Bird Science
On Thanksgiving, a dry, tough turkey is the nightmare of many a holiday chef – to avert that catastrophe, cooks have been submerging the bird in salt baths known as brine overnight to tenderize in a tradition that goes back centuries.
There’s a complicated chemical process behind the simple practice, according to Discover Magazine.
Casey Owens, a food scientist, explained that brining causes chemical and structural changes in the meat that encourages it to soak up more moisture. Once salt dissolves in water, it creates sodium and chloride ions – positively or negatively charged atoms – that become attracted to the charged regions in the muscle cells of the meat.
As a result, the meat will absorb the dissolved salt and then the water: The negatively charged salt ions will attach to the muscle fibers and eventually repel each other.
This push will open up tiny gaps in the muscle tissue for water to enter –making the meat juicier once it’s cooked. The brine also softens the muscle tissue and makes the meat easier to chew.
Owens said to properly cook a turkey, the meat needs to be brined for eight to 12 hours in the fridge and be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit in its thickest parts, like the thigh or breast.
Then, some say, comes the best part – the gravy and the stuffing.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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