I made some barbecued chicken for dinner tonight, and I brined the chicken before I cooked it.   I thought that I would share some information about brining, and how you can do it at home.

The brining of meats is an old process used for food preservation.  Before refrigeration, heavy amounts of salt were used to preserve meats for long periods of time.   Now, we use much smaller quantities of salt, mixed with other spices and herbs, achieving increased flavor in the meat as well as other benefits.  Brining in a saltwater mixture before you smoke typically will add flavor, tenderness and typically reduces cooking times.  Our poultry and pork have much less fat than they used to, which means they tend to dry out more quickly when cooked and to be less flavorful than in the past.

As the brine enters the meat or fish, it carries the flavor of the seasonings with it, so brined meat is seasoned all the way through, not just on the surface.  This process takes time—more for thick pieces like a whole chicken than for thin cuts like boneless chicken breast.  You can definitely over-brine foods, causing the muscle fiber to break down, so follow package directions or recipes carefully.  A boneless chicken breast benefits from as little as an hour in a brine, whereas a whole 20-pound turkey can spend a couple of days.

As you make the brine, you may opt to use hot water, or even bring the brine to a simmer to infuse it with spices or other aromatics.  However, the brine must be thoroughly chilled before you use it on foods.  The brine can be applied in two ways, depending on the size and composition of the food you wish to brine.  For small items, it is usually enough to submerge the food in the brine, usually referred to as brine soaking.   Small foods can be placed in enough brine to completely cover the food, topped with a weight to keep them submerged.   Allow the meats to rest for the allotted time.

Larger items can be injected with brine to ensure that the brine covers evenly in a shorter period of time.  Usually, an amount of 10 percent of the meat’s weight is injected into the item.   Once injected, the meat is usually brine-soaked as mentioned above.

A basic recipe for a brine is listed below.  Feel free to add spices to this mixture, or make less based on your needs.  However, try to keep the amounts of liquid to salt consistent.

Here is a table describing the appropriate brining times for different cuts of meat.

Brining Time For Meats

If you are interested in giving brining a try, here are some accessories that will make it easier for you.