Sign me up for the Cult of the Brine

[Beau Vine]

Had a couple people than I expected show up for the games, so I did two beer can chickens. I brined one this morning, but had to bring the other home from the butcher shop today and put it right on the smoker.

Wow. Brining makes a huge difference. Both were good, but the brined one was noticeably more juicy, both in taste and appearance.

 

[Luke Duke]

Brining is great for poultry and large cuts of pork.

 

[ElJefe]

what do you use as a brine?

 

[Beau Vine]

I can't even remember what I put in the brine -- sea salt, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder...??

Here's a link with some recipes.

 

[jimmyjazz]

Great minds think alike. I brined 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs yesterday:

2 quarts water
1/2 cup boiling water
3/8 cup kosher salt
3/8 cup sugar
1 Tbsp ground black pepper

Dissolve the salt & sugar in the boiling water, add it to the cold water, let it cool. Add pepper and brine chicken for ~ 1 hour. (I was told you don't want to overbrine, so it's better to start short and try longer the next time.)

That chicken was fantastic. I sauteed some white onion and bell pepper and put them & the chicken on hoagie buns with some havarti cheese. Great hot sandwiches.

 

[shorty]

When you start brining poultry and pork, meat that has not been brined tastes flat and dry.

Smaller cuts of meat required less time to brine. If you are doing a few breasts or thighs, a couple of hours is all you need to brine them.