Brining Question

[Gourmet_Mom]

Due to limited choices in my area, I decided on a Butterball turkey this year. If I remember correctly, it is not recommended to brine this type of bird?

[cjs]

Is it injected? If so, don't brine.

[Gourmet_Mom]

I'm pretty sure it is. I don't think I brined last year for the same reason, and it turned out really well. I just basted several times. One thing I'm thinking of trying different, cooking in a 450 oven for the first 30 minutes. Has anyone tried this? Thoughts?

[Cubangirl]

Kenji has a whole article on brining. Bottom line, wet brines are useless, dry brine (salt uncovered in fridge overnight) work but not really needed. Article is here . I am doing just a breast sous vide and have it in the fridge with salt uncovered now.

[losblanos1]

Daphne, Carylann cooked a Butterball (23lbs) last Saturday just following the cooking instructions that came with it. No brine or spice rub (just corn oil, pepper and Kosher salt on the skin) and it turned out perfect. She did stuff the bird with lemons, thyme, garlic and fennel and tented with foil after two hours. Ina's perfect chicken style.

[BarbaraS]

Yep Blane! Can't argue with Ina's Perfect Chicken method! That was one Cook's book Hubby loved to give me.

And yes, Butterball should never be brined. Who was it that originally asked that question?

Barbara

[Gourmet_Mom]

Blane, that is what I'm planning...rubbing with oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; stuffing with lemon, fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary, and sage on a bed of onions, carrots and celery. I'm using the cooking method Bobby Flay used recently: 425 first 30 minutes and turned back to 350 for the remainder. I'll check Ina's method again, though.

ETA: Did Carlyann Roast on 425 the whole time?

That's a beautiful bird, BTW! And 23 pounds?!?! OMG!

[Harborwitch]

Ours is in a cider brine with 1/2 gal. water 1/2 gal. cider, 1 cup salt, 4 cloves garlic, allspice berries, 4 color peppercorns, and a vanilla bean. We put him in the walk-in over night.

[losblanos1]

Daphne, she cooked it at 325 for about 4 hours. I buy big so that there are plenty of leftovers for everyone.

[Gourmet_Mom]

Thanks, Blane, I used the 450 start and reduced to 350 and cooked 3 1/2 hours to temp. Everyone thought it was great...I thought it could have come off 15-20 minutes earlier?