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Brined chicken, turkey and chops- Charcuterie Style

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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
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    U_tarded said:
    Great color on the chicken and turkey. Brined chicken is my favorite flavor profile for it, plus it takes the smoke to a different level. Thanks for sharing!

    You nailed it. The smoke actually tasted like cherries. It was so subtle but it really picked up the flavor of the wood. I've never been able to really dscern between apple or cherry etc but you definitely can after a brine. If you read the book, this is from the "pellicle" that forms on the outside after the brine. The pellicle is a sticky surface that forms on the outside that absorbs the smoke flavor in a way that non-brined foods don't. IT wasn't smokier, it was more flavorful and you could taste the fruit from the cherry wood. Super cool.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • SoCal_Griller
    SoCal_Griller Posts: 516
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    CT Your cook looks amazing!  Did you put the curing salts in the brine?

    Just trimmed a pork loin, getting ready for canadian bacon.  Will start the brine on Wednesday so its ready to smoke for the weekend.  I did the Bacon and it turned out fantastic.  My next project will be turkey breast, then Corned beef.

    My wife can;t believe what I am turning out these days.  All you guys are an inspiration!

    Simi Valley, California
    LBGE, PBC, Annova, SMOBot
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
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    SoCal_Griller said:
    CT Your cook looks amazing!  Did you put the curing salts in the brine?

    Just trimmed a pork loin, getting ready for canadian bacon.  Will start the brine on Wednesday so its ready to smoke for the weekend.  I did the Bacon and it turned out fantastic.  My next project will be turkey breast, then Corned beef.

    My wife can;t believe what I am turning out these days.  All you guys are an inspiration!


    no curing salts in this one. Just a kosher salt brine. I'll post the recipe here in a minute
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,042
    edited October 2012
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    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:


    U_tarded said:

    Great color on the chicken and turkey. Brined chicken is my favorite flavor profile for it, plus it takes the smoke to a different level. Thanks for sharing!




    You nailed it. The smoke actually tasted like cherries. It was so subtle but it really picked up the flavor of the wood. I've never been able to really dscern between apple or cherry etc but you definitely can after a brine. If you read the book, this is from the "pellicle" that forms on the outside after the brine. The pellicle is a sticky surface that forms on the outside that absorbs the smoke flavor in a way that non-brined foods don't. IT wasn't smokier, it was more flavorful and you could taste the fruit from the cherry wood. Super cool.

    Before I first brined something I couldn't discern much between woods especially on pork and poultry. But after I learned about brining and how to control smoke the different woods took on different flavor profiles, and that became really apparent to me, it was game changing. Think how much things change now doing everything else the same but using plum wood or apricot or other random woods you wouldn't use before because you couldn't taste it.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
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    Here is the poultry Brine (Credit: Charcuterie- Brian Polcyn/Michael Rulman)

    1 Gallon/4 Liters Water
    1cup/225 grams sugar
    1 bunch fresh Tarragon (about an ounce/25 grams)
    1 bunch fresh parsley (about and ounce/25 grams)
    2 bay leaves
    1 head garlic halved horizontally
    1 onion sliced
    2 TBSP/30 grams black peppercorns lightly crushed with the bottom of a saute pan
    2 lemons, halved

    Combine all ingredients in a pot, give the lemons a good squeeze before throwing them in. put over high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve all the salt and sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temp. The refrigerate until chilled.

    Once chilled, add the bird and weight down with a plate or something similar and leave in the fridge for the appropriate times. You are gonna have to buy the book for the brine times :)



    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    That looks amazing Cen-Tex.  As if this hobby isn't time consuming enough...now I have to go down this avenue! 

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
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    SmokeyPitt said:
    That looks amazing Cen-Tex.  As if this hobby isn't time consuming enough...now I have to go down this avenue! 
    This is a little more time intensive but it was amazing


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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Aw, could you just shut the ____ up. Whatta maroon

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
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    ................1 more word and I hit the abuse button


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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    I hit it a bunch of times on me already. I am so outa here, I remember when this was a much more friendlier place

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
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    Looks great. I just got this book last week and have been reading through it. I think Canadian Bacon will be my first. I too am wondering about hanging some of the meat. No basements in our house, not sure where to hang it or how to keep track of humidity/control it. Worried I'll kill myself.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
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    Griffin said:
    Looks great. I just got this book last week and have been reading through it. I think Canadian Bacon will be my first. I too am wondering about hanging some of the meat. No basements in our house, not sure where to hang it or how to keep track of humidity/control it. Worried I'll kill myself.
    You can't kill yourself unless it's canned/vac sealed. That's where the botulism comes in to play. Outside of that, you can only make yourself sick :)


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  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
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    Being sarcastic about the killing myself. I don't want to be stuck by the bathroom with food poisoning if I screw it up, though.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
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    Griffin said:
    Being sarcastic about the killing myself. I don't want to be stuck by the bathroom with food poisoning if I screw it up, though.
    I knew you were. And I hear you on the food poisoning. You just wish you were dead.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • AleBrewer
    AleBrewer Posts: 555
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    CT.....food looks great...even the blurry chops!

    I did a yard bird last night, and was wishing I had taken the time to brine it. Just picked up some chops from the market, and I will this brine a shot. Will also throw in some cherry wood to see if I am able to pick up the difference.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
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    AleBrewer said:
    CT.....food looks great...even the blurry chops!

    I did a yard bird last night, and was wishing I had taken the time to brine it. Just picked up some chops from the market, and I will this brine a shot. Will also throw in some cherry wood to see if I am able to pick up the difference.
    The pork brine is a little different. Do you want met to post it for you?
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • DocWonmug
    DocWonmug Posts: 300
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    Botulism was originally called sausage sickness. Before cans. The casing kept the air out.
    LBGE
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  • AleBrewer
    AleBrewer Posts: 555
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    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    AleBrewer said:
    CT.....food looks great...even the blurry chops!

    I did a yard bird last night, and was wishing I had taken the time to brine it. Just picked up some chops from the market, and I will this brine a shot. Will also throw in some cherry wood to see if I am able to pick up the difference.
    The pork brine is a little different. Do you want met to post it for you?
    Was it the garlic & sage pork brine from the book? I have it, and am hoping to try it later this week.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
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    AleBrewer said:
    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    AleBrewer said:
    CT.....food looks great...even the blurry chops!

    I did a yard bird last night, and was wishing I had taken the time to brine it. Just picked up some chops from the market, and I will this brine a shot. Will also throw in some cherry wood to see if I am able to pick up the difference.
    The pork brine is a little different. Do you want met to post it for you?
    Was it the garlic & sage pork brine from the book? I have it, and am hoping to try it later this week.
    yep.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Fred19Flintstone
    Fred19Flintstone Posts: 8,168
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    Well I'll be a suck egg mule!  I decided to re-look at this thread because a lot of people I respect on this forum are buzzing about brining, curing and otherwise playing with salt.  I figure this thread stirred things up a bit recently.  I knew Cen-Tex referred to a book and I thought I would look it up.  Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking & Curing by Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn.  Looking at the bios I noticed that Polcyn teaches at Schoolcraft College in Livonia Michigan.  Right around the corner from my Mom's house!  Now I gotta check this out!
    Flint, Michigan
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
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    Oops- cut and pasted that recipe and the 1 cup of salt (most important ingredient in the brine) was left of. 

    Thanks NOLA for catching that!


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