Brine Recipe

How to make it

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• The science behind the madness.
• From Wikpedia...............In cooking, brining is a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in a salt solution (the brine) before cooking. Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation. The brine surrounding the cells has a higher concentration of salt than the fluid within the cells, but the cell fluid has a higher concentration of other solutes. This leads salt ions to enter the cell via diffusion. The increased salinity of the cell fluid causes the cell to absorb water from the brine via osmosis. The salt introduced into the cell also denatures its proteins. The proteins coagulate, forming a matrix which traps water molecules and holds them during cooking. This prevents the meat from drying out, or dehydrating.
• Regardless of why it works, trust me that it just does. This is a secret most professional chefs will not disclose.
• For a large (18-22 lb) turkey, the bird can soak for 24-36 hours. A whole chicken needs 8 hours and a cornish hen only 2 hours. Soak chicken wings for 2 hours. Until you have done this a couple of times, err on the low side to avoid an overly salty taste in the meat. (That is why I use a little sugar; it provides a little more room for error).
• Try soaking a beef brisket for 8 hours. It will yield the moistest most succulent barbeque you can imagine.
• Soak your pork ribs for 3 hours before they go on the barbie. Use it for the boston butt for moist and tender pulled pork.
• Also works great with fish.
• Salmon brined for an hour is ridiculous, goofy good.
• Use your imagination for anything you want to be moist and tender.