typically shove butter under the skin of the turkey. The first time I did it I ripped the skin, but now that's not a problem. And it works beautifully. And I butter the outside really well. Bacon fat I haven't tried, but that sounds wonderful. As far as I know, also, the long cooking time typical of turkey makes it unideal to add garlic, because overcooked (note: not just cooked slowly) garlic can have a very bitter flavor. Very true. If there is enough liquid floating around though it won't be much of a problem, and even with liquid the garlic is unlikely to brown while inside the turkey (which will make it bitter if it gets to dark). As for broth, its pretty much as simple as you think. Try it sometime in a recipe that calls for water... like mash potatoes, noodles or something, it will indeed enhance the flavor. When I make my own stock (usually from a ham bone or turkey carcass) I take that stock and use it to boil potatoes in, and I reserve the liquid when I drain the potatoes. I then have a wonderfully flavored, and thick, soup base.
#15 dirtyfrank Apr 17, 2009 22:40:16	I typically shove butter under the skin of the turkey. The first time I did it I ripped the skin, but now that's not a problem. And it works beautifully. And I butter the outside really well. Bacon fat I haven't tried, but that sounds wonderful. Does the butter give it any extra little flavoring? If so, what kind of little flavor kick does the butter give the turkey?
#16 studpuffin Apr 18, 2009 11:12:47	All this talk of roasting birds, I don't know what to think...
#17 Reg06 Apr 18, 2009 22:53:11	Does the butter give it any extra little flavoring? If so, what kind of little flavor kick does the butter give the turkey? Presumably. I haven't tried it with a different fat though. However, I remember birds without the barding were not as good, and the skin wasn't as delicious. Unless you use a an animal fat or peanut oil I expect butter will add more flavor than any other fat, as it makes everything good (butter) and it has a low enough smoke point that it will get nice and brown on the outside of the bird and crisp the skin.
#18 dirtyfrank Apr 23, 2009 18:50:50
#19 terronus Apr 23, 2009 19:03:49	Before we get to the turkey, lets talk eggs. You need fat to fry them, and the most common choices are butter, or bacon. I can't really say "butter tastes like ..." because I only recognize it as tasting like butter. You can, however, fry your bacon in the morning and crack a couple fried eggs in the fat for a different taste. That's probably the simplest way to recognize the difference of flavors. In a standard kitchen, bacon fat is often rendered (that is, clearing out all the little specks of food until nothing is left but the oil) for a unique and often, imo, wonderful flavor. But my cholesterol sucks... Moving on! "Barding" is a term that refers to covering a baked item in a layer of fat. As described in the thread, this involves covering a turkey with butter or bacon. Reg06 shoves it under the skin. This is cool, because a typical bird's skin doesn't have enough fat to absorb, which can lead to a dry turkey. It also will make sure the butter doesn't seep out, but is absorbed. You could even take it a step further and make a compound butter for some awesome flavor! Bay leaves, thyme, sage, garlic (which won't overcook under a turkey skin... all come to mind) I cut the skin where the turkey thighs meet the legs. This is often the most difficult point of a turkey to cook, and can result in dry white meat by the time legs/thighs are done. So to keep it moist, I bard it with fatback or bacon (or butter works just as well!) to ensure the turkey cooks more evenly and retains its moisture. TADA! I still want to plug Cavender's Greek Seasoning. It's the best friend you will ever have in a kitchen.
#20 Reg06 Apr 23, 2009 22:24:30	In a standard kitchen, bacon fat is often rendered (that is, clearing out all the little specks of food until nothing is left but the oil) for a unique and often, imo, wonderful flavor. But my cholesterol sucks... Sometimes I cook bacon just to render off the fat, and the crispy delicious bacon is just a side benefit. Using bacon fat to cook up hash browns is probably my favorite use of the stuff. Duck fat also does beautiful things for food, any food.
#21 terronus Apr 29, 2009 20:03:26	Hey, saw a great video recipe that sounded similar to your technique Reg: Chef John is a great cook, also, I like a lot of his recipes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxjFqtfJlMs&feature=channel
#22 Reg06 Apr 29, 2009 22:23:15	That was neat. Using the spoon to slip the butter under the skin is a really neat trick, and alot easier than shoving your hands under the skin like I've been doing. As long as we're doing YouTube links, Yan Can Cook. The man can handle a knife.
#23 dirtyfrank Apr 29, 2009 22:36:54	That was kind of interesting. I might try a slight amount of that the next time I cook bird.
#24 ciaran Apr 29, 2009 22:40:55	I boil chicken breast and potatoes until they're nearly cooked, chop them up into bite size morsels, and fry them in a pan with oil and seasoning.
#25 dirtyfrank May 08, 2009 1:26:15	Is there anybody else that likes to cook turkey or that would like to share anything about cooking turkey?
#26 Reg06 May 10, 2009 2:56:27	I've nothing to add to the turkey discussion, but I made Sheperd's Pie yesterday, and I have to say the combination of potato and cabbage is sublime. Sheperd's pie has always been one of my favorite dishes. When I made it, since I wasn't using a recipe anyways, I decided to try some things out I haven't done before. First, I took some bacon and rendered off most of the fat, then turned the heat way up to crisp the bacon up. Just before the bacon was all the way done I tossed in a bunch (really, alot. Maybe about 3/4 cup to the 6 small potatoes I had) of chopped onion, and just before that finished caramelizing I tossed in a good amount of garlic. The garlic had to be added right at the end because the stuff burns quickly. Also, when I added the onion, and then garlic, I added a nice big pat of butter. The potatoes I boiled in some stock (not real stock, but made with a base made from actual chicken parts), and once mashed I added lots of butter and some milk. To the onion garlic and bacon mixture I added sliced carrots, and then sliced red cabbage. Once the cabbage was done (not long at all) I deglazed the pan with apple cider vinegar (I would have used malt vinegar if I had it. I love vinegar), and then tossed that mixture in with the potatoes. A layer of extra sharp white and orange cheddar on top, broil it for a few minutes, and done. It was pretty fantastic. If I wasn't worried about breakfast I would have eaten at least 2/3 of the 9x11 pan. The stock I cooked the potatoes in I reserved, and made soup with.