Can I dry-brine a turkey crown while it's defrosting?
At the suggestion of certain knowledgeable parties, I plan on dry-brining my turkey crown for Christmas dinner this year. However, I will most likely be buying a frozen crown, so I'm wondering what the timing should be like.
I've heard that you can dry-brine while defrosting, but I can't find any details. I'm thinking that I should let it partially defrost before salting, letting the outer part of the turkey soften a bit. The joint will be about 2.5kg (5.5lbs), so will take about 10 hours to defrost in a cold room (boy does my kitchen fit this description). I'm thinking perhaps salting 3 hours into defrosting, letting it fully defrost, then placing it in the fridge overnight - I know dry brining should usually be longer, but this is a relatively small joint and I'd rather not give my guests massive food poisoning as a Christmas gift.
Best Answer
In summary, yes, you can dry-brine while thawing.
The effect will proceed no faster than the turkey thaws, as the diffusion of the salt cannot proceed into frozen meat.
I cannot recommend thawing at room temperature, which is not one of the four safe thawing methods.
Instead, you should place your turkey crown on a rack over a tray, and salt it liberally, including any other herbs or spices you choose (although these flavors will remain at the surface). Then place it into the refrigerator for 24 hours or more. You don't really need three days as indicated in the recipe linked in the question, although it will do no harm to let the turkey sit longer. The amount of salt you apply is finite, so you are not going to "overbrine".
Don't cover it or uncover it for the last 24 hours of resting time; the open air circulation will encourage some drying of the skin and giving you a crispier result.
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Can you dry-brine while defrosting?
Yes, in fact, we experimented with this a couple of years ago and found that salting a frozen turkey and letting it defrost and brine at the same time works just fine. Just rinse the bird in cool running water to start the defrosting (and to sufficiently un-freeze the bag of giblets so you can pull them out).Can you brine a turkey while its defrosting?
You might think that brining is something you only do once a year with the Thanksgiving turkey, but think again! It's an easy way to season meat and help keep it moist at the same time.Do you thaw turkey before dry brining?
If your turkey is totally solid, you'll want to wait until it's at least partially thawed before dry-brining. You want to be able to at least remove the bag of giblets from the cavity so you can get the brine everywhere.Can I brine a frozen turkey crown?
Our answer. Brining a turkey is always a good option as it adds moisture and flavour to both fresh and frozen turkeys. If using a frozen turkey then you do need to check that it it is not a pre-basted bird or one that has been pre-seasoned, as neither of these are suitable for brining.How to Dry Brine a Turkey | Holiday Tips and Recipe Ideas | Whole Foods Market
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