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Why Use a Brine?
Lets answer the question about brine by asking a few more. Do you want to add flavor to the chicken you smoke? Do you want your smoked turkey to be extra juicy? Do you want the meal you cook to have a tenderness that almost melts in your mouth? In the past brining was used to facilitate the transportation and preservation of foods. Today we use it for flavor, moisture and tenderness. It is best used for meats that tend to be tough or dry when cooked. Briskets, poultry, and fish are just a few meats that work well with this process. When smoking prime cuts of meat that are naturally tender, a marinade would be a better choice to add flavor. Brining is the process of soaking food in a salty solution. The heavy salt content helps in the breakdown of muscle and the absorption of moisture into the meat. If you add flavors from juices or spices into the mixture, it will be absorbed along with the saline solution. Although it is a simple process, be sure to take into consideration the extra time needed for preparation. It could take anywhere from several hours to twenty four hours of soaking time and an additional few hours of resting time for good absorption. One cup of iodine free salt added to one gallon of water is sufficient as a basic recipe. You need enough to completely submerge the product, so adjust accordingly. Be aware that it is best to make as directed and alter the soaking time to get the saltiness and flavor to your satisfaction. Check out our links below and pick one out that fits your needs. So try these ideas and lets get smoky!
Return frome brine to smoking meat
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