Brining
What it does
Brining helps home cooks and enthusiasts increase moisture and flavor, making meat more delicious and satisfying to prepare.
How it works
There are two basic principles involved in the brining process, osmosis and diffusion. Diffusion and osmosis are always working to reach an equilibrium. Diffusion is what causes the meat to accept the salt and sugar. The concentration of the brine (salt and sugar levels) is greater than the concentration in the meat’s tissue. Diffusion aims to reach an equal concentration of salt and sugar in both the brine and the meat. Therefore, the salt and sugar levels will increase in the meat’s tissue. Brining also draws water into the meat. This is because the higher water concentration outside the meat is trying to equalise with the lower concentration inside the meat. This movement of moisture is called osmosis.
Once the salt and sugar are in the meat’s cells, they cause the proteins to relax and link together. The protein links then capture and hold more moisture. As the meat is cooked, the protein links begin to gel and form a barrier that locks in moisture and flavour. This is why brined meats taste fresher than non-brined meats, even after being reheated the next day.
How to Brine
You can use Sea salt and brown sugar in your brines. Add aromatics to taste, such as fresh rosemary, pepper, and other spices and herbs. Don’t add any acidic ingredients like vinegar or lemon juice, as these will cure your meat and make it mushy. These ingredients are better reserved for a shorter marinade. Sea salt has a much cleaner taste than table salt, and brown sugar gives more flavour than pure sugar. The rule for the ratio of salt to sugar and water is 1 gallon of water to at least 1/2 cup of salt (one cup is the maximum) and at least 1/2 cup of sugar. Brining can make the meat too salty if these proportions are not followed.
The water used in the brine should also be non-chlorinated. You can boil tap water for a few minutes to remove most of the chlorine, but it is better to let the chlorine evaporate by letting the water stand for a few hours. Just heat the water until the salt and sugar dissolve. Before the meat can be added, the brine must be chilled in the refrigerator. Or you can add some ice. Just use less water to start with, and make sure your ice is made with filtered water. The rule of thumb is about two pints of brine per pound of meat. The best meats to brine are poultry and pork. The meats should be brined for about 1 hour per pound, but no more than 8 hours. The best containers for brining are large zip-lock freezer bags or a plastic container with a mechanism to hold the meat down in the brine. Because the meat is contaminated, do not reuse any of the brine.
