Best Brine Recipe

pileit1971 · November 2012

Okay I know this has been discussed and heard arguments for brining and not...

Looking for a good brine receipe that is not to salty,

Want to be able to use the drippings for gravy and know one of the downsides to brining is the drippings will be salty.

Thank you again...

nolaegghead · November 2012

For poultry?

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1145474/the-herbed-poultry-brine-from-charcuterie-the-craft-of-salting-smoking-and-curing/p1

pileit1971 · November 2012

Yes, thank you as usual NOLA!!!

nolaegghead · November 2012

My pleasure!

nolaegghead · November 2012

Rinse the bird off well after brining and a trick on making the brine - use half the water when cooking up the salt/sugar/aromatics, then dilute it with an equal volume icewater. The temp will be fine for immediate brining.

Hmmm....reminds me, I need to pull my bird out of the brine before I go to bed....

cazzy · November 2012

nolaegghead said:
Hmmm....reminds me, I need to pull my bird out of the brine before I go to bed....

Already?

I'm putting my bird in it's brine tomorrow morning and removing it around 5pm Wednesday. After rinsing, im throwing it back in the fridge till I egg it Thursday afternoon.

Please share your approach.

pileit1971 · November 2012

Okay, thanks. Picking up my birds in the morning and will go right into a brine that I will make before I leave. Soak until Wednesday at Noon then out for 24 hours in the fridge.

I am running out of room in my fridge, any suggestions on keeping birds outside of a fridge?

You think its possible to put them back into brining/bigger bags and into a cooler with some ice or does not defeat the purpose of drying out the skin?

nolaegghead · November 2012

Yep. Day of rest - let the salt distribute. Then sous vide on Wed, into ice water, back in fridge. Thursday I'll throw them on the grill direct with a coffee rub to crisp up the skin and reheat.

cazzy · November 2012

nolaegghead said:

Yep. Day of rest - let the salt distribute. Then sous vide on Wed, into ice water, back in fridge. Thursday I'll throw them on the grill direct with a coffee rub to crisp up the skin and reheat.

I'm very jealous about all you cats with sous vide machines. That will be my next kitchen purchase for sure.

I assume you're doing breasts then...or a smaller bird? Unless you have a humongous sous vide.

pileit1971 · November 2012

sous vide machine?

pileit1971 · November 2012

Okay, i googled it and I definitely don't have that, so without the sous vide machine. You think it can rest in a clean brining bag under ice in a cooler until thursday morning?

nolaegghead · November 2012

My unit is a beast - it can heat up a 40 quart cooler filled with water without a problem. Or a 10 quart pot.

cazzy · November 2012

Ok Nola, that definitely looks like a cheaper option. Is it just as effective as what cen and vi use?

nolaegghead · November 2012

I have the PolyScience Professional - it has a built in recirculation pump. I believe CT has the Sous Vide Supreme, which is built in to its own reservoir - I don't think it has a a recirculation pump.

The one I have is really good for big jobs. It gets put away into a carrying case so no counter space problems when not using. I also have a home made one for small stuff made with an aquarium.

http://www.cuisinetechnology.com/sousvide.php

cazzy · November 2012

nolaegghead said:

I have the PolyScience Professional - it has a built in recirculation pump. I believe CT has the Sous Vide Supreme, which is built in to its own reservoir - I don't think it has a a recirculation pump.

The one I have is really good for big jobs. It gets put away into a carrying case so no counter space problems when not using. I also have a home made one for small stuff made with an aquarium.

http://www.cuisinetechnology.com/sousvide.php

Okay, that seems to be more expensive. Looks cool though and definitely seems more versatile.

Eggcelsior · November 2012

nolaegghead said:

My unit is a beast - it can heat up a 40 quart cooler filled with water without a problem. Or a 10 quart pot.

Nola, that is the cat's meow!!

Grambler · November 2012

So are you supposed to rinse the brine off? I see many folks say "pat dry" but I cannot tell if its after a rinse or if you just pat dry as is, straight out of the brine.

Grambler · November 2012

Grambler said:

So are you supposed to rinse the brine off? I see many folks say "pat dry" but I cannot tell if its after a rinse or if you just pat dry as is, straight out of the brine.

I see Nola says he rinses, but in the recipe he uses, they dont say that...

nolaegghead · November 2012

That's a mistake in the recipe. Rinse rinse rinse it all off.

@Eggcelsior That unit rocks the party. meow

Grambler · November 2012

Ok, Thanks Nola. Thats what i do with all the salmon I cook but I wanted to doublecheck.

War_Eagle_2244 · November 2012

I did not realize it was good to take the bird out of the brine & leave it in the fridge. I have two breast that have been brining about 24 hours. What should I do for the best results from here? How long should I leave in the fridge? Should I wrap them in foil or anything? TIA

cazzy · November 2012

War_Eagle_2244 said:
I did not realize it was good to take the bird out of the brine & leave it in the fridge. I have two breast that have been brining about 24 hours. What should I do for the best results from here? How long should I leave in the fridge? Should I wrap them in foil or anything? TIA

I only know what I've learned from Nola and CT, but my gut tells me that 24 hours is more than enough time for breasts. I'm sure it depends on your salt content but we shall see what the real experts say.

The recipe I'm using says to let it sit in the fridge uncovered for 2-24 hours after you remove from the brine.

U_tarded · November 2012

pull them and let them sit uncovered until cooking. its good to rest so the salt distributes and so the outside firms up so you can get some crispy skin. if you don't want to let them sit exposed that long pull, rinse, wrap in plastic and then un wrap 2-24 hours before cooking.

nolaegghead · November 2012

24 hours is around the max for turkey breasts. Whole turkey depends on weight, but 24 - 36 hours. Rinse the brine off. Lots of recipes don't say, but if you read Ruhlman's book or poke around the brine blogs, the residual brine may have more salt in it than the whole bird. It's unwanted and makes it too salty after cooking. Rinse that funk off. I read about "salty drippings ruining the gravy" and similar stories that result from not rinsing the brine.

Letting it sit for a few hours minimum to a few days max is fine. Ideally, at least 12 hours, more if it's big.

Howdy, Stranger!

Forums

Best Brine Recipe

Comments