Brining

[Johnny Dangerr]

We have been brining our poultry and pork for almost a year now. I saw a dozen chefs asked if they brine and 10 said heck yes so I had to try it. I am not an expert and still tweeking and trying different methods. Some folks use an ice tea base - others use cranberry juice - so far I just use water with fabulous results.

It's all about the size:
4 porkchops = 2 tablespoons of salt = 2 qts of water = 3 or 4 hours in the fridge
A chicken = 1/2 cup of salt = 1 gallon of water = 1 day in the fridge
A 8 pound fresh ham = 2 cups of salt = 2 gallons of water = 4 days in the fridge

If I wanted to do a chicken tomorrow night here is what I would do today:
1/2 cup of Kosher salt
1/2 cup of brown sugar
Heat up a qt of water and disolve the sugar and salt. Toss in ice to cool it quickly and add it to 3 more qts of water. {1 gallon}
Add a half of an orange with the peel chopped into 6 pieces
Add a half of an onion coursly chopped
Tablespoon of peppercorns
1/2 Tablespoon of red pepper flaces
1 Bay Leaf
2 cloves of garlic sliced not chopped {4 pieces}
Toss in the chicken - put a rock in a bag and use it to keep the bird submerged - put in fridge till tomorrow.
Take bird out and wash it well.
Cook it - let it rest on the counter for 10 minutes - blow your family away.

The chicken will come out looking like a weight lifter. And it will be the juciest bird you have ever had short of chicken soup.

The Food Network has tons of recipies catered to the size of the critter you have on your cutting board.

Enjoy............

[Johnny Dangerr]

2 other things

If you use table salt cut it back by 50%

Use a good temp guage to keep up with your dinner meat {super important}

[txfireguy2003]

I've tried brining several times, but only once did I have good results. Guess I'm just not doing it right. On the other hand, I put many of the same ingredients you mentioned into a half drank can of beer, shove it up the chicken's butt and toss the whole thing on the smoker and it always comes out GREAT!

Now, marinating meats, I've had some great success with, same principle I think, just without the salt/osmosis stuff going on.

[Cajun Blake]

I brine using RB seafood boil

Gives meat a very unique spicy flavor

[bboswell]

Never tried it but I have a pork butt that I'm going to try it on soon!

[Hillary]

My brine is very similar but I throw some apple cider in it around thanksgiving.
I love brining. It is a whole nother world!

[Mr.RonGilbert]

Love the brine routine. I will do small chickens in the 1 gallon zip lock bags... then cook them split or upside down on the sitter.

And x2 on the thermometer. One of the best purchases that I have made for the grill is a remote thermometer. Dual probe is the way to go, one for the meat and one for the grill. Heat the grill (Primo Oval XL) set the meat and probes then sit back and watch TV while the meat cooks.

[Johnny Dangerr]

ttt

[Kolpin10]

I have been doing wild hog hams, backstraps and tenderloins and have been smoking or baking them at about 250. When you cut them the juice just flows out of the meat.

[Big-Ed]

I always brine poultry and pork. Only exception is bacon and eggs!

Makes a HUGE difference. I even brine my chickens before the beer-can cooking method.

[Pedernal]

Have you ever done a brisket in a brine? Is there an amount of time to leave the meat in brine per pound of meat???