turkey time. wet brine vs dry brine?

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tc fish bum

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Oct 23, 2013
169
13
ive been hearing a lot about dry brine poultry lately. ive just thawed a store bought that work gave me and was getting ready to wet brine it as i have for the last gazillion times ( i use a rif off alton browns brine with some crispy skin tricks) , and i ran into a dry brine? for poultry? seems more a rub than a brine. has anyone done this? is it any good? or is this another fad? likes, dislikes, pro, con, sounds to me like it would be rather hammy.any comments?
 
ive been hearing a lot about dry brine poultry lately. ive just thawed a store bought that work gave me and was getting ready to wet brine it as i have for the last gazillion times ( i use a rif off alton browns brine with some crispy skin tricks) , and i ran into a dry brine? for poultry? seems more a rub than a brine. has anyone done this? is it any good? or is this another fad? likes, dislikes, pro, con, sounds to me like it would be rather hammy.any comments?

You are absolutely right. A dry brine is just another name for a dry rub. Just a way of making something old sound new....which is ok. Salt rubs are popular right now , you will see them on all the cooking shows and magazines. You rub the turkey with kosher salt and baking powder (or is it soda) and spices like sage and Rosemary and the salt draws the moisture to the surface and moistens the herbs and allows the flavor to soak into the meat...and I guess the baking powder/soda helps to crisp the skin. I've done chicken this way and I thought it was good. I don't think it's a fad , I think it's a legit technique that plenty of good cooks use. It might just be less trouble than brining , which a lot of folks are intimidated by. Especially a big ol turkey. Well good luck , I hope you have a good turkey day whichever way you go.
 
thanx hambone, its just as i thought. i personaly like to do a light brine on my yard bird to infuse flavs and moisture. got one on brine now, gonna smoke hot with apple/maple thurs am. then fri. wash rinse repeat all over again. already gettin sick of turkey and i havent even started the smoker. lol
 
I though a dry brine involved whipped egg whites and salt? Packed all over and all around the bird.  As it cooks it hardened into I guess a hard meringue bringing/holding spices and herbs on and in the neat. Not true? It forms a hard salt crust which encapsulates whatever meat hold the moisture.  ????
 
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