Preparing the meat in a brine before cooking guarantees juicy and flavorful results. It is especially important for cooking white meats, which cannot be cooked rare, such as red meats, to make them more juicy.
Steps
Step 1. Make a solution of three parts salt and one part sugar
The salt can be sea salt or kosher. Sugar can be any white crystalline sugar, but not 10X or confectioner's sugar.
Step 2. Dissolve the sugar and salt solution in the water
The salt-water ratio should be 1:16 - roughly one cup of salt for every 4 liters of water.. Prepare enough solution to abundantly cover the meat.
Step 3. Add your favorite flavors
Strong liquids (vinegar and orange juice), whole seeds, dried herbs and spices are very suitable for this purpose. Thicker liquids like honey, oil, and other sauces will impart less flavor unless you boil them (see Step 4). This also applies to fresh herbs.
Step 4. Soak the meat in the brine
Step 5. Store the meat in the refrigerator or other cool place
Cuts of pork, game and larger poultry, such as turkey, can be left in the brine for 4-12 hours; smaller cuts and birds will need to be submerged for 30 minutes - 2 hours.
If your brine is very flavorful, or if you don't want to keep the meat soaked for a long time, you can quickly boil and cool the sauce before soaking the meat. This is a very effective technique for chicken and smaller poultry, because if you keep these meats in brine for too long, they will begin to unravel
Advice
- The best brines are often the simplest. Orange juice and dried mint will add a nice Mediterranean flavor to the chicken, while ground black pepper and red wine vinegar will recall the typical aromas of France.
- For smaller cuts, such as chicken and turkey breasts, or pork loins, keep the meat in brine for only 45 to 90 minutes.
- For a great-tasting brine, add a tablespoon of cloves, star anise, mustard seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns, then a bay leaf and a cinnamon stick. Bring the brine to a boil and let it simmer for half an hour and then cool before adding the carte.
- Add liquid smoke to your brine to give the meat a barbecue flavor. It's a great idea for chicken and pork.
- The difference in tenderness of the meat also justifies the use of a brine without flavorings.
- Fatty meats such as beef are generally not suitable for brine. Reserve this technique for pork, turkey and chicken.
- Always rinse the meat thoroughly and let it dry before cooking.
- You can replace all or part of the sugar with honey or brown sugar.
- Keep a simple mixture of sugar and salt on hand in a resealable container.
Warnings
- Make sure to completely cool your heated brine before using it.
- Watch the meat carefully as you cook it, especially if you are cooking it on a barbecue or grill. The brine contains sugar and can burn.
