Tagged Questions
8
votes
2answers
209 views
If salt dehydrates the meat, then why would brining make it more juicy as a whole?
As the title says, why does brining work?
If salting, by osmosis, pulls the water out of the meat, then why is meat considered more juicy after it's cooked?
2
votes
2answers
93 views
Brining…at high temp?
I read that brining makes meat moister by causing protein cells to absorb water from the brine via osmosis (Wikipedia) So I thought, hmm, why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone: brine + slow-cook ...
2
votes
3answers
651 views
How much salt is absorbed by meat during brining?
Has anyone created a table of sodium absorbtion during brining vs. other contributing factors such as brining time, meat type, salt ratio, etc.
I'd like to be able to compute how much sodium is ...
2
votes
2answers
192 views
Do I need to baste an injected turkey?
This evening I intend to grill a 3 pound turkey breast over indirect heat. I've brined the turkey and am intending to inject it with a butter injection concoction. Does a brined and injected turkey ...
2
votes
2answers
349 views
How much salt does fish in brine absorb?
Suppose you brine fish e.g. tuna and then eat the tuna raw i.e. uncooked. Would salt have penetrated completely into the tissues or would only the surface be salty because it is coated with salt ...
2
votes
2answers
136 views
Why does brining work with dry heat methods and not wet heat methods?
If you brine chicken in a high saline solution and and then cook it using a dry heat method it will come out salty. IF however you do the same thing and then cook it with a wet heat method e.g. soup ...
5
votes
2answers
732 views
Reusing pickle brine
So I just finished a jar of home-made pickles. They were excellent! Not too salty, a bit spicy, very good. They were so good that I'd like to get some more pickles out of that jar. I was thinking of ...
1
vote
2answers
325 views
Can I brine chicken in buttermilk after I boil the chicken?
I want to make crispy fried chicken and waffles. I have had great luck boiling chicken wings and then deep frying them. Can I do the same thing for fried chicken? Boil, brine in buttermilk mixture, ...
13
votes
3answers
3k views
Does adding salt when soaking dry beans toughen or soften the skin of the bean?
I have heard opinions on both sides of this. The the latest answer on this site, says salt softens bean skins quoted Cooks Illustrated (I can't see the article, but I trust CI), while another answer ...
5
votes
3answers
171 views
How would I add heat to a brine?
I am interested in making roast chicken with a bit of a kick. I'm thinking about adding heat to the brine, but I'm not sure what the best way of doing that would be.
How would brine work with hot ...
1
vote
1answer
827 views
What is the proper way to brine fish?
My query is regarding fish in general and specifically types like salmon, tuna and trout.
How long should fish be brined for? Some recipes say 4 hours and others say 8-12 hours.
Should the saline ...
0
votes
1answer
148 views
Can state of chicken affect brine?
I have been trying to brine chicken and it never seems to brine successfully. I have followed the brine procedure correctly. I added 2 litres of spring water to a stainless steel pot with 140g ...
3
votes
3answers
3k views
In what way is kosher chicken different from brined chicken in terms of salt absorbtion?
Ideally I want all parts of my chicken to absorb a good amount of salt. I think brining is best but somebody has suggested kosher chicken. How is kosher salted differently and will all parts of ...
2
votes
3answers
734 views
Why is my brining giving varied and usually poor results?
I am trying to brine a chicken and then cook it in a soup. I just can't seem to do it properly and have noticed varying results for reasons i cannot figure out. My basic method is add 1.5l spring ...
4
votes
2answers
480 views
Brining a kosher bird
How should I adjust the salinity of a brine when using a kosher turkey? Some reccomendations suggest decreasing the salinity of the brine, but how much?
My recipe is two quarts of water with 1 c. of ...
2
votes
4answers
2k views
What is the proper amount of time to thaw + brine a turkey simultaneously?
I recently saw a tip that you can thaw a frozen turkey in your brine, and I'd like to try that this year. I was planning to thaw my turkey for 3 days in a cooler of water.
I've actually never brined ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
What happens if I brine my turkey for 2 days?
I have a logistical problem that leaves me with no fridge room for 2 days before Thanksgiving... I always brine my turkey, so I don't have any questions about that, but typically it's only an 8 - 10 ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
botulism risk with refrigerated items
SO, a bit of a longer one: Is there any risk of botulism from refrigerator pickling or brining? (referring to both meat and slices of vegetables/fruit)
I've read around the subject a fair bit and ...
2
votes
1answer
232 views
Dry Brining Turkey
I have dry brined my Thanksgiving turkey for several years with great success. I usually do this for 3 days (start the process Monday AM then air dry in fridge for 24 hours before meal on Thursday). ...
2
votes
6answers
218 views
Traveling with chicken
In a few days I'll be cooking for my grand parents. Now I want to make it special so I decided to brine some pieces of chicken fillet before going there. But they live an hour traveling by bus from ...
4
votes
1answer
179 views
Factory brine vs home brine
I frequently make use of brining as a tool to help yield juicy (and well-seasoned) meat--especially on pork and poultry. I am usually pretty successful with this technique and get compliments from ...
11
votes
2answers
478 views
How Can I Tell If Meat Has Been Brined?
My wife and I were eating some rotisserie chicken the other night and she commented something to the effect of "I think they brined this because I can taste the seasoning pretty deep in the meat."
I ...
11
votes
3answers
280 views
What brine ingredients are effective?
I frequently brine chicken and pork, and mostly it's just salt and water, sometime sugar, and occasionally garlic.
But I've seen all sorts of other "goodies" people add in, like spices, herbs, ...
11
votes
6answers
21k views
Is there any substitute for saltpeter / sodium nitrate in corned beef brine?
I realize there is another question about corned beef from scratch, but the answers don't really cover my question. Many recipes for making your own corned beef still refer to the use of saltpeter ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
Can I brine a self-basting turkey?
I was planning to brine my turkey but I realise that I bought a self-basting turkey.
According to most websites, brining a self-basting turkey is a big "no".
But has anyone brine a self-basting ...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
Should I brine a goose?
I've had really good luck with brining turkey & chicken. I am making goose for this Christmas and have found mixed suggestions on whether to brine the goose. Does the fat content of an average ...
6
votes
3answers
365 views
How can I get brine flavour into turkey?
Since I started doing holiday dinners, I've always brined my birds. I love the result, but I find that while the turkey comes out nice and moist, it doesn't pick up much flavour from the brine. For ...
7
votes
3answers
3k views
Can you make pan gravy if the turkey was brined?
I've read every question here that mentions brining a turkey, and I've seen conflicting remarks about whether the pan drippings are suitable for making gravy. (None of the existing questions actually ...
7
votes
1answer
3k views
How much salt does brining a turkey add?
I want to brine a turkey for Thanksgiving, using Alton Brown's recipe for brining. My wife is concerned that this will increase the amount of salt and sugar in the turkey, making it unhealthy. How ...
4
votes
4answers
4k views
Substituting table salt for kosher salt when brining chicken
How much regular table salt should I use when brining chicken pieces?
I don't have kosher salt, just regular iodised table salt. Does this really make a difference? I thought salt was salt.
...
5
votes
1answer
192 views
Is “quick brining” as effective as an overnight soak?
I recently came across this article, Quickly Brine Chicken When You Don't Have Much Time, which suggests 2-3 hours in a 10% brine, followed by a 1-hour rest. Does this work? If so, are there any ...
10
votes
1answer
2k views
Why do some recipes call for sugar in a brine?
In making a brine for my chicken, I came across a lot of recipes that call for sugar in the brine. I understand the general idea behind brining, but don't understand what benefit the sugar provides. ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Does marinating break down proteins the way brining does?
Brining makes meat tender because the salt (and some sugar) breaks down proteins. Shouldn't a salty/sugary marinade do the same thing?
11
votes
7answers
4k views
Pulled Pork in a slow cooker. To brown or not to brown?
I'm going to make some barbeque pulled pork in a slow cooker. I've done it a few times with some good results, but I'm always looking for ways to improve.
Here's what I've been doing:
1. Brine pork ...
4
votes
3answers
851 views
Why does Brining help food to retain water, but adding salt will draw the moisture out?
I saw a recipe that called for brining a Turkey in order to retain the moisture, but when you cook with salt it causes the foods to get less moist - Why?
3
votes
2answers
347 views
How to avoid ridiculously salty results when brining?
Last time I brined, the ribs came out ridiculously salty. Can someone provide me with a good brining method?
15
votes
5answers
1k views
What are the basics and options of brining meat, for example chicken?
What are the basics and options of brining meat, for example chicken? I ate at a restaurant in Santa Fe that specialized in brining and the chicken was amazing. Id like to know what the process is ...
