Brine question

[mattfox]

I have never used a brine on any meat before. Does it really make a difference? Do you use it on all meats?

[Mike D]

The one time I did it made the meat too salty so I’ve never done it again.


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[BlackHogDown]

Yes. Makes a huge difference. Make sure its not too concentrated. Rinse and pat dry twice after to remove excess salt. I brine all pork/chicken. Also, I typically wont brine more than a few hours.

https://www.dartagnan.com/brining-basics-and-techniques.html

[Ouch]

When I brine chicken or pork (almost always), I make sure the "concentration" of the brine matches the length of the brine. If I'm brining for 3-5 hours, 1/2 cup of salt. Overnight brines get 1/4 cup. Equal part sugar. Dissolve both in a gallon of water (steep), add herbs and seasonings... good stuff.

[mharris1]

I use a 1/2 cup of kosher salt and a 1/2 cup of brown sugar per 1 gallon of water. Throw in some rosemary sprigs, a few smashed garlic cloves and some whole peppercorns. I do chickens for about 8-10 hrs, and turkeys for around 24. I also add fresh thyme and sage for oven roasted turkey. Rinse well and pat dry. never had a problem being too salty.

[rzurovec]

I've had mixed results with it.

[Danimal14]

I do it all the time with whole chickens. Makes a big difference..I usually put around 1/2 to 3/4 cup and let sit overnight in fridge.
Rinse off pat dry and I usually don’t salt or salt very lightly when cooking


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[masonred]

With all day brines a small amount of salt and sugar works, 1/8 cup each for 4 breast or 6 thighs, same for pork. It does keep meat moist and helps other spice to flavor meat. Molasses is good with chicken gives it a nice color and taste, use half as much sugar and replace with a slightly larger amount of molasses.

[woodsbound]

I do wild pork rear quarters all the time, but mine is more of a curing brine to turn them into hams. I have never had any complaints that too salty etc and in the rare occasion there are leftovers they never last too long. Here is a link to the recipe if interested

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=511819

[BigWes]

I use a brine on most of the chicken I either grill or smoke. It makes a world of difference. I use a combination of salt and either regular sugar or brown sugar, sometimes I'll throw in onion and lemons (they make a slight difference) I'll even occasionally put in a little crab boil liquid (that does make a difference). Key to avoiding too much salty flavor is to not brine it too long, rinse the meat after brining and not using any more salt when you season.

[eradicator]

Smoked turkey always gets brined here.

[BolilloLoco]

Huge difference

[rafa]

The one time I did it made the meat too salty so I’ve never done it again.


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did you rinse it afterwards?

[Mike D]

did you rinse it afterwards?

Yes.


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[RutnBuk]

Smoked turkey always gets brined here.

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