Brining Poultry
Friday October 3, 2008
It's no secret that brining (soaking meat in a salt water mixture) makes poultry more tender, more moist, and more flavorful. Brining has become the key to the perfect Thanksgiving turkey. The problem is that many people wait until Thanksgiving to try brining turkey. That's a shame. Not only are you missing out on the benefits of brining for all the poultry you cook, but you are putting your first try on the most important cooking day of the year. So, why not try it early. Brining a whole chicken is an easy operation that takes as little as six hours and only costs you a small amount of salt and sugar.
Take 2 cups of hot water and combine it with 6 tablespoons of table salt (or 12 tablespoons of kosher salt), 6 tablespoons of sugar, and give it a good stir. Now add 4 cups of ice water to cool the mixture down. Pour this over the chicken in a bowl or pot large enough to hold it all. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 10 hours. After that take the chicken out of the brine and rinse it very well inside and out. Now you can cook it however you like. I promise, you will notice the difference.
Photo © 2008 Regarding BBQ Inc., licensed to About.com, Inc.
Comments
So, 1 cup (of table salt) to 1 gallon of water, right? Regardless of how big the bird is? Needing more water = needing more salt?
Also, you didn’t comment on whether or not to save the brine solution for the next time, say, a couple of days later? If so, then how long will the brine keep?
And if I brine a bird fresh from the store, can I bag it & freeze it, then thaw & use at a later date?
It’s articles like this that get me more interested in cooking. I like to eat, and I also like to eat well, as well as share recipes with family, friends, etc.
My fishing partner and I trade our leftover dishes occasionally, so it keeps something new around. We can both cook, and enjoy getting together during the holidays and on weekends for fly-tying, while watching fishing programs, cooking programs, or the “Chicago” Bears play football. He learned to cook from his Mom, same as I did. Both of our wives work, so it helps that we can both deliver on the nutritional end of today’s hectic lifestyle.
I’ve heard a lot about brining meats to bring out the flavors, but wasn’t sure of just exactly how to go about it. So now I’ve got another weapon in my culinary arsenal, and it’s one that will get some use in the near future.
Thanks,