Brine Baby Brine!
Chef Tip:
Brine, baby, brine! Ya gotta brine that poultry to really give it the super flavor.
Guy Fieri
If you have ever wondered how these chef’s create such complex and memorable flavours in their meat, this is one technique worth trying.
Wet Brine
1 gallon of water with 1 cup of salt is a great recipe for beginners. You know you have enough salt when you can float a raw egg. The salt will do 2 things for the meat. First, it will help the meat to absorb more water. Second, it will help the protein to tenderize. For small cuts of meat it will only take 30 minutes to brine. Large pieces take 1 hour per pound. Flavouring the water with garlic and spices to enhance flavour is fun as well as trying different types of meat. For example: brining fish, beef, pork, poultry, or wild game when ready to experiment.
Dry Brine
This brine is usually called a cure or rub. Cover the meat with salt, placing it in a sealed bag to rest in the refrigerator. This is also called making it sweat. This technique is very common with making salmon jerky.
The Pot
When brining the meat it will want to float to the top of the water. Place a heavy lid or plate on the top to keep it submerged. Here at healthykitchens.com our favourite pot is the Pensofal Pasta Pot. Of course a pasta pot can have multiple uses and brining is one of them.
The Italian made cookware has the innovative RPP-2 Technology that goes 9 layers deep for ultra non-stick performance. The hard mineral coating is abrasion and resistant. It holds 5 liters, oven and dishwasher safe. The last functional and very practical feature is the lock-on lid with built in strainer for the win! |
