Brining for Flavor

By Pamela Lee, from the August & September 2002 Newsletters

Part 1

Brining for flavor is a food preparation technique, immersing meat into a salty water solution for some hours before cooking.

Salt has long been used to preserve and extend the shelf life of food. Before the advent of refrigeration and modern canning methods, some hungry and inventive person discovered that heavy concentrations of salt helped preserve meat.

But brining for flavor is not the same process as the ocean voyagers of yore used to keep their protein edible and preserved. Brining, with discreet amounts of salt, can result in meat that is succulent, tender, and moist. I have found brining a great way to ensure that defrosted meats, such as the organic meats from the Co-op's freezer section, are tender and delectable.

I first used, and still use, brining as an antidote to the moisture loss and the potentially compromised texture that meat can suffer from months of freezing. Even family members who maintain low-salt diets have found my flavor-brined meat delectably to their liking.

In preparation for this article, I've slogged my way through several versions of how and why brining makes meat taste more tender and moist. Different food-scientists give somewhat different explanations of why brined meat tastes moister and not indelibly salty. The scientific reasoning behind brining involves intracellular and intercellular water and minerals, protein structures, diffusion and osmosis. Add those important culinary variables of amount, timing, and temperature. The end result is that successful brining will raise the temperature at which meat will lose moisture while cooking. As any discriminating carnivore knows, dry meat is not satisfying nor succulent fare.

A 1993 "Cook's Illustrated" magazine article first inspired me to brine a turkey. I cut the amount of salt recommended in half and then some. I kept the bird in the solution for less time than directed. Over the years, I have found that less salt and less time are good brining habits. Another good habit is to keep the brining solution below 40-degrees Fahrenheit. The amount of salt used to flavor brine food is not stiff enough to substitute for refrigeration and safe hygienic food preparation. Pork, poultry and seafood all profit from brining before cooking.

The basic method and the ingredients for brining are simple: submerge meat in a salt and water solution in a (refrigerated) container. I often defrost and brine frozen meat at the same time, placing my brining bucket overnight on a lower shelf of the refrigerator. Small pieces of food, like frozen shrimp will defrost in brine much more quickly, requiring only 30 to 60 minutes (depending on the amount of shrimp).

Before we make the plunge (pun intended), let me remind the reader that not all salt is shaped the same. Many brining aficionados claim that we should only use kosher salt to make brine. During the early 1990's I scoured the local supermarkets seeking kosher salt, but found none. Though I have resorted to buying kosher salt in Minneapolis during the Christmas holidays and schlepping it home on the airplane, I have also regularly used sea salt for my brine solution (for years).

Over the last month, perusing a stack of articles that I printed from the profusion of material on the Internet, I've read a dozen articles that exhort me to never use sea salt when concocting a brine. But since I've had such succulent success, I'm sure I will again. None of the articles cite an underlying reason to avoid sea salt, and the only one I could contrive on my own is that sea salt is more difficult to dissolve (than kosher or table salt).

I also haven't found a chart that lists the corresponding measurements for sea salt as compared to kosher and table salt. One-quarter cup of table salt is equivalent to one-half cup of Diamond Crystal kosher salt. I was specific about the brand because one-quarter cup of table salt does equal one-quarter cup plus two tablespoons of Morton kosher salt. Perhaps sea salts are less standardized? For instance, our Co-op's bulk sea salt is visibly coarser and has a larger grain than the Hain-brand sea salt, packaged in a circular cardboard box. Since I like less salt, I use a lighter brine than many recipes call for.

My basic brining method is to dissolve 1/4 cup of bulk sea salt in 1-2 quarts of water. (This is half as much salt as some standard brining recipes that I'll include in next month's article.) When using sea salt, I begin by dissolving the salt a cup or so of hot water, stirring. Then I add cold water and ice if necessary to bring the temperature down. (If using kosher or table salt, which dissolve quickly, the initial hot water isn't necessary.)

Next I rinse the meat and submerge it in the brine. Then I place this in the refrigerator for one to eight hours. Since I prefer to consume organic meat, most often I am defrosting at the same time as brining. If using fresh meat, decrease the brining time.

Pamela Lee will continue to write about brining next month, including recipes for those increasingly popular less basic multi-ingredient brines.

Part 2

Basic brining is easy. Last month I shared my brine recipe, using the Co-op's bulk sea salt and water. But, I also warned the reader that in the voluminous pile of literature I've unearthed on brining, not a single source cites a recipe using sea salt. Most brining recipes call for kosher salt, some for plain table salt. Do not use iodized salt as it can impart an unwanted off-flavor. This month I'll write about more complex brines with some tips and tricks, and I'll share my current favorite recipe.

If you are afraid to brine for fear of overly salted food, simply start conservatively, with less salt and shorter brining time. Remember not to add salt to any further food preparation after your brine.

Please maintain safe food practices: refrigerate the meat during the brining time, and do not reuse the brining solution! If you are going to add a rub to the meat, post-brining, simply omit any additional salt in the dry rub, marinade or glaze. Beef and lamb don't seem to profit from brining (unless it's a brisket). The texture and moistness of poultry, pork, and seafood can be remarkably enhanced by a proper bath in a brining solution.

The December 2001 issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine included a universal formula for brining. Actually there were two universal formulas, one for the typical meat cooking temperature and another for high-heat cooking such as broiling or grilling. The Cook's Illustrated authors (and many other brining aficionados) complement the salt in a brine with sugar. Though I do not typically use sugar in brines, many people swear it masks or takes the edge off the salt, adds flavor, and promotes browning. With my basic brine last month, I was both brining and defrosting organic meat, at once. If I do use sugar in a defrosting-brine, I often reduce the amount of sugar. The following Cook's Illustrated brine times are for fresh (unfrozen) meat.

Cook's Basic Brine:

1-quart cold water
1/2 cup Diamond Crystal kosher, OR 1/4cup + 2 Tbsp. Morton kosher, OR 1/4 cup table salt
1/2 cup sugar

Use 1 quart of brine solution per pound of food, not to exceed 2 gallons of brine. Brine for 1 hour per pound, but not for less than 30 minutes or for more than 8 hours.

Cook's High-Heat Brine:

1-quart cold water
1/4 cup Diamond Crystal kosher, OR 3 Tbsp. Morton kosher, OR 2 Tbsp. table salt
1/2 cup sugar

Use 1 quart of brine solution per pound of food, not to exceed 2 gallons of brine.
Brine for 1 hour per pound, but not less than 30 minutes or more than 8 hours.

To go beyond basic brines, in the place of some of the salt try soy sauce. Or, you might use brown sugar, unrefined sugar, maple syrup or other sweeteners to replace all or part of the sugar component. Some brining converts add spices and other flavoring ingredients that bring brining solutions very close to being marinades. Crushed or bruised juniper berries, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, allspice, peppercorns, garlic, ginger, and other such flavorings can be added to your brine. But beware of acidic ingredients; they can "cook" the meat and weaken the meat's muscle structure to mush especially if you are brining meat for more than an hour. Plus, with the introduction of acid ingredients, you've left the realm of brining and moved into marinade territory.

I use a hard, food-grade plastic bucket for brining. Some folks use heavy zipper-locked plastic bags, Rubbermaid® or Tupperware® containers. For big jobs one can even use a large ice chest. Just be sure to keep the meat at safe refrigerator-like temperatures for the entire time. You can use 'blue ice' to keep the brine below 40-degrees F. You may also need to weigh the food down, to keep it submerged below the brine, with a heavy plate or pan.

I usually rinse and dry meat well after brining. The drying part is especially important if I plan to use a rub, marinade, or glaze. If you want especially crisp skin on poultry, you can even air-dry the bird in the refrigerator after brining. Simply dry the bird well after brining, transfer it to a raised rack on a baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered. Brined poultry can be air-dried for several hours or overnight.

The following recipe is my current favorite way to grill a glazed, butterflied chicken, post-brining:

Buy one whole organic bird. Brine it, then rinse and dry it very well. Cut the backbone out of the bird, spread the chicken open, and flatten. Some of the ribs need to be crushed to flatten the bird. Mix a glaze in a saucepan on low to medium-low heat, using about 6 oz. undiluted orange juice concentrate, plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 or 3 Tbsp. crushed dried rosemary, 1 tsp. dry mustard, 1 tsp. ground pepper, 1 tsp. oregano, and fresh, minced garlic.

Preheat the gas grill, putting a pan of water on the lowest rack of the grill. Rub or brush the glaze all over the chicken. When the water on the grill has begun to simmer, turn the burners to low and put the chicken on the grill. I start the bird on the second (middle) rack and move it to the highest rack after the skin has turned dark. The high sugar content of the orange juice makes the glaze brown very rapidly. Mine is an inexpensive gas grill that does not maintain a very low low-temperature setting, so I keep an eye on the bird, moving the chicken to the highest rack (from the heat) as soon as the skin is well browned. When the meat at the thickest thigh joint is no longer showing any red when cut into, when the juices run clear, or the thigh meat reaches 160 degrees, your bird should be done. Do not be surprised if the skin looks like blackened chicken. It will taste incredible!

Pamela Lee bids her readers adieu after over seven years and 78 Co-op newsletter articles. So, until she is ready to face the big cookbook project…. Bon Appetite!

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