I flavor brine all poultry white meat (even if I'm making fried chicken) and I won't cook a pork chop and hardly a loin without brining. I even do shrimp for 15 minutes or so. As simple as a flavor brine seems, there are a few guidelines....
1. Either stick with the same brand of kosher salt OR measure salt by weight. You want consistency. Like qman said, you can adjust amount of salt a little either way or you can play with your times. Just don't go too far off the mark or you are defeating the purpose.
2. Salt and water will work for adding moisture, but other adders are where all the flavor comes from, so don't be shy in experimenting. Pepper, thyme, rosemary, bay, onion, garlic, sugar, vanilla, cider vinegar, apple juice, beer are all good in brines.
3. Start off with HOT water. This is critical. Get most of the water called out in your recipe up to a simmer and add the ingredients. This will allow the salt and sugar to dissolve completely and it will release flavors in any of the spices/herbs you are using. Simmer for 5 or 10 minutes. Take the water you held back and add some ice to it and chill down the brine then refrigerate it until it is COLD. Then add your meat, and return to the fridge.
4. Write down your recipe and times for future duplication or adjustments.
Trust me, by doing these simple things you will be rewarded with excellent outcomes every time.
