Brining

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Published 2025

About

A brine may be considered a special kind of marinade. The primary use of brines is in curing, as explained in Chapter 28. However, many chefs also use them for roast poultry and pork because of their tenderizing and moisturizing effects (see sidebar, p. 160). Brines are rarely used for red meats.

Procedure for Brining Meats and Poultry

Assemble the following ingredients:

Water 1 gal 3.8 L

Kosher salt 4 oz 120 g

Sugar 3 oz 90 g

Bay leaves 2 2

Dried thyme 2 tsp 10 mL

Whole cloves 4 4

Peppercorns 1 tbsp 15 mL
Combine the water, salt, and sugar in a stockpot. Make a sachet by tying the herbs and spices in a piece of cheesecloth. Add the sachet to the pot.
Bring the water to a boil, stirring to make sure the salt and sugar are dissolved.
Let cool, then refrigerate until completely cold. Remove the sachet.
Put the meat or poultry into the brine. Poultry must be weighted to keep it submerged. Refrigerate.
For large cuts, marinate at least 6 hours or as long as 2 days. For small pieces, such as chops and cutlets, marinate 2 to 6 hours.
Remove the meat from the brine, dry it, and proceed with the recipe. Treat the brined meat like fresh meat.
Discard the used brine.

Water	1 gal	3.8 L
Kosher salt	4 oz	120 g
Sugar	3 oz	90 g
Bay leaves	2	2
Dried thyme	2 tsp	10 mL
Whole cloves	4	4
Peppercorns	1 tbsp	15 mL