Jaclyn Pestka, Wayne Gisslen, Lou Sackett

Procedure for Immersion Brining

Appears in
Professional Garde Manger: A Comprehensive Guide to Cold Food Preparation
Professional Garde Manger

By Jaclyn Pestka, Wayne Gisslen and Lou Sackett

Published 2010

  • About
  1. Fabricate the meat as specified in the recipe, with attention to consistency in size, shape, and surface area. If necessary, truss the meat to ensure consistency. Refrigerate the meat until you are ready to proceed.
  2. Select a nonreactive container large enough to hold the food and brine. Sanitize the container and its lid. Sanitize all other utensils that will come into contact with the food.

    • Standard brine: Thoroughly mix together the salt, cool water, and other brine ingredients in the sanitized container. Make sure the salt dissolves completely.
    • Cooked brine: Thoroughly mix together the salt, cool water, and other brine ingredients in a nonreactive pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer only until the salt is dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Pour the brine into the sanitized container.

  4. Blot away any fluids from the exterior (and cavity) of the meat.
  5. Place the meat in the brine and, if necessary, weight it with a plate, lid, or other flat, heavy, nonreactive object that is safe for food contact. Cover the container.
  6. Refrigerate the meat in the brine for the time specified in the recipe.
  7. When the specified time is complete, remove the meat from the brine. To test the cure, cut a small slit into the center of the meat and make sure the brine has fully penetrated to the center. If the cure is complete, the texture and color will be the same throughout.
  8. Drain the meat and air-dry it by the specified method and at the specified temperature.
  9. After the pellicle has formed, wrap the food or proceed with additional processing.