The desired result from grilling a pork chop or piece of chicken is one that is beautifully browned on the outside, and moist, tender, and flavorful on the inside. So often we’re disappointed. In order to cook to safe temperatures, the meat (especially pork loin and chicken breast) sometimes dries out and becomes tough and tasteless. The best kept secret to help you deliver a mouth-watering entree to the table is brining. It is so easy, and great results are evident after as little as thirty minutes in the brining solution.
What exactly is a brining solution? It is a mixture of water, salt, sugar, and often other seasonings in which raw meat is submerged for a period of time. The water, or portions of it, can be replaced with fruit juices, beer, or wine. Fresh herbs and spices can also be added to flavor the solution. Here’s a very basic Brine recipe with a couple of variations you might to try.
The Dining Diva’s Quick Brine Solution
For 1½ to 2 lbs of meat
1½ Cups Water
3 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 Tbsp Sugar
Combine mixture in a non-reactive container (glass or stainless steel, or a zip-top bag). Stir until salt and sugar have dissolved. Add meat (it should be covered by the solution) and let rest 20-30 minutes. Remove from solution, rinse and pat dry. Cook as desired.
Note: Other spices, herbs, and seasonings can be added to the brine (orange peel, whole allspice or cloves, bay leaves, etc…Many possibilities!!) You can also substitute other liquids for the water (or part of it) – like fruit juice, wine, or beer. The sweetener can be regular granulated sugar, brown sugar or honey.
For the pork chops I used half water, half apple juice, brown sugar, zest of 1 large orange, a fresh bay leaf, and about one-third cup lightly sauteed minced onion.
For chicken, try adding about 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger root, lemon zest, garlic, one-half teaspoon crushed dried red pepper, and some minced cilantro. Grill and brush with with a mixture of equal parts soy sauce and chili sauce just before removing chicken from the grill!
For larger cuts of meat (such as pork loin) the brining time can be overnight.
Enjoy!
If you have a favorite brining tip, please post! I’d love to hear it!!
