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dry buttermilk brined turkey

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Turkey

Dry-Buttermilk-Brined Turkey

Buttermilk-brined meat is food science in action. The technique, which likely hails from the Southern tradition of soaking chicken in buttermilk overnight to tenderize it before dredging and frying the bird, was recently repopularized for turkeys by Samin Nosrat.

Ingredients

  • ¾ to 1 cups dry buttermilk powder (about 1 tablespoon per pound of meat)
  • 6 to 7 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (about ½ tablespoon per pound of meat; see headnote)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper (about ½ teaspoon per pound of meat)
  • 1 (12- to 14-pound) turkey, defrosted completely if previously frozen, giblets and neck removed
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme, oregano, or half of each (plus more for serving, optional)
  • 1 head garlic, halved crosswise

Directions

  • In a small bowl, combine the dry buttermilk, kosher salt, and black pepper.
  • Place the turkey on a sheet pan lined with a wire rack. Pat the turkey dry all over, including the cavities (turkeys have two, both of which should be empty!) with paper towels.
  • Sprinkle the dry buttermilk mixture evenly all over the turkey and pat it on to ensure it adheres to the skin.
  • Transfer the turkey, uncovered, to the refrigerator for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.
  • When you’re ready to roast the turkey, heat the oven to 400°F.
  • Transfer the turkey, breast side up, to a clean sheet pan, discarding any liquid or excess powdered buttermilk that’s accumulated in the first pan. (If you remember, do this 1 hour before you plan to roast; if not, it’ll be totally fine.) Stuff the cavity with thyme and/or oregano and the halved head of garlic. If you’d like, you can tie the legs together with kitchen twine, but this is only for a neater look, and won’t affect the cooking at all.
  • Roast the turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F. Remove the turkey from the oven and baste with any juices accumulated in the pan (but there may not be any, and this is okay). Rotate the pan, then return to the oven. Continue roasting, removing the pan to baste and rotate every 40 to 50 minutes, until the turkey registers 165°F in the thigh, about 2½ to 3 hours. The skin and wings are going to get very dark as a result of the buttermilk—if at any point an area looks like it’s starting to singe (this can happen early in the roasting process, so don’t be alarmed!), tent with a piece of foil.
  • Let the turkey rest on the sheet pan for 20 minutes, then tilt the bird to spill out any juices in the cavity onto the sheet pan (you can leave the herbs and garlic in the bird). Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board to continue resting until cool enough to slice into and carve. (This could take up to 1 hour; if not serving immediately, transfer to the refrigerator after 2 hours.) Reserve the carcass for stock, and if you’d like, make gravy from the sheet pan drippings. If using, place the carved turkey on more fresh thyme and/or oregano.

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