dry brine

I first read about the subject when Parsons originally wrote the article in 2005 or 2006. His method was an adaptation of the manner in which they prepare roast chickens at the Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. I've had their chickens in the past, and they are outstanding. So, I decided to give the salted or dry brined turkey a try following the procedure pretty much as outlined by Parsons. My only deviation is that I haven't done whole turkeys for years. I just do parts (breasts & thighs) for timing and finished temperature purposes.

My bottom line - It's the only way I've prepared a turkey since first trying it. Compared to a traditional wet brined turkey, the difference in taste and texture is significant. When time allows I do the same with chickens with an obviously shorter "brining" period, 1-2 days.

a couple of questions dls do you grind herbs and spices in the salt mixture and does it alter the cooking time. I know the a wet brined bird cooks quicker because of the moisture basically steaming the bird. also do you smoke the chickens whole or in parts like the turkey?
thanks

quote:

Originally posted by seasoned1:
a couple of questions dls do you grind herbs and spices in the salt mixture and does it alter the cooking time. I know the a wet brined bird cooks quicker because of the moisture basically steaming the bird. also do you smoke the chickens whole or in parts like the turkey?
thanks

If I use only salt I don't bother to grind. If I'm adding herbs and/or spices to the salt, which I normally do, then I grind.

I haven't wet brined a turkey in so long that I can't answer your cooking time comparison question. I would imagine that the salted turkey finishes similar to a regular non-brined bird. My usual procedure is to start the thighs alone in a pre-heated smoker at 200F. At a later point I add the breasts to the smoker with a temp probe. When the breasts read 120F, I move everything from the smoker to a roasting pan and finish in an oven pre-heated to 350F. When the breasts read 140F-145F, I pull everything from the oven, FTC the parts, and let them rest for around an hour.

The chickens are spatchcocked.

Hope this helps.

If you check the FIND at page top for dry brined turkey it quickly turns up some great threads and as suggested can be a fine procedure.

dry brined

Dry Brining is just using salt to enhance the flavor.

Try it with steak. I'm a fan of it, I actually do my Prime Rib that way (but only overnight).

I'm not sure on duration, and 1 TB may not be enough, as for the normal 10 to 15 lb bird that would only be 3 TB. I'm also not sure if the herbs, etc really carry along with the salt as it goes into it.

I'll put it on the list for 101 and add to turkey. But I'll have to experiment. I haven't done it with poultry, only beef.

Try it on a steak, say 1 to 2 hours as an experiment and see if you notice a differnce.

This is the recipe I used a couple years ago on my Thanksgiving turkey. It turned out great! I was surprised at how nice and moist it was.

www.marthastewart.com/317581/r...ed-dry-brined-turkey

I did use all the salt as directed. Smokin was right about 1 TB not being enough.

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
Dry Brining is just using salt to enhance the flavor.

Try it with steak. I'm a fan of it, I actually do my Prime Rib that way (but only overnight).

I'm not sure on duration, and 1 TB may not be enough, as for the normal 10 to 15 lb bird that would only be 3 TB. I'm also not sure if the herbs, etc really carry along with the salt as it goes into it.

I'll put it on the list for 101 and add to turkey. But I'll have to experiment. I haven't done it with poultry, only beef.

Try it on a steak, say 1 to 2 hours as an experiment and see if you notice a differnce.

Smokin' - Like you, I always salt steaks. Some kosher salt applied like a little dusting of snow on both sides, and rested at room temp for ~ 2 hours. Ditto with PR overnight in the refrigerator. If you pay close attention to the meat you'll see osmosis/reverse osmosis in action.

I too was skeptical of the amount of salt called for (1 tbs/5 lb) thinking that it was not enough. But, the first time out I followed the recipe exactly as written, and it works. I now use a little more salt but not a lot. I tend to think that it has something to do with dry brine period of 3 days, and massaging the turkey daily to break up any pockets of salt and redistribute it.

The herbs and spices mixed in with salt work very well. I would say much better than in a wet brine.

Always experimenting, I've tried a number of blends, but my go to mix is as follows:

Smoky spiced salt with orange

1/4 cup kosher salt (4 tbs)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika preferably Spanish Pimenton de La Vera
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest

Pulse together the salt, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powders, cumin, black pepper, brown sugar and orange zest in a spice grinder. Makes a little more than 1/2 cup.

OMG, that sound devine dls. Do you save any extra in the fridge because of the orange zest or does it just get all use up at once?

quote:

Originally posted by Vicki B:
OMG, that sound devine dls. Do you save any extra in the fridge because of the orange zest or does it just get all use up at once?

I usually use all of it at once. Any leftover will keep in the fridge for a few days, but not much more.

quote:

Reply

i always try to salt the steaks for a couple of hours prior to hitting the grill as well. What a differnce it makes and that is what perked my interest when i read the article. have you used fresh sage and thyme in the grind mix for a more traditionl holiday bird?
I will be picking up a couple of chickens on my way home tonight to give this a try using your go to mix. thanks for all your help

quote:

Originally posted by seasoned1:

quote:

Reply

i always try to salt the steaks for a couple of hours prior to hitting the grill as well. What a differnce it makes and that is what perked my interest when i read the article. have you used fresh sage and thyme in the grind mix for a more traditionl holiday bird?
I will be picking up a couple of chickens on my way home tonight to give this a try using your go to mix. thanks for all your help

Here's another mix that I've used. I think I got it from a follow up article on the subject by Parson:

Sage, Bay, & Thyme Salt

1/4 cup kosher salt (4 tbs)
10 dried bay leaves, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon ground sage
3/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pulse together the salt, bay leaves, ground sage and black pepper in a spice grinder to make a fine powder. Makes 1/3 cup.

Let us know how the chickens come out.

I printed out your smoky spiced salt rub recipe and am going to rub it on a roasting chicken right now!!!

thanks i will let you know Sat. or Sun. on how they turn out.

dls, MY HOUSE SMELLS SO GOOD RIGHT NOW!!!

I can't wait to eat that chicken with the smoky rub on it. My mouth is watering.

Okay, couldn't wait, took the gizzard, heart, liver and neck off the roasting pan (they were done - I always place them away from chicken so raw juice cant run onto them) and now they are gone Absolutely delicious!

I have a dumb question but remember there is no dumb question just dumb people.

When you dry brine the birds and beef do you rinse off the salt brine before cooking?

thats actually a very good question. I wipe off any excess salt with a paper towel. one thing i have read about restuarants being able to have such good tasting steaks is that they use more salt than backyard cooks like us. they also use a finishing salt before serving. try a steak sometime like you normally cook it and when it is done add a pinch of artisan salt to some and compare. results might surprise you.

quote:

Originally posted by KS Q:
I have a dumb question but remember there is no dumb question just dumb people.

When you dry brine the birds and beef do you rinse off the salt brine before cooking?

No, it's not necessary. By the time you're done with the brining process there should be no salt visible on the surface. The exterior surface of the beef and the skin of the poultry should be moist but not wet. Just pat very dry with paper towels. Also, with poultry it's advisable to place it breast-side up on a plate and refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours for a turkey, and 4 hours for a chicken. The skin needs to be thoroughly dry prior to cooking.

That skin trick is something Martha Stewart doesnt tell you

I have to remember that one.

Well, I do rinse mine. Basically to get rid of any surface salt so that when someone eats a bite they don't get a mouthful.

Like DLS said, most / all of it's gone, but I do it just in case.

As always, experiment and your individual results may vary.

quote:

Originally posted by Vicki B:
Okay, couldn't wait, took the gizzard, heart, liver and neck off the roasting pan (they were done - I always place them away from chicken so raw juice cant run onto them) and now they are gone Absolutely delicious!

You certainly don't waste any parts, do you?

How did the rest of the chicken taste?

The rest of the chicken was delicious. My family picked the whole thing clean. I will be using that rub again. I always get to enjoy the tidbits being the cook and all. Thanks again for the delicious recipe.

use dls go to recipe and after 2 days of dry brine and rubbing a couple of times a day and then placing a rack in refrig for 4 hours. i spachcocket the chicken and smoked at 375 in fec100 until done. i must admit i am sold on dry brine. flavor was in the meat and it was moist as could be. Thanks for the advice.

quote:

Originally posted by seasoned1:
... and rubbing a couple of times a day ...

Did you add more salt and rub or just rub it?

If' not seen a dry brine that you did anything other than just put it on, it pulls out the water then the water/salt/rub gets pulled back in.

Just curious.

I used dls go to

Smoky spiced salt with orange

1/4 cup kosher salt (4 tbs)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika preferably Spanish Pimenton de La Vera
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest

Pulse together the salt, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powders, cumin, black pepper, brown sugar and orange zest in a spice grinder. Makes a little more than 1/2 cup.

but did 1 1/2 times of it for 2 chickens. spatchcocked prior to rub and applied on both sides. placed in zip lock bags and rubbed several times without taking them out of the bags. moisture did show up in the bag initially but was absorbed by the time i placed on the rack (2 days) for final four hour drying. worked great. I think next time i will wet brine one and dry brine for side to side comparison.

thought i would add that i didn't use all the rub. The original amount was about right for 2 chickens. first time trying so another option would be to try more on one than the other. Dls could probably weigh in on that part.

quote:

Originally posted by seasoned1:
thought i would add that i didn't use all the rub. The original amount was about right for 2 chickens. first time trying so another option would be to try more on one than the other. Dls could probably weigh in on that part.

The salt rub amount is what normally use on a 12 lb-14 lb turkey, or 2-3 chickens, depending upon the size.

But as said earlier, I don't do whole birds. With turkey parts, it's typically a boneless breast, halved, and 2-4 thighs. Chickens are spatchcocked. As such, I can get greater surface coverage with a larger portion of the rub going to the breasts, and less to the thighs.