Brining is the way to go for sure. I brined my first turkey for christmas and put in on the smoker. the taste was unbelievable! Ill never do another bird without brining it first. I used a simple recipe, here it is
Brined for 24 hrs in:
1 gal apple juice
2 cups table salt
2 cups white sugar
6 T worchestershire sauce
1 cup honey
8 lbs. ice
Bring the apple juice to a boil. Add the salt, sugar, and worchestershire. Stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Turn off the heat and add the honey. Stir to dissolve. Add 8 lbs. of ice and stir until ice is melted.
i use a 5 gal bucket . put the turkey or chicken in and cover w/ brine. use a heavy plate or lg bowl to keep the meat submerged. put the lid on and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours. take the meat out and rinse off the brine and pat dry.
here is a little about the brining process from wikipedia:
Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of Osmosis
In many foods the additional salt is also desirable as a Preservative.
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