I am not baking a whole turkey this year. Does this method apply to whole legs and drumsticks? Please advise on amount of salt. Thank you!
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Recipe question for:
Russ Parsons' Dry-Brined Turkey (aka The Judy Bird)
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3 Comments
Neither am I! It's definitely not the year for that many leftovers.
This method will work just fine with whole legs & drumsticks. The recipe recommends 1 Tbsp. of salt for every 5lbs of meat, and I think that this ratio would apply regardless of what part of the bird you are using.
For timing, use temperature as your guide for doneness rather than time. 165 is the internal temp you're aiming for, and different pieces will cook at different speeds.
Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy your bird :)
Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
One of the beauties of a dry-brined bird is the crispy skin. I would recommend cooking this without any additional liquid - the skin will get nice and crackly this way and the dry brine will ensure the the meat itself stays juicy and seasoned all the way through.
I would go no-rack, they are fine to go in a roasting pan (or even on a sheet pan if no roasting pan is available).
350 sounds about right to me! If the skin seems to be taking a long time to get crisp you can always turn the oven up a bit too. Conversely, if the skin is cooking faster than the rest of the meat, just tent your baking vessel with aluminum foil.