Brine Recipes Needed...

darita · Aug 6, 2010

Guess I'm too new to access the recipes. I'd like to try and brine a whole chicken and was hoping someone could give me a good basic brine recipe. As a matter of fact, I'm looking for a turkey brine as well as anything else that should be in a brine. Thanks for the help.

Smiter Q · Aug 6, 2010

Brines are great.
The salt really really helps that skin glisten and shine.
The meat is moist, and if done right should be some of the
best chicken you ever ate.

I used this one last night....
An Apple Brine
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/turkey6.html

Here is the result.:-D

For chicken I divide it to 1/3
Used it for turkey... and it rocked as well.

BlueHowler · Aug 6, 2010

Brines are awesome when done right. The basic rule of thumb is 1 cup salt and 1/2 cup sweetener per gallon of water then add whatever you want to flavor the meat.

I did a turkey last T-day where I used 2 gallons distilled water and 2 cups Kosher salt, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup Jack Daniels Whiskey, 1/4 cup molasses, and a couple of oranges, apples, carrots, fennel bulb, bay leaves, sage, garlic, and thyme.

Marinated for around 36 hours and cooked in the oven. It was fantastic!

darita · Aug 6, 2010

Thanks so far. I'm also a little confused on some of the process. What kind of container do I put the chicken/turkey in and if my fridge isn't big enough, where else can I put this container to keep it cold enough? Sorry to ask such lame questions, but it's my first time.

JazzyBadger · Aug 6, 2010

A lot of people use food grade plastic containers for it.
I just line my turkey fryer pot with a trash bag and use that in my garage refrigerator.
Been thinking about getting one of those plastic tubs that carry cat litter and using that, but not sure if the plastic is actually food grade plastic.

mmmmeat · Aug 6, 2010

a little trick i learned from America's Test Kitchen, with poultry, instead of water, use milk, as milk is a natural tenderizer, so ya git that, and the salt/sugar mix super enhances the moisture content, i have been using milk for 2 years now, with no fail wether frying, grilling, and smoking works all avenues

blackdog043 · Aug 6, 2010

Some good info here.
http://www.cookshack.com/brining-101

leanza · Aug 6, 2010

I've always preferred pre-salting as compared to a liquid brine. All the benefits with no mess. The texture of my poultry is not spongy like a liquid brine. Pre salting can be used on pork and beef as well.

Just saying.

daedalus · Aug 7, 2010

BlueHowler said:
Brines are awesome when done right. The basic rule of thumb is 1 cup salt and 1/2 cup sweetener per gallon of water then add whatever you want to flavor the meat.

I agree, but I find that the 1 cup salt to 1/2 cup sweetener tend to make things a bit too salty. I like a "light" brine, which is to say 1/2 cup Salt(Kosher works best) to 1/2 cup Sweetener(I prefer Brown Sugar) per gallon of water(purified only). For flavoring, I usually add garlic and cloves, but really you could do just about anything you prefer.

As to your containage delima, I Like to use large square or rectangular plastic cambro-type containers with snap on lids. I found ones that will fit in a standard fridge. For turkeys, I have also been known to use one of those big orange igloo upright coolers. I replace some of the water with ice, and it has worked pretty well.

daedalus · Aug 7, 2010

jazzybadger said:
Been thinking about getting one of those plastic tubs that carry cat litter and using that, but not sure if the plastic is actually food grade plastic.

I would be a bit concerned about that type of container. It would probably be fine for some stuff, but I would be afraid that the plastics might be too porous considering that you are talking about putting raw poultry in it. I am not sure it would be possible to get it really clean afterwords. Just a thought.:thumb:

mmmmeat · Aug 7, 2010

daedalus said:
I would be a bit concerned about that type of container. It would probably be fine for some stuff, but I would be afraid that the plastics might be too porous considering that you are talking about putting raw poultry in it. I am not sure it would be possible to get it really clean afterwords. Just a thought.:thumb:

ever heard of bleach??? what do you think your igloo water cooler is made of???

daedalus · Aug 7, 2010

mmmmeat said:
ever heard of bleach??? what do you think your igloo water cooler is made of???

Um, I think that my cooler is made of Food Grade Plastic, which is specifically formulated for that type of usage. And yes, I have heard of bleach, but using it in a container like that could easily result in the leeching of unappetizing, or possibly dangerous chemicals that might be sucked into the bird by the osmotic action of the brine. Not all plastics are the same.

mmmmeat · Aug 7, 2010

funny.... cuz everything that's in a restaurant needs to be sanatized, and a solution of bleach is generally used ... most code's maintain that you must have 3 part dish station one of soap water a sanatizing station and a rinse...bleach if rinsed properly wont leave behind anything...now if you use too much... that's another story.....

SmokinAussie · Aug 7, 2010

I've got 6 chickens in brine nearly ready to come out. They've been brining in a 25litre food grade plastic bucket. Brine recipe was pretty much the same salt / sugar ratio as noted above. The added incredients were:

2 Heads Garlic
Celery Seed
Bayleaves
Black Peppercorns
Allspice Berries
Oregano
Thyme
Parsley
Malt Vinegar

I made 3 gallons of brine. Had to discard some putting in the chicken... Might take a pick and post when I get it out. I'm just making the stuffing for the chickens now.

Cheers!

Bill

SmokinAussie · Aug 7, 2010

Here you go... this is 20 minutes ago. Going to stuff them now, and then on to the COS...

Mmmmmmmm

Cheers!

Bill

PatioDaddio · Aug 7, 2010

Here is my Ultimate Thanksgiving Turkey Brine recipe.

John

PatioDaddio · Aug 7, 2010

Here is my Patio Daddio Big Bird Bath recipe from my blog. It's great for
any kind of poultry.

Ingredients
1 1/2 gal Ice water (about 2/3 ice to 1/3 water)
1/2 gal Water
1 1/2 cups Kosher salt
2 cups Golden brown sugar
1/3 cup Old Bay seasoning
1 Tbsp Black peppercorns (whole)

Method
Sanitize a 5-gallon bucket with water and bleach, then rinse very well.

Make the ice water in the bucket and set aside.

Bring the 1/2 gallon of water to a rolling boil in a large stock pot.

Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Remove the brine from the heat let it sit in the pan, stirring occasionally,
until all of the salt and sugar are dissolved.

Add the seasoning mixture to the ice water in the bucket and mix well.

The brine must be very cold, so add more ice as needed.

-----

John

PatioDaddio · Aug 7, 2010

Also, don't forget about Kosmo's line of soaks, or as I like to call them, "insta-brines". :-D

No recipe required!

Review: Kosmo's Q Chicken Soak

Kosmo's Pork Soak

John

daedalus · Aug 7, 2010

PatioDaddio said:
The brine must be very cold, so add more ice as needed.

John

Why is it that the brine should be so cold? Is it a food safety thing, or is there some reason why a cold brine works better chemically? Just curious...Thanks

ricksegers · Aug 7, 2010

The best turkey bring I've found is the one Saiko posted in the forum. Search the forum for Saiko turkey brine. It's outstanding.

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