A bird in the brine is worth two in the bush...or maybe three or four if you ask me. No other step in preparation will make such an impact on poultry and pork as time in a saltwater bath. It changes everything! Once you start doing it, you'll never want to eat chicken any other way.
Brining will change your culinary life. It makes every recipe better. Not only does it make food taste better, it also makes it more forgiving to one of the worst enemies of good foods: overcooking. By denaturing the proteins through brining, it won't dry out as fast. So extra time in the oven, pan, or on the grill won't leave you with something only the dog is happy with.
To brine successfully, you only need a mixture of salt and water. There's nothing wrong with keeping it simple, but if you want to bring more flavor to the preparation, the brine offers an excellent opportunity to do it. Herbs, spices, spirits, and broths can all be added to the salty solution to provide layers of flavor in the finished dish. A word of caution about acidic additions to a brine. In my experience acidic brines can cause a ceviche effect...not what I'm looking for in my chicken.
Start simple and customize to please your individual palate. My 24 brine:
I often use this for chicken, but it works just as well for pork tenderloin and chops. A small/regular sized chicken breast needs at least 6 hours in the brine. Thighs and legs need more time. If you have a larger chicken or a big pork roast, extend the brine time beyond 24 hours. Turkeys need at least 48 hours in a brine. Free range chickens are tough (but delicious) and need a little more than 24 hours in the brine. As a general rule, you will not be disappointed with 24 hours of brining regardless of what you're cooking.
Brining is not part of any recipe. It's a simple preparation for all recipes you want to make. Use the brine and you will have a much better finished product. If you do it every time, you'll have better results every time. Do it a few times and you'll learn you need to do it every time.
Start simple and customize to please your individual palate. My 24 brine:
- 24 parts water
- 1 part salt
- 24 hours
- Optional additions: A teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper and/or dried garlic. A tablespoon or two or three of dried (or fresh) thyme, onions, oregano, rosemary, or allspice.
- Enough volume to submerge your chicken, turkey, or pork
- Stir every 12 hours
I often use this for chicken, but it works just as well for pork tenderloin and chops. A small/regular sized chicken breast needs at least 6 hours in the brine. Thighs and legs need more time. If you have a larger chicken or a big pork roast, extend the brine time beyond 24 hours. Turkeys need at least 48 hours in a brine. Free range chickens are tough (but delicious) and need a little more than 24 hours in the brine. As a general rule, you will not be disappointed with 24 hours of brining regardless of what you're cooking.
Brining is not part of any recipe. It's a simple preparation for all recipes you want to make. Use the brine and you will have a much better finished product. If you do it every time, you'll have better results every time. Do it a few times and you'll learn you need to do it every time.
Good info!
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