New to hardcore grilling, can someone tell me what brining does?

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Plaid Palace

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What can you brine? I have a Weber Genesis natural gas grill but for Christmas I am getting a Kamado Joe and I can't wait!

I have always grilled simple things on the gas grill. Steaks, burgers, chicken, etc. A couple of times I have done a rotisserie chicken but nothing over the top. Ready for some hardcore charcoal grilling when I get my KJ.
 
The brines that I use will consist of equal parts kosher salt and white sugar. I will add other things like pepper, rosemary, sage and other things all mixed with water depending on what flavor I am after. Poultry and some cuts of pork will benifit heavily from a brine. It will mainly add moisture to cuts that will normally be dry after smoking or grilling and will also drive some flavores deep into the meat. I'm sure others will add to this cause there are as many brine recipes out there as there are brethren.
 
I personally like brining, particularly any poultry, and pork works well too. You will find many opinions here from those that love it to those that hate it(or at least have no use for it). Some say it adds to the flavor, tenderness and moistness off the finished product, others say it distracts from the "true" flavor of the meat. Best thing to do is to start with a basic brine and then try some variations to fit your own tastes, and then decide for yourself if it is worth it or not. As I said, I am personally a fan of brining.
 
I brined for the first time last night and smoked it today. You can read my whinning in the "Sure is Windy" thread. The chicken came out fantastic. The breast was juicy and had a different texture than non brined. It was easy once I got some help from The Brethren on how to get the salt to dissolve. I plan on brining from now on.
 
I am a big fan of brining cuts of pork and poultry. Although I have used the Weber Virtual Bullet’s apple brine recipe for my Thanksgiving turkey for years, I use a basic salt and sugar brine as part of my normal routine for direct grilling of leaner cuts like pork chops and boneless chicken breasts by far the most. I try to limit brining these cuts to about 4 hours. To me it is not about adding flavors or changing textures. What I like is that it extends the “sweet spot” for doneness for those cuts and it is easier to get them perfect and juicy.
 
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I'm no expert, but when I brine my pork chops, they are the juiciest chops you'll ever see. I have never tried to brine poultry but I will sooner or later.
 
I will simply suggest this, if you're going to brine, do a dry brine. I myself do not brine. That isn't a popular theme for many though.
 
As Jazzy says, I've read about the "dry brine" here and read some very good results. It is one of those things on my to try list.
 
I brine all poultry when I can.

BRIEFLY put: Brining enhances moisture within the meat and also helps inpart flavor by a process called osmosis. It also gives you a larger window of error between when it's done and when it's OVERdone.

See HERE for much more specifics on brining.
 
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