Can I brine ahead of time instead of immediately before?
Is there any reason you can think of that I can't brine this at home Tuesday-Wednesday, wrap it up ready to go in the oven, take it to my Thanksgiving destination on Wednesday and then pop it in the oven on Thursday? In other words, can I brine at home and roast it once there with a 24-hour break in between so I don't have to take it in the brine in the car?
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Recipe question for:
Torrisi's Turkey
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3 Comments
If an adequate amount of time has passed, the salt level will stay pretty much the same. Just use the same sanitation and safe meat handling procedures, it's not going to fall apart or do anything crazy.
In fact, one could argue that the pre-brined turkeys sold in supermarkets is exactly this. The brine has been drained away so they aren't waterlogged but it's basically the same thing.
Anyhow best of luck.
This is a super interesting question! Pausing like that would likely be okay, as long as the amount of time from removing the bird from the brine to roasting does not surpass 24 hours. Removing the turkey from the brine solution will keep the turkey from getting water logged. However, the salt absorbed into the meat during brining will continue to chemically do its work. After awhile this will result in the bird being too salty, tough or both.
I recommend removing the turkey from the brine, drying completely with paper towels and returning to the fridge. We haven't experimented with a pause between brining and roasting. I can say for the absolute best results, I would follow the recipe as written.
The last thing I wanted to mention is if you intend to travel with a raw turkey, the trip should either be very short (sub 1 hour) or you should have a cooler large enough to fit the turkey and some ice. While you might not see visual signs of spoilage, raw meat left unrefrigerated is a magnet for bacteria and i wouldn't want your Turkey Day to end with your guests going home sick!
Hope this helps!
- Justin from the Hotline team
I recommend removing the turkey from the brine, drying completely with paper towels and returning to the fridge. We haven't experimented with a pause between brining and roasting. I can say for the absolute best results, I would follow the recipe as written. The last thing I wanted to mention is if you intend to travel with a raw turkey, the trip should either be very short (sub 1 hour) or you should have a cooler large enough to fit the turkey and some ice. While you might not see visual signs of spoilage, raw meat left unrefrigerated is a magnet for bacteria and i wouldn't want your BitLife Day to end with your guests going home sick!