Brines -Information
Photo: flickr user jared
Preparation
1
Q. I have been brining up a storm ever since I brined a turkey last Thanksgiving. I have a question about brining pieces of chicken and pork, which I find stay much more moist (even on the grill) when I brine them. How long should I be brining pieces of chicken or a pork roast? What is the longest or shortest amount of time for brining?
2
A. Good for you. Brining, or soaking meat in a saltwater/seasoned water bath is an excellent way to add flavor and juiciness to the meat. As you have found out, it is a wonderful way to produce an exceptionally moist, flavorful Thanksgiving turkey. But the method works for other meats and seafood as well.
3
Although it is an age-old process that was more used for preserving meats than adding flavor, restaurants and some home cooks are now using it extensively. While it's in the brine, the meat cells absorb liquid and any flavoring you've used, carrying it deep into the meat. The result is meat that's seasoned through and through and much harder to dry out.
4
Indeed, one of the great weaknesses of the versatile chicken breast - its tendency to dry out and turn to rubber - can be corrected by brining. And as Bruce Aidells, author of The Complete Meat Book and the new Complete Sausage Book, says, "unless you're really careful, it's damn near impossible to produce a decent pork chop without brine." A brined chop will stay moist even if it's cooked a little too long. and one of the great things about brining is that there are so few rules.
5
Most brines start with water and salt - traditionally, 3/4 pound of salt per gallon of water, but since we're not concerned with the brine as a preservative, you can cut back on the salt. Many people also add sugar. A good, basic solution is 1/2 cup of kosher salt and 1/2 cup of sugar to 1 gallon of water.
6
But beyond that, you can add flavor in all sorts of forms. You can add garlic, onion, peppercorns, hot pepper flakes, Sichuan peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, mustard seed, coriander seed, juniper berries, ginger, cinnamon, clove, star anise, or vanilla bean. Use brown sugar, honey or molasses in place of the sugar. (Some people avoid the sugar entirely, complaining that it makes everything taste like ham. But some sweetness tends to offset a saltiness the brine might otherwise impart.)
7
There are no constraints on the liquid either. You can use apple juice, cider, orange juice, beer, wine, rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, stock, tea, or other liquids to replace some or all of the water. You can also put together decidedly Oriental flavorings with soy sauce, the Japanese rice wine mirin, or other choices.
8
9
10
11
Shrimp: 30 minutes
12
Whole chicken: 8 to 12 hours
13
Chicken parts: 1 1/2 hours
14
Cornish game hens: 2 hours
15
Turkey (12 to 14 pounds): 24 hours
16
Pork chops (1" thick): 4 to 6 hours
17
Pork chops (1 1/4" to 1 1/2" thick): 5 to 8 hours
18
Whole pork tenderloin: 6 to 12 hours
19
Whole pork roast: 2 to 4 days
20
21
If you're brining a meat for more than an hour, it must be kept in the refrigerator.
22
23
24
25
26
Don't reuse brine.
Tools
.
Yield:
8.0 servings
Added:
Thursday, February 11, 2010 - 6:27am