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The reason I brine poultry

RRP
RRP Posts: 26,466
edited June 2014 in EggHead Forum
I know this subject may seem out of season when most eggers are discussing whether to brine or not, but I wanted to bring up why I brine. Fact of the matter I never heard either my Grandmother nor my Mother ever use the word brine. Just the same I grew with soaking raw poultry in a salty solution for no less than 24 hours. The reason I was told - was to draw the remaining blood out of the dressed bird. Granted, as a kid we ate fresh killed yard birds so maybe it is more necessary then, but even last Saturday when I cut open the previously frozen Cornish Game Hens I wasn't surprised when I saw the residual blood, and residual red gut traces inside. Once brined those parts and traces have become the pink in the brine I throw out and rinse off. Guess I will always brine - it's just the way I was brought up!
Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
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Comments

  • anzyegg
    anzyegg Posts: 1,104
    I will probably do the same Ron. Good post...
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  • Fred19Flintstone
    Fred19Flintstone Posts: 8,174
    With modern refrigeration, I thought it was a flavor and juiciness thing.
    Flint, Michigan
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    The reason(s) I DON'T brine... Doc says to reduce sodium. It's hard enough to find food that isn't loaded with the stuff these days. I'm sure not going to add more! Plus it's just one more unnecessary step in the process. I really couldn't be bothered. The easier I can make cooking, the better I like it. Plus, it tastes great withOUT brining!

    Whatever floats your boat though...

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • jerryb78
    jerryb78 Posts: 215
    I tended to brine most of the time before I had the egg, but I've forgone it when cooking chicken on the egg and it's been perfectly fine.  I would probably still consider bringing a turkey, but I'm not a big enough turkey fan to make one all that often.
    LBGE
    Menasha, WI
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 17,399
    Wonder what you get if you brine blood sausage, styrofoam?  

    "Dumplings are just noodles that have already eaten"   - Jon Kung

    Ogden, UT, USA


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  • Fred19Flintstone
    Fred19Flintstone Posts: 8,174
    Botch said:
    Wonder what you get if you brine blood sausage, styrofoam?  
    Empty salty sausage casings?
    Flint, Michigan
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    At least a few penicillin shots.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • jhl192
    jhl192 Posts: 1,006
    I have never brined but I will try it a couple of times so the next time this thread crops up I can comment.
    XL BGE; Medium BGE; L BGE 
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  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
    I love garlic, I smash a handful of  garlic cloves and put it in the brine. Yum.

                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
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  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    JRWhitee said:
    I love garlic, I smash a handful of  garlic cloves and put it in the brine. Yum.

    Is that instead of salt?  I'd be interested in trying it for flavoring, but don't want to add more salt in my diet.

    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
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  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
    No, I do the salt and sugar too.

                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
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  • mcmac
    mcmac Posts: 496
    I brine turkeys at thanksgiving but don't usually brine anything other than a turkey. I like the results as it relates to tenderness, but have never thought of the benefits relating to removing excess blood in the bird. 
    Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.
    XL BGE -  Med BGE - Mini BGE - Traeger Pellet Grills

     Hillsboro OR
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,466
    I didn't mean to start a fire fight over brining or use of salt, but I even remember as a wee one when I lost my first teeth I was taught to gargle and swish my mouth with salt water. Maybe it was a mid western thing, or whatever, but I just started this thread to explain why I brined, not necessarily why "you" should.
    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
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  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
    We did the gargle with salt water too, I am from Rockford maybe it is an illinois thing.
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,466
    JRWhitee said:
    We did the gargle with salt water too, I am from Rockford maybe it is an illinois thing.

    LOL - could be! Born in Iowa, moved to Missouri and lost my first set of teeth in both states!
    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
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  • Nanook
    Nanook Posts: 846
    I've never brined before. Is there a noticeable difference in your end product when you brine? If so , what is it? I'm not opposed to trying it, I'm just wondering if the extra step in prep is worth it.......
    GWN
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    @Nanook it's saltier.  Salt and sugar make it more tender, and they give you a higher temperature ceiling for overcooking.  You an also use the brine to infuse herbs and aromatics.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Nanook
    Nanook Posts: 846
    Alright, thanks. Guess I'll have to give it a whirl when I try the cast iron roast chicken, and kill two birds with one stone....... :))
    GWN
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  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,836
    Also try dry brining if you haven't. Both work and there are places for both.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
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  • HDumptyEsq
    HDumptyEsq Posts: 1,095
    I don't pretend to know the science of it but brining isn't meant to increase the salt content of the meat. As I understand it, the salt drags moisture into the meat as it penetrates, along with other flavorings - garlic, onion, sage, bay and the like. As the salt balances inside it then starts to reverse and go out of the meat, leaving some moisture and the flavorings behind.
    I usually brine pork butts for four days before a low and slow, plus a day in the fridge to dry and get sticky for the  smoke.
    Try a couple of thick pork chops with a brine for six hours and an hour to dry (in the fridge) and a couple without. you might be surprised to find that you don't need a rub. You can add all the spices and hots to the brine. Don't forget the brine has to be chilled below 40 degrees and the whole piece of meat has to be totally submerged to get the salt to do its work.

    Tony in Brentwood, TN.

    Medium BGE, New Braunfels off-set smoker, 3-burner Charbroiler gasser, mainly used for Eggcessory  storage, old electric upright now used for Amaz-N-Smoker.

    "I like cooking with wine - sometimes I put it in the food." - W. C. Fields

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  • Eggbertsdad
    Eggbertsdad Posts: 804
    I brine because it gives me a little leeway when cooking poultry. If I overshoot my temp a little it is still moist.
    Sarasota, FL via Boynton Beach, FL, via Sarasota, FL, via Charleston, SC, via The Outer Banks, via God's Country (East TN on Ft. Loudon Lake)
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  • Nanook
    Nanook Posts: 846
    What's the salt to water ratio? Just regular table sat?
    GWN
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    5-7% salt, half that in sugar.  Generally 5% but if you want a quick brine closer to 7% or more.  Regular salt - sodium chloride.  Sea salt is a waste of money. 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Nanook
    Nanook Posts: 846
    @nolaegghead‌. Thanks for the info
    GWN
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    No problem.  Always make a brine using weight.  It's really not that critical, not like making dough, but it's a good practice.   My numbers are by weight, not volume.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • jerryb78
    jerryb78 Posts: 215
    I'm going to have to try some brined pork chops when I get back from vacation.  Some thick ones seem like a good reverse sear candidate.

    Slightly off the subject, but I absolutely love making buttermilk brined fried chicken.  It's kind of a big mess (dishes, used frying oil, etc) so I tend to reserve it for times when we're having guests.
    LBGE
    Menasha, WI
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  • Acn
    Acn Posts: 4,490
    RRP said:

    I didn't mean to start a fire fight over brining or use of salt, but I even remember as a wee one when I lost my first teeth I was taught to gargle and swish my mouth with salt water. Maybe it was a mid western thing, or whatever, but I just started this thread to explain why I brined, not necessarily why "you" should.

    My daughter is in the losing teeth stage and that is what our dentist told us to do for a day or two after she lost one. We're in Maryland, so it isn't just Midwest.

    LBGE

    Pikesville, MD

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  • CarolinaCrazy
    CarolinaCrazy Posts: 585
    Nanook said:
    I've never brined before. Is there a noticeable difference in your end product when you brine? If so , what is it? I'm not opposed to trying it, I'm just wondering if the extra step in prep is worth it.......
    Through the wonderful power of osmosis,  the brining solution is drawn into meat, replacing the water with salt water. It makes the meat jucier, and distributes salt all the way thru. It is a great technique for enhancing meats that could otherwise be dry or tough, especially if over cooked. That is why it is commonly used on chicken and turkey. 

    If you do have high blood pressure, are salt sensitive, or your doc has told you to cut salt, then brining probably isn't the best technique.  But if you don't have these conditions, brining is a great way to enhance flavor. I always brine chicken breasts and I continually get comments from people that they are the moistest, best tasting that they have had.

    I hadn't thought about @RRPs point about it cleaning the bird, but that definitely is an added plus.
    1 LBGE in Chapel Hill, NC
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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    nolaegghead said:
    5-7% salt, half that in sugar.  Generally 5% but if you want a quick brine closer to 7% or more.  Regular salt - sodium chloride.  Sea salt is a waste of money. 
    Isn't all salt, sea salt in reality? 
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
    Instagram
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  • Grillmagic
    Grillmagic Posts: 1,600

    I always brine pork chops, pork loins and roasts and spatched chicken and turkey, I typically brine for 8 to 24 hours. I also do a rinse/soak after I brine, I generally rinse the protein and re submerge in clean water for 30 minutes. It's extra work but it works for me and always taste great.

    Chuck King

    Dimondale Michigan

    www.chuckkingcomedy.com

    Charlotte, Michigan XL BGE
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