brining turkey?

Question

I know you can brine a turkey before cooking it, but can I brine turkey pieces? Do I brine them just as long?

Answer 1

You can brine just about anything! If your turkey has been butchered into parts you do not need to brine them as long as you would a whole turkey. I would brine a whole bird for 24 hours. If you're brining all of the turkey parts I'd do them for 8 to 10 hours.

Answer 2

If you are doing a whole turkey breast, do it as if it were a whole chicken. If you are doing turkey drummies, do it as if you were doing ribs.


Basic All Purpose Brine for Meats, Chicken, and Turkey Recipe #105141
I like the combination of flavors in this brine more than any other I have tried.
by Sue L
1
quart
time to make 3¼ hours 15 min prep
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
4-6 cloves garlic, sliced
4 cups water
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup kosher salt

1. Makes 1 quart- make up additional amounts of brine if needed until meat is submerged.
2. Stir ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Continue stirring until sugar is dissolved.
4. Allow to cool.
5. Place meat or poultry in a food safe plastic bag inside another container for support and leakage control (oven roasting bags are a fine choice- NOT garbage bags).
6. Pour cooled brine into bag, and squeeze out as much air as possible and seal with a twistie tie.
7. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours for 3 pounds meat (such as pork ribs), 5-6 hours for a nice roasting hen, or 12-24 hours for a turkey, 12 hours being for a small one and the longer time for those turkeys around 20+ pounds.
8. Discard brine before using and pat meat dry.
9. If using poultry, you may want to add citrus fruit such as oranges or lemons, additional fresh herbs, or cloves of garlic into the cavity.
10. Prepare meat as desired- roast, bbq, etc.

Answer 3

I would reduce the time. 6 hours would probably work since the surfaces would be smaller. I do chicken pieces in buttermilk brine for 3 hours and it works fine. I also add citrus fruits to my turkey brine.

Answer 4

Pretty much so! I don't think time is a factor because you are still brining the same meat which has not changed in density or structure, just cut into smaller pieces. Basically, you're marinating! The "time factor" is regulated according to "taste" so therefore you would adjust accordingly to your degree of "strength".