Brining meat in advance is a personal preference. Brining provides extra insurance when there is a danger of producing dry-tasting, stringy or rubbery meat during during cooking. The extra steps are worth the mealtime headaches later. Even if the steps or times are not followed precisely, at least the meat receives a good washing in salt water to remove any smells and impurities.
A simple brining procedure
Step 1: Measure out the amount of water necessary to keep meat fully submerged.
Step 2: Use 1 tbsp kosher salt for every 1 cup of water.
Morton Salt outlines a standard brining ratio as well as salt conversion table on their site. Kosher salt, because of its larger crystals, is easier to observe disintegrating in water than table salt. If using table salt, the brining ratio changes due to its smaller crystal size. For every cup of water, use 2.4 teaspoons of table salt.
Step 3: Dissolve salt in the water and chill the water.
This step has several nuances; you can 1) pour salt into cold water and stir vigorously, hoping the salt disappears, 2) dissolve salt in warm water, increasing your chances of dissolving the salt more completely, or 3) dissolve salt by simmering water for a few minutes on the stove.
To no surprise, the appropriate method is to dissolve salt by simmering water for a few minutes on the stove, chilling to 40F in the refrigerator and then adding chicken. It is important to keep meat at 40 degrees F to prevent unwanted bacterial growth.
Step 4: Submerge the meat.
Soak the meat for 2-3 hours for every inch of thickness [4] in the refrigerator. For example, shrimp can brine from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on their thickness; for wings maybe 1.5-2 hours.
Step 5: Remove and pat dry!
Some additional notes:
- Do not brine meat if you intend to deep fry.
- Cut your brining salt amount down by 1/2 if your meat will brine for more than 4-5 hours, or else the meat will taste saltier.
- Adding sugar to brine and other herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, parsley, lemons, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, etc. is also possible but optional.
Informational Resources
- A GUIDE TO BRINING. Morton Salt.
- SALT CONVERSION CHART. Morton Salt.
- What’s the Best Refrigerator Temperature? U.S. News 360 Reviews.
- Basic Brine. Exploratorium.
- Poultry: Basting, Brining, and Marinating. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
