BRINING MEATS

By Chef John McGannon

 

I’ve come to realize that we are a “soak-minded” group when it comes to handling our meat. Most of us believe that if we submerge our aggressive flavored meat in some creative concoction the good stuff will go in and bad will be removed.

 

As with most rules, there is always an exception, or two – Brining is one of those exception (when dealing with white meats- upland birds, poultry, pork, boar, etc. and  red meats if smoking is involved)

Brining is a process in which meat is soaked in a salt solution before cooking. Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to their liquid while they are cooked by denaturation. The brine surrounding the cells has a higher concentration of salt than the fluid within the cells. The salt enters the cell and the increased salinity of the cell fluid causes the cell to absorb water (and flavor) from the brine. The salt introduced into the cell causes the proteins to coagulate. This coagulation creates a matrix which traps water molecules and holds them during cooking. This is what prevents the meat from drying out, or dehydrating. Thus, a very moist end result.

            If you’ve never brined white meat, you will be amazed at the results. Use this technique after a little dry aging and you are well on your way to high level cuisine.

            As you can tell I’m a big fan of brining white meats. Meats such as pheasant, quail, wild turkey, chukar, boar, and even domestic poultry and pork get tremendous benefits from bring for the above-described reasons. We’ve all experienced dry, tough upland game birds, this IS how you eliminate that.

 

LEMON, GARLIC & SAGE BRINE

For POULTRY, UPLAND BIRDS, PORK, BOAR,
TURKEY, even RIBS
*** This formula is for 1 gallon, the actual amount that you will need is dependant on the size of your meat product

1 gallon warm water***
1/2-cup kosher salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 bay leaves
1 small onion, cut into slices
3 stalks celery, sliced thin

 

1-2 lemons cut into slices,

6 crushed garlic cloves

1 bunch fresh sage chopped

 

or 1/2 cup WILDEATS Lemon, Garlic & Sage Rub with fennel

This amount will be enough for approximately 7 - 10 lbs. of meat. Make sure all the meat is submerged.

Mix ingredients thoroughly, Allow the Brine to Cool then, submerge the meat into brine. Brining times will vary. See chart for recommended brining time.

 

 

BRING TIME CHART
Pork/boar - loin roast 2 days
Pork/boar chops – 4 hours to overnight
Turkey (22-24 lbs. whole) – 3 days
Chicken, grouse, chukar, pheasant (whole) – 2 days
Chicken, grouse, chukar, pheasant, (pieces) – 1 day
Quail, 4 hours to overnight

After brining allow the meat to dry on a rack, uncovered in the refrigerator- The larger cuts should dry overnight - the smaller ones for a couple of hours. When you’re ready to cook these items all you need to do is brush them with a little oil and cook as usual. There is NO need for additional seasonings.

Brined meats can be cooked by grilling, pan roasting, roasting, sautéing, braising and broiling,

As is the case with any “just cooked” meat it needs to rest before slicing or cutting. This resting period allows the meat to finish cooking evenly and redistributes the internal moisture throughout the muscle. ENJOY!