Turkey Breast, what's a man to do?

The Naked Whiz

Ok, I smoked my first turkey breast last weekend. It was wonderful! I didn't brine it, I just rubbed it with olive oil and put a little pepper and sea salt on it. So, feeling proud of my accomplishment, I foolishly asked my wife what she thought. On a scale of 10. With 10 the best. "About 8.5?" she offers. "Why only 8.5?" I ask. "It's too wet," she answers. What's a man to do. Do I pump it out? Brining is suppose to increase the moisture, among other things. Thank goodness I didn't brine it! Ok, I'm done mumbling....[p]TNW

Unknown

The Naked Whiz, sounds like she feels like I do. I am not a fan of wet fowl meat. Even if it is done, sometimes the moisture content may still have a faint fowl odor. I like to brine simply because I can overcook without drying or toughning the meat. I found this out by accident when I was drinking and laughing with guests on the deck and forgot the chickens. They were brined and cajun seasoned and I was shooting for a 180 degree thigh temp. When I removed my head from my,,, well, when I realized what I was doing, I stuck my thermometer in the thick part of the thigh and it read over 200. The chickens were a beautiful dark brown, the skin had my guest fighting over it, and the meat was falling off the bone tender, flavorful, and had a delicious aroma too. So now, I always overcook my brined fowls.

Spin

The Naked Whiz,[p]Eight and a half on the first try is not bad at all :-).[p]I don't use a brine anymore (diet requirements) and would offer that a lot of brined birds are packaged as "all natural". A good look at the nutrition label reveals much more sodium present than the meat provides - an injected bird. Just below the nutrition label you will often see a short statement like "minimally processed". So much for all natural![p]Cooking to a higher internal temperature is not overcooking the bird if it produces the desired meal texture. Wet meat is mushy meat - even if done. I have cooked unbrined, non injected birds to 200+°F in the thigh with great results. I have done breasts to 185+°F with the same result.[p]The 165°F temperature is the bottom end of the final internal temp for bird breasts. Drying the meat too much is the top end. Our Eggs do preserve the moisture very well.[p]I see a "10" in your future.[p]Spin

Sundown

Spin,[p]We've never brined a turkey and shoot for 180º in the breast meat. The results have always been the same tender moist (not wet) meat with great flavor! I've always windered why one would brine a bird when they come out so moist in the first place!
One of my sons in law would never eat turkey till he tasted BGE turkey. His mom used to cook it till it was dry as a bone and he hated it. Now you cna't keep him away from the platter![p]Carey

Spin

Sundown,[p]Brining is the current cooking fad, and as such, everything seems to look like it is better if brined. Fads are not a bad thing. Each one gives momentum to experimenting to cook a meal. Experimenting leads to learning cooking in general and appreciating what the Egg can do.[p]The result; much better cooking - a very good thing.[p]Spin

Shelby

The Naked Whiz,
And my guess is if you'd overcooked and dried it out she would've said it was too dry. I'm thinking it's women and not your cooking. Add a point to 9.5 since she didn't have to cook.
Seriously, we all aim to please others when we cook but we all know you can't please all the eaters all the time. One of the beauties of the egg as you know is to retain the moisture and now we're trying to cook that out. Prepare the best meal you can, serve it up and enjoy both the meal and the cook.