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Ever Brine a Butt?

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SteveWPBFL
SteveWPBFL Posts: 1,327
in EggHead Forum
Works on birds. We put rub on butts. Why not brine a butt?
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  • mimauler
    mimauler Posts: 136
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    I never have.  What are you going to brine it in?
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  • Optiontrader
    Optiontrader Posts: 174
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    I did, on two butts for a test a while back.  I used a simple brine of salt, brown sugar and and my favorite rub in the brine.  I smoked both at 250 dome and pulled one at 160 and pulled the other at 195-200.  The one I pulled at 160 came out OK for slicing, and I could taste the effects of the brine,  but I didn't notice that the one I pulled at 195 was much, if any different, than any other butt I've done for pulling.  In both cases, I pulled from the brine, rinsed and dried the butts, gave them a rub and left in the fridge overnight before smoking.
    Brighton, IL (North East of St. Louis, MO)
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    Any meat can be brined. The benefits are most apparent w. meats that are quite lean. The process essentially pulls more water into the tissue, and the salt slows the evaporation during cooking. A side advantage is that some flavors are also pulled into the meat surface.

    I have tried both wet and dry brines on butts. I had a period where everything I cooked was brined. The effects were minimal. All the fat in the butt slows or stops the brine, and for a butt to be pleasantly tender, it needs to be cooked to a temperature where much of the water is driven off anyway.
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  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,042
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    i have a lot and if i think to do it before hand it is my preferred method.  salt sugar water few cloves garlic crushed and some whole cloves.  pretty simple.  ads a different flavor profile.  i usually brine over night then rinse and dry in the fridge for another 12 hours or so.  always super juicy and i think more so than when i don't brine.  also you get the sticky outside (cant think of the name) to for which keeps rubs on and helps the smoke attach.
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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    I cooked 48 butts this fall. I brined and turbo cooked them. The butts were for my son in law who was running the concession stand for the grandson's football league. When I started brining them business picked up and everyone noticed the difference.
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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