The Cook’s Kitchen

I’m a technique man.  Always have been, always will be.  Once or twice a week I use a simple technique in the kitchen that is about the oldest around. It involves water, salt and time.  Maybe you remember a little thing called osmosis from science class. In a nutshell osmosis is the movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.  So, just what the heck am I doing in my kitchen and what does this marvel of science have to do with it?  Meat cell walls are semi-permeable. Water and salt can pass into the cell, but proteins cannot pass out of the cell. Once inside the meat, salt causes the strands of protein to denature, or unwind. This changes the structure of the proteins, causing them to become tangled together and trapping moisture. When the meat is cooked, the denatured proteins solidify and form a barrier that keeps the moisture and salt in the meat. The result is meat with higher moisture content and improved texture. And since salt amplifies the flavor of foods, you have flavor throughout the meat. 

Sadly, one kind of science has got to come to the rescue of another kind of science.  Did you realize that pigs today are 50% leaner than they were just 20 years ago?  Chickens follow closely behind.  From a health point of view this scientific breeding is fantastic because fat is bad. On the other hand, both moisture and flavor have been sacrificed. Brining is a way for us to enjoy these leaner and healthier cuts of meat by insuring that they are moist and juicy.  And if the brine includes pepper, herbs, spices, garlic, onion, lemon, beer etc., those flavors are carried in and trapped in the meat too. Instead of seasoning on the surface only, as most cooks do, brining carries the seasonings throughout.  The general term I like is “flavor brining” which distinguishes it from a stronger “curing brine” or “pickle”. 

Professional chefs have used brines for years and not just for flavor or moisture.  Brined meats can hold longer than non-brined meats. And brined meats can be slightly over cooked and still remain juicy.  I typically brine all chicken breasts, pork chops and turkey breasts.  If you happen to brine a whole chicken or turkey, the dark meat will benefit somewhat too.

A standard brine is:

• 1 gallon of water
• 6 to 8 ounces of kosher salt.  (I prefer 6 oz.)
• ½ cup of sugar

TIP:  I have listed the salt in ounces because grain size will vary between brands.  I happen to use Morton’s kosher salt and 6 ounces is approximately 3/4 cup.  Don’t use less than 6 oz. of salt or you are defeating the purpose.

Seasonings like pepper, garlic powder, sage, lemon slices, onion slices, fresh herbs etc. are optional.  A few ounces of flavored vinegar, wine, apple juice or even beer can be added as well.

Bring a quart or so of water to a simmer.  Dissolve all dry ingredients in the water then add any other seasonings like fresh herbs or lemon slices.  The heat will help wake up those flavors. Simmer 5 minutes or so and remove from the heat, allow to cool somewhat.  Meanwhile, mix some ice into the remaining water then add it to the hot water.  A brine must be cold before adding any meat so transfer the brine to a non-reactive container and chill it in the refrigerator.  Overnight is best.   (An option to skip the overnight cool down is to cut back on the 3 quarts of water and substitute more ice)  A plastic food grade container works well when making a full batch.  A deep CorningWare dish or a  zipper bag will work for small batches.  Submerge your meat into the brine and return to the refrigerator.

Here are some suggested brine times to get you started. If you are sensitive to salt, or experimenting with flavor combinations, try the lower end times first just to play it safe.

• Shrimp …………….. 10 minutes 
• Chicken breasts …  1 to 4 hours
• Pork chops ……….  1 to 4 hours
• Whole chickens …   4 hours to overnight
• Pork loin ………….  4 hours to overnight
• Turkey Breasts  …  6  to 24 hours
• Whole turkeys  …  12 to 48 hours

Following brining, give the product a good rinse followed by several hours of rest time in the refrigerator.  I will rest smaller pieces for a couple of hours and up to 8 hours on a turkey breast.  The rest lets the salt and flavors retained in the meat disperse and reach a state of equilibrium of sorts. 

Cook as usual.