Brining question

clemsontyger97 · July 2016

Never brined anything, and know there's a ton of posts about various cooks with brined meat, but just wondering what a basic brine solution/process would be for just a few chicken breasts, pork chops, etc.

Gunnar · July 2016

The link will give you a good in site to brining....browse more of his site for good information on smoking & grilling...he's full of good information.

http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1999/07/brining_29.html

blind99 · July 2016

a basic brine is often around 5% salt. for something small like a few pork chops i dissolve the salt in half the volume of hot water, then add ice cubes to make up the remaining volume and cool it off. pork chops do great with just a few hours of brining.

gdenby · July 2016

If the poultry has skin on it, and you want crisp skin, a "dry brine" works better. A brine solution will infuse the skin w. water as well as the flesh, making it harder to crisp. I use a simple method. Rub a bird all over with a tablespoon of salt. Bag. Refrigerate. Massage again the next day, adding a bit more salt. Repeat. End of third day, rinse lightly, and let dry and chill overnight. There's no more water in the bird than what it started with, minus what evaporated in the fridge. The salt has opened the meat fibers, and is holding the remaining water there longer during cooking.

Water brining works fine w. skinless meats, and does not necessarily require anything cooler than around 65F. The concentration of salt and usually sugar, and maybe curing powder prevent bacterial growth. Old fashioned. The time depends on the thickness of the meat. Many people, and maybe all commercial operations inject the solution to speed things along.

I'm not so picky, and prefer a dry brine for pork and other meats.

ceramic_cooker · July 2016

Here is the information from America's Test Kitchen website

Brining adds moisture, making it the best choice for lean proteins.

Salt in the brine not only seasons the meat, but also promotes a change in its protein structure, reducing its overall toughness and creating gaps that fill up with water and keep the meat juicy and flavorful.

PREFERRED SALT: Table salt

BENEFITS OVER SALTING: Works faster than salting; can make lean cuts such as chicken breast or pork tenderloin juicier than salting since it adds, versus merely retains, moisture.

CONS: Can inhibit browning on skin or meat exterior; requires fitting a brining container in fridge.

MEAT	TIME	COLD WATER	TABLE SALT
CHICKEN
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)	1/2 to 1 hour	2 quarts	1/2 cup
2 whole chickens (3 1/2 to 4 pounds each)	1/2 to 1 hour	3 quarts	3/4 cup
4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (whole breasts, split breasts, whole legs, thighs, and/or drumsticks)	1/2 to 1 hour	2 quarts	1/2 cup
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts	1/2 to 1 hour	2 quarts	1/4 cup
TURKEY
1 turkey (12 to 17 pounds)	6 to 12 hours	2 gallons	1 cup
1 turkey (18 to 24 pounds)	6 to 12 hours	3 gallons	1 1/2 cups
1 bone-in turkey breast (6 to 8 pounds)	3 to 6 hours	1 gallon	1/2 cup
PORK
4 bone-in rib loin pork chops (12 ounces each), 1 1/2 inches thick	1 hour	1 1/2 quarts	3 tablespoons
1 pork roast (3 to 6 pounds)	1 1/2 to 2 hours	2 quarts	1/4 cup

blasting · July 2016

@ceramic_cooker Thanks for posting that. I've experimented with the brining times and usually go for 24 hours. If I'm not mistaken, @YukonRon goes for 48.

blind99 · July 2016

@blasting have you tried equilibrium brining? for long brining times it's a nice way to get very predictable results.

blasting · July 2016

@blind99 I've looked that up and will be trying it. Thank you. Interestingly enough this never came up when I was doing my initial research a while ago. Makes sense.

For anyone interested:

https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/equilibrium-brining

blind99 · July 2016

@blasting that's the article I read, as well. I've done it a few times, at 2%. the downside is you have to plan ahead. The upside is if you throw some meat in on Tuesday, you can cook it Thursday, Friday, Saturday, whatever, and know that it's always going to be brined the same amount. I'll be interested to hear how it works for you, please let us know!

(BTW I see you're in Phoenix, good lord it's hot down there! Can you start your egg with a magnifying glass?)

blasting · July 2016

blind99 said:

@blasting that's the article I read, as well. I've done it a few times, at 2%. the downside is you have to plan ahead. The upside is if you throw some meat in on Tuesday, you can cook it Thursday, Friday, Saturday, whatever, and know that it's always going to be brined the same amount. I'll be interested to hear how it works for you, please let us know!

(BTW I see you're in Phoenix, good lord it's hot down there! Can you start your egg with a magnifying glass?)

I will let you know how it works out.

As far as the heat goes, it's kinda funny to see all the different grill thermos registering as if they fired up, when in fact there is nothing going on.

tonyled · July 2016

basic is kosher salt and water which is all i use on chops and poultry. both come out infinitely juicier

nolaegghead · July 2016

When I brine, I usually do 5% salt, no iodine, maybe 2-3% sugar (will not make it sweet) and go about 2-3 times longer than the table above. Then I do a quick fresh water soak, maybe 30 minutes to an hour. It's best to let it rest uncovered overnight to let the salt equalize and the skin dry.

YukonRon · July 2016

The process I use for pork butts is my "wet brine" is for 24 hours, and I use 12oz (weight) pickling salt, 8 oz (liquid) molasses and 3 qts of purified water, whisk till all is blended, submerge, refridgerate 24 hours. Pull pat dry use my rub, let sit in the Fridge until next day.
FWIW, BEFORE PLACING ON THE EGG I cover it completely with peach preserves for a low and slow.

Brining question

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