To Brine or Not to Brine a Turkey
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- čas přidán 15. 11. 2023
- Should I brine my turkey? With Thanksgiving coming up quick, you’re probably wondering - to brine or not to brine? In this video, we’re going to cook two 12 pound turkeys on the smoker side by side. We’re going to spatchcock them the same and season them the same… the one difference - One turkey will be brined overnight in a wet brine in the refrigerator, and the other turkey will not be brined.
Which turkey will turn out better? Does it matter if you brine your turkey? Can you really taste the difference? You’ll have to watch the video to find out!
@lonestargrillz #pelletgrill #turkey #smokedturkey
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I've brined and smoked my Turkey for the last 15yrs the first one I did was the year my mother was so sick with cancer she couldn't do all the cooking for Thanksgiving so i took over the Turkey and i had already taken over the sweet potato pies, It was an incredible honor to cook that Turkey for my mother and family and it was very humbling to have my mother say that was the best turkey she had ever had. She passed 3 months later in February 2010. I am definitely trying the spatchcock thing this year.
Hey thats awesome....truly...its stories like that that mean the most..thank you
RIP MOM
How well you put this video together, ability to speak and engage the audience, and do it so effortlessly is amazing;. Oh, and you answered a brine question for me also. :-) Now if you do dehydrating turkey for dog treats, I'll be over the moon as I have 5 Australian Shepherds and treat prices are crazy expensive when providing high quality food to them. Keep the young man as a reference point of what does and doesn't work and don't be afraid to fail. Haven't seen failure embraced since Justin Wilson on PBS when I was a child. We need failures to provide learning experiences.
Well I appreciate that...truly
This will be my first year using a wet brine. Can’t wait! Great video!
Hey thats awesome...cheers...
Just want to say thank you. You help me so much
You are so welcome! Thanks for commenting...
Well done thanks for the video doing a dry brine this year, it’ll be my first year smoking a turkey
thats awesome.....few tips...keep that temp up...around 275 to 300.....and insure you are checking the internal temp...lastly let rest longer than expected....
Great video, and thanks for the added smoker support for backyard chefs! One tip: Turn the wire rack upside down before you put the food on it. That way the "feet" of the rack won't get caught up in the grates allowing you to slide the whole thing around without the need to lift.
That's a great idea!
Great experiment! Your neighbor's unbiased opinion was a nice addition. I bet he'd happily participate in future taste testing👍😊
I think so too! Hes a good guy...
Looks amazing! This will be my 1st year cooking the turkey. I'm doing dry brine, butter injection. then rotisserie smoking it. I don't wanna make it too good, they'll expect it all the time. 🤣Thanks for another great video. Happy Thanksgiving to you & yours. Keep up the great work.
hahahahah YOU aint lying...mine is brining right now....so true
Spatchcocking is definitely the way to go on the smoker. I will wet brine on the smoker and often dry brine when doing a turkey inside in the oven. However, I believe that wet brining induces more flavor and i prefer it. I love to cook outside so it has been awhile since I have cooked a turkey in the oven. Loved seeing your neighbor and looks like he makes a good judge for future videos.
I appreciate that...talked to him today about doing another one...hes was smiling eat to ear...problem is he works till dark and dark comes so early now...will have to plan for sure
I did a wet brine this year. Just salt. It was also the first time using a Big Green Egg. I didn’t smoke it, just grilled it. Best turkey I’ve ever done after more than 30 yrs of cooking them in the oven. Will never cook a turkey in the oven again.
Hey thats great...love that idea...i swear by it...add the charcoal flavor as well...im sure it was fantastic
Great job and thanks for info. Not to be a know it all but just lettings people know that some birds are packed in some sort of sodium already. So if you're doing a salt brine don't pick one of those birds. It will say it on the wrapper, packed in mystery liquid of sorts.
Anyway, Neil is right and do the brine. Well worth it. I also inject with Cajun butter stuff.
Happy Thanksgiving from Lenoir City, TN.
Thanks for the info neighbor...GBO
I have been brining and spatchcocking for a few years and have not fried or baked the bird since. However last year I brined and cooked turkey breasts on the rotisserie and it is now what has been requested this year.
yeah that has to be done..i would think rotisserie would be HIGH on the list of great birds
Done both wet and dry brine. The wet brine seems to edge out dry brine just a bit. 12-14lbs seems to be the sweet spot for succulent and tenderness. This year I’m going for some Cajun butter injection.
Good stuff! I have tried the injection....didn't have great results...I want to try again..
I’m all about the wet brine. I use crawfish boil in mine and I’m told that I have to do a Turkey every year. Just took mine out of the brine earlier so that it can dry. Oh and spatchcock 100%! Congrats on the new channel!
DUDE.....THATS what im talking about...dang that sounds good...
I too favor a wet brine for my turkeys. Actually, I don’t use any other spices the brine I make provides all the flavor. 😊 thanks for sharing.
Hey bud...nice to see ya here...cheers...
Amazing Video Neil. This should be a PA (public announcement) for Briners Anonymous. Hello Group, my name is Larry. I've been a Briner for 5 years. I just can't stop. Haha! You know it's good when Amy's pincers enter the screen for a bite. Lol. I hope you guys have a Wonderful Thanksgiving. Max is the lucky neighbor, just Sayin.
hahahaha thats a fantastic comment...well said...yeah we get along well...good family over there...
Great vid. I think a better comparison would have been a dry brine on the other turkey because of course the wet brine is better than plain but is it better than a dry brine?? I'm a fan of dry brine.
That will be another video...just ran out of time....BUT it will be done for sure...thanks
Curious why you decided to brine before spatchcocking. Looks fantastic!!
When I have done a cooler method i spatchcock first. But being in the fridge and in that plastic bag I wanted the bird to be strong and not fall over… first time using a bag like that. I thought by taking the back out first it might be hard to maneuver….
I did smoked turkey breast. 275 at 2.5 hours...I didnt brine it. It was still very juicy. Im sure a brine wouldve made the taste better. I'll try brining it next time...if I was doing a whole turkey I would definitely do an overnight brine.
Goin with a buttermilk brine this year in a lobster pot. Spatchcock and smoke with apple and hickory
WOW....im done for sure...
This year was my first time ever cooking turkey for Thanksgiving. Always had other family members do it. But I decided to smoke one this year, did the spatchcock of course, and decided to go with a salt dry brine for 48 hrs prior. To me it just seemed easier and less messy than a wet brine. After the brine I added an herb butter mixture, pepper and garlic powder, then smoked on the Weber kettle at 275 for about 3 hours. Towards the end I did a honey butter mustard glaze with some BBQ rub mixed in. Came out amazing and was a big hit with the family last Thursday. Definitely going to try it again with a chicken here soon, and who knows, might even do another turkey just whenever, not for a holiday!
Hey thats awesome...to me thats whats its all about...stepping out and trying something new...just a heads up...after Christmas a lot of stores will drastically reduce their fresh turkeys down to around $4 to $6 bucks to just get rid of em...we typically do the same thing...buy one and make something out of it...
Last year I took wings thighs and legs off...made turkey pot pie out of that...then just dry brined the breast...smoked and used as cold cuts...
@@PelletsandPits haha yep, I almost always buy things like pork butts and ribs after major holidays when they’re on sale, and just keep frozen until whenever I feel the need to cook one. Wish I had room for a second freezer in the garage.
We have brined our turkey for at least 15 years. Never will do anything different. I would love to know more about the Cajun brined turkey. Any possibility of getting that recipe put up on the website?
Unfortunately we did not make one...that was a long time ago before we realized how many people wanted recipes..but there i the CZcams link to watch how I made it...
czcams.com/video/poRBZQgudGU/video.htmlsi=sr4lGA0VV0UArzMs
I have been using Kinder's turkey brine kit for the last several years. I like deep fried turkey also but love my brined and smoked. This year i did a 20 lb bird. I haven't tried spatchcocking a turkey yet but might try it.
That is awesome...just curious, do you like bigger birds vs smaller ones...or just the idea of 20lb is one bird and thats better for your set up...
@@PelletsandPits I've done smaller vs larger birds and haven't noticed that much of a difference. I used to use an Orion Cooker and 20 lbs was its max but I'm using a gravity fed similar to a Stump's and size isn't an issue. I got a 20 lb this year because that's what they had at the grocery store... all the fresh butterballs were 20-24 lbs.
@@ralphveasey7274 got ya.
Great video. Any flavor in particular on the pellet??
I know it sounds crazy..but I have 4 different brands and flavors on my deck right now...I honestly cant tell so much of a difference that I stay true to one brand because of flavor...still looking...
definitely brine and spatchcock
I'm a brine fan, however I've tried some exotic brines and taste none of the extra ingredients in the bird. Most of the flavor is the smoke and the rub. I just do salt and brown sugar brine, not even sure the sugar is needed. As everything in cooking, works for me, you do you.🙂
I got a free butterball from work. I usually get a fresh turkey and wet brine and smoke. Should I brine my butterball? I still plan on spatchcocking and smoking? Great video!
I have a butterball brining right now as I type this...
I'm 100 pct a fan of brining. But I've never made it from a box, only the Morton's ratio for an overnight brine.
Interesting....I will check it out..
11:25 - I think I almost peed myself!!!! 😆😆😆
ahhahahahaha
@PelletsandPits The question for me isn't to brine or not to brine. It's to brine or to inject. Any thoughts on that?
I think by brining its more of a science...injecting does add flavor but only in spots. I have never found that bu injecting if flavors the whole bird. By brining, the salt and sugar pulls and pushes moisture though the whole bird...I know some actually inject after brining....I have not done that...
Spatch cocktail turkey on smoker injected is our family choice
100....
Did you use a Tennessee Turkey?
Is there any other...hahhaha Tennessee Pride Turkeys
I'm a wet brine fan. I do an apple juice brine. Very simple and so delicious.
I don't spatchcock the turkey, but do cut out the wishbone for easier carving. Cook on the Traeger 325° so not terribly smokey flavor.
I hope this year is as good as past years have been.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I think I am going hotter this year as well...spot on ...cheers..
I wish I liked turkey more. But I’m all about brining my chicken
those crazy buzzards...
@@PelletsandPits 😂
How do you catch drippings when spatchcock?
Sheet pan...I line with foil, maybe add some root veggies on the bottom to elevate...typically when I wet brine I do not save drippings because the flavor...During this time I actually buy cheap turkey wings...and save the backs out to the turkeys for the stock...still smoke em...but they dont have the same flavor
I, myself, have never brined a turkey, as the turkeys we usually buy are a “pre brined” turkey, I know there is unbrined options out there
The ones I buy are pre brined...as well...
that's not the question i have.
You've never been WHAT with a turkey in your fridge?
What does Brooke do to the dark meat?
BRINE not Brooke
I think same as the white meat...just adds flavor...
what temp did you cook to?
I like to cook to around 160 ish...keep that temp or above for 15min...then pull and rest..some carry over will happen as well...thats the breast area...the thighs i like around 175..
@@PelletsandPits that worked nicely!! perfectly done
Dry brine ftw.
I have not done a turkey...just chickens...will be interesting for sure...
Dang! I gotta move and be Neal’s neighbor!
hahahhaha
Have you tried dry brining a turkey?
Not a turkey...I have chickens...
I'm a dedicated biner.
Amen...
Nice vid but differently bias. Would have been allot better if you did not tell him how much you both love brining. Personally brining is a big pain. The biggest way to have a great turkey is don’t over cook it. Pull it out at 163 degrees and tent it. Rest for 20-30 min.
Fair enough! Ever thought of dry brine....
you look just like the flat top king...
Thats an insult...hes a dork...not a very nice guy...tell him I said that...haahhaha
Dang man blind taste testing is not your thing. Not only did you tell him which one is which you gave your commentary first and started groaning over which one you preferred.
No doubt i messed up..ahahhaha but I let the comments speak for themselves...its either dry or wet by a country mile...and now he can tell the difference regardless...
So I wasted 10 minutes just for him to tell him which is which? That’s a biased opinion when he’s looking for it
Man I suck....haahahha Then you cook 2 turkeys and like I did and see if you can tell the difference...regardless is its biased or not...which unfortunately I messed up...It is not...you and everyone in the whole world can tell the difference tasted side by side...I dont care if you brine or not...I am a brine fan because of results year after year..and based on the comments seems like its the common answer...BRINE...either wet or dry Because it make a difference
@@PelletsandPits awesome