As before, we’re bringing you some holiday-themed mini-essays by a few of our regular contributors. Today we’ll be providing some philosophical reflections on Thanksgiving, tradition, and FOOD. It’s Not the Turkey, It’s You Alex King For years, I’ve made Alton Brown’s turkey recipe (or some slight variation), and ever since then, I’ve never thought turkey was dry. The recipe involves brining. As I understand it, brining and marinating meats does not actually make them juicier. Well, that’s not quite true. It makes them retain a little more moisture than they otherwise would, but actually not that much. What brines and marinades really do is infuse the meat with more flavor (salt, acids, sugar, spices, and so on). What happens then is magical. As Brown describes it in one of his cookbooks, “the salt and acid flavors divebomb your taste buds, which in turn tell your saliva glands to start pumping. By the time you’re … Continue reading →