All About Brining

What is Brining?

Brining, or soaking in salt water, is an easy way to make moister chicken or pork (it does not work on beef). Typically a ratio of 16 parts water to 1 part salt is used (e.g. 1 quart water to 1/4 cup salt). Note that brining does not add salt to the meat; it makes the meat moist through osmosis which draws water out of cells.
Brining increases the temperature (from 140 to 160 degrees) at which meat dries out (i.e. the cells burst and lose their water) due to cooking.

Brining was originally used to preserve food (strong salt solution); now it is used to flavor meat (medium salt solution).

How does Brining Work?

The meat's cells have a concentration of salt in them. Brine has a higher concentration of salt than the meat. The osmosis process will balance the concentration of salt between the cell and the brine so in order to increase the concentration of salt (note salt is not adding to the meat) in the cells, the water in the cell moves from the cell (passes through the cell's wall) to the space surrounding the cell.

The temperature that causes the cell to burst (and dry out the meat) has been raised from 140 deg to 160 degrees (due to higher concentration of salt in the cell).

Maximum Brine Time

If meat is kept past the maximum brine time, it will taste salty and perhaps turn mushy. Start out at the low end of the range.

Meat	Brine Time
Whole chicken (4 pounds)	4-8 hours
Chicken parts	1 1/2 hours
Chicken breasts	1 hour
Whole turkey	12-24 hours
Pork chops	2-8 hours
Whole pork loins	1-3 days
Pork Tenderloin	2-12 hours
Shrimp	1/2 hour
Cornish game hens	1-2 hours

Salt Choice

Table salt, sea salt, and kosher salt provide the same saltiness if they weigh the same. It is not true for volume. A cup of table salt weighs about 10 oz while kosher salt weighs 5-8 oz per cup, depending on the brand.

Professional cooks use kosher salt since it is pure. Sea salt is too expensive to use on a regular basis and table salt contains additives such as anti-caking agents (prevents caking in humid weather) and iodine (prevents thyroid disease).

Do not use lite salt since it contains other substances besides salt (sodium chloride). Pure salt must be used for brining.

Meat	Volume	Weight
Table salt	1 cup	10 oz
Morton kosher salt	1 1/2 cups	7.7 oz
Diamond Crystal kosher salt	2 cups	5 oz

What Container to Use

Since brine is very salty a nonreactive container must be used:

• plastic buckets
• coolers
• Ziploc bags
• stainless steel or anodized pots
• glass bowls
• ceramic bowls
• stainless steel bowls

Use a heavy ceramic bowl or plate to weigh down the meat so it is completely submerged in brine.

Basic Brine Recipes

Brine solutions work best when they are 40 degrees which is the expected temperature of a refrigerator. Salt dissolves quickest in hot water but be sure the brine solution is cooled before placing meat in it. After brining, thoroughly rinse the meat.

Basic Brine

• 1 cup water
• 1 TBL table salt (or 2 TBL DC kosher salt)

Basic Chicken or Pork Brine

• 1 quart hot water
• 1/4 cup (5 oz) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (2 TBL cup table salt)
• 1/4 cup sugar (brown or white. Optional)

Dissolve salt and sugar in hot water then chill in refrigerator (40 deg). Immerse chicken breasts and keep immersed in refrigerator or in an ice chest for 1 to 4 hours. Remove chicken breasts and rinse thoroughly.

High Temperature Chicken or Pork Brine

For grilling, broiling, and roasting chicken or pork.

• 1 quart hot water
• 1/4 cup (5 oz) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 2 TBL cup table salt)
• 2 TBL sugar (brown or white.)

Dissolve salt and sugar in hot water then chill in refrigerator. Immerse chicken breasts and keep immersed in refrigerator or in an ice chest for 1 to 4 hours. Remove chicken breasts and rinse thoroughly.

Basic Turkey Brine

• 2 gallons water
• 2 cups Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Brine turkey 8 to 12 hours at 40 degrees.

Brine Tips

Use these helpful tips to maximize your brining experience.

• Make sure you refrigerate your brine and meat.
• Do not use acidic liquids such as orange juice or beer on poultry. It will make it mushy.
• Rinse meat after brining.
• Use kosher salt. It does not contain additives, like table salt.
• Make sure the meat is *completely* covered by the brine solution.
• Do not reuse brine.
• Pat meat dry with paper towels after rinsing.
• For full benefits of brining do not cut back on salt.

"Burn Your Recipes!"

Do not literally burn your recipes, but don't be a prisoner to them! Use them more of an outline. There are many variances to take into account, and besides, cooking is an art, have fun with it! To make my point, Watch Chef Todd in this video, he has a unique way of getting the point across!

(This only refers to cooking, NOT baking (pies, cakes, pastries, breads, etc).

Fish Stock

Use lean fish bones for this recipe, such as bass, scrod, cod, or flounder.

This is the quickest of the stocks to make. You can usually get the bones from your butcher.

Fish Stock
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YIELD: 1 Quart

Ingredients:
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2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 medium celery ribs, chopped
salt
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 pounds fish bones, washed, include tails and heads
celery leaves
8 sprigs parsley
1 teaspoon dried chervil
1 each bay leaf
3 each cloves
6 each peppercorns

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Heat butter in a large skillet, add the onion, carrot, and chopped celery, and saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add the wine, water, and all other ingredients, bring liquid to the boil, reduce heat immediately, and simmer gently for no more than 30 minutes. Skim off scum and strain through a double thickness of cheese cloth.

Beef Stock

This will make a wonderful, rich beef stock, full of flavor that you can never get from a can.

This stock can be used the same day it is made, it is only recommended to let it chill overnight in order for the fat to float to the top and harden, making it easy to remove.

You can also substitute a veal knuckle in place of the pig's foot.


Beef Stock
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YIELD: 2 Quarts

Ingredients:
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4 pounds beef bones, cut into 3-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 each carrots, sliced
3 medium onions, sliced
1 each pig's feet
2 each leeks, cleaned and chopped
3 each garlic cloves, chopped
2 each celery ribs, chopped
1 each turnip, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 sprigs parsley
1 each bay leaf
4 each cloves
8 each peppercorns
4 quarts cold water
1 tablespoon salt

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1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Place the beef bones and half the carrots and onions in a roasting pan, sprinkle with the flour, and brown in the oven for 30 minutes.

3. Transfer bones and vegetables to a 8 to 10 quart stockpot. Drain fat from roasting pan, deglaze pan with a little water, and pour juices into the stockpot. Add the pig's foot, the remaining carrots and onions, and all other ingrediants except the salt to the stockpot. If necessary, add more water to cover by 3 inches and bring mixture to the boil. reuce heat to simmer, skim off scum, cover partly, and simmer for 2 hours. Add the salt and simmer for 3 hours longer, adding more water if necessary.

4. Strain broth into a large bowl, cool, chill thoroughly (preferably over-night), and remove fat from the top.

Chicken Stock

This is the basic recipe for Chicken Stock. There are a lot of store bought broths and stocks you can get to make things faster and easier, but the taste difference is too great for me to settle. I make a large amount of Chicken Stock at a time, and freeze what I do not use. Do your taste buds a favor, not to mention your wallet, and make your own stock.


Good chicken stock, which is indispensable to all forms of fine cookery, requires a flavorful old fowl that is simmered for at least 3 hours with the right vegetables and seasonings. Since so many dishes call for a strong stock, I simmer mine till the liquid is reduced by half and simply dilute it when a recipe calls for a lighter base. If you have room to freeze plenty of this stock, double or triple the recipe.


Chicken Stock
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YIELD: 2 Quarts

Ingredients:
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5 pounds chickens, whole, neck and giblets included
4 quarts cold water
2 medium onions, cut in half
2 each celery ribs, broken in half
2 each carrots, cut in half
2 each leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 teaspoons salt

Herb Bouquet (see note)
1 each garlic clove
4 each cloves
8 each peppercorns
1 each bay leaf
6 each parsley sprigs

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1. Place chicken(s), neck, and giblets in an 8 to 10 quart stockpot or large kettle and add the water. Bring liquid to the boil, reduce heat, simmer for 30 minutes, and skim off any scum.

2. Add the onions, carrots, celery, leeks, salt, and herb bouquet, and continue simmering stock for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary to keep contents barely covered.

3. Strain stock through cheesecloth into large bowl, let cool, chill (preferable overnight), and remove all fat from the top.


NOTE: A Herb Bouquet, or Bouquet Garni, is made by placing the herbs into a piece of cheesecloth, and tied with twine to prevent the herbs from spilling into the stock.