Instructions: All of us know of the benefits of Brining, especially for todays leaner meats. No longer are there old hens running around on grandmas farm like one of my former instructors used to talk about. The pigs are eating grain cooked to 136%. I for one am completely sold on the benefits of brining, everything from whole chickens and pork loin to fish and seafood. This is how brining works.

Because there is more salt in the brine than in the meat, the muscle absorbs the salt water. There, the salt denatures the meat proteins, causing them to unwind and form a matrix that traps the water. And if the brine includes herbs, garlic and other seasonings, those flavors and trapped in the meat too. Instead of seasoning on the surface as most cooks do, brining carries the seasoning throughout. Even a couple of hours in a brine will improve bland Cornish game hens, and give chicken breast , pork chops, fish or even seafood a flavor boost. Brines vary considerably from chef to chef, as do recommended brining times. But generally speaking, the saltier the brine, the shorter time is required. And the brine will penetrate a chicken breast or pork chop much faster than a large thick muscle like a whole pork loin or turkey.

Meat left too long in a brine tastes overseasoned and the texture is compromised, producing a soggy or mushy quality, By playing around with the liquid base, you can give your brine some personality. Some chefs use apple juice or beer for some or all of the water. A mixture of orange juice, cider vinegar and rice wine vinegar is an excellent base for brining turkey. Seasonings can run anywhere from thyme, rosemary and garlic to star anise, cinnamon and vanilla beans. Many chefs put some sugar in their brine to sweeten the meat and make it brown better when cooking. This is good for pork, but it tends to make everything else taste like ham. Brining chicken parts before frying using salted buttermilk will give you the benefits of the brine plus the tenderizing effect of the buttermilk. Whatever you choose to use, brining is a very effective tool for dealing with todays leaner meats.

How Long to Brine
The thickness of the muscle, the strength of the brine and your own taste will determine how long to brine for an item. 1 gallon of liquid to 1 cup Kosher salt is a happy medium. If you cant use kosher salt, cut the salt by half. Obviously, brined meats do not need to be salted before cooking, because they are already salted throughout the meat.

Preparing the brine
Bring your liquid to a boil. Add your salt and sugar(if you are using sugar) and dissolve completely. Add your herbs and seasonings. The seasonings are added to the hot liquid to extract the flavors, therefore better flavoring the meat. Cool the brine completely. When cool, put your meat into a non-corrosive container and pour the brine over it. The meat must be completely covered, so use a plate to weigh it down if you have to.

shrimp-30 minutes

whole chicken(4 pounds)-8 to 12 hours

chicken parts-1 1/2 hours

chicken breasts-1 hour

Cornish game hens-2 hours

whole turkey-24 hours

pork chops-12-24 hours

whole pork loins-2 to 4 days

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.