In article >, on Wed, 22 Nov
2006 20:13:56 GMT, Mr Libido Incognito wrote:

> THE TOPANGA FOOD COACH AND CHEF wrote on 22 Nov 2006 in rec.food.cooking
>
> > The latest on cooking turkeys is that rubbing sea salt under the skin
> > will make it more moist and flavorful than brining it. The general rule
> > is 2 1/2 tablespoons distributed evenly under the skin of or over a
> > 10-12 lb turkey overnight. You do not need to rinse the turkey.
> >
> > This works for all poultry. It's great for chicken breasts, which you
> > salt for 6 hours only.
> >
> >
>
> Wrong! Salt by itself will draw out the moisture...You need a liquid ,
> hence brine, to equalize this imbalance.

From Cook's Illustrated (who espouse this technique):

"Salting works by drawing moisture out of the meat; this moisture mixes
with the salt to make a shallow brine. Over time, the salt migrates from
the shallow brine into the meat. Once inside the meat, the salt changes
the structure of the muscle fibers so that the meat is able to hold on
to more water, even in a hot oven."

--
Seth Goodman