Generic Brining Q...

[raselkirk]

Hi All,

Is there a point of no or diminishing returns for different meats concerning brining times? I could see where fish might disintegrate, but what about the more "solid" meats? Is time figured strictly by weight, meat, preference, or all of these?

TIA!

Russ

 

[thirdeye]

You're asking about flavor brining, not a curing brine right?

I generally base my brine time on meat thickness. But I almost always inject some of the brine to speed things up. Brine strength also plays a factor. A base recipe that has been around forever calls for 1 cup Morton Kosher to 1 gallon of water, then some sugar and aromatics can be added. The strength of this brine is too strong for my tastes, so I make brines with lower salt.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Like mentioned, brine strength is the biggest factor. Poultry also gets soft if left to long in strong brine.

 

[raselkirk]

Flavor yes, sorry. My "tank" holds about 3 gallons (full w/o meat), and I usually use just enough liquid to submerge. I've been doing small boneless turkey breasts for ~ 3 days which works great. Chicken overnight also works well.

Was also thinking of trying about a 4# roast in brine in lieu of an actual brisket, just as a test, since brining works so well on poultry.

Russ

BTW, clicking the new post from within my e-mail program stopped working again, I know there was a long thread here awhile back cause I was in it...

 

[JckDanls 07]

From my understanding... Beef doesn't really take up much of a brine ... Pork and Poultry are the ones that really benefit from brining...

 

[thirdeye]

I've been doing small boneless turkey breasts for ~ 3 days which works great. Chicken overnight also works well.

Was also thinking of trying about a 4# roast in brine in lieu of an actual brisket, just as a test, since brining works so well on poultry.

It sounds like your brine strength works well for your brine time. For me (and because I do inject some brine, then cover with brine) a turkey breast will get from 16 to 24 hours of brine time. And a whole turkey will brine for 48 to 60 hours. By the way, what is the recipe for your brine, this should help us understand your times.

Brining pork chops, a loin roast, or even a Coppa roast works great (again, I still shoot some brine). Same with some cuts of wild game or beef. Bear in mind that if you overshoot your brine time or strength, on a game or beef roast, you will be leaning toward corned beef.

 

[raselkirk]

Don't really have written recipe, I usually just dump in salt, sugar, and Texjoy BBQ seasoning. Guestimating, 1/2c of the 1st two and 1/8c of Texjoy in maybe a gal of water. Boil it, let it cool overnight, into the tank, and then the fridge. So far, I've not been overly concerned with flavor, just trying to keep it in the smoker as long as possible w/o drying it out. Forgot, I do have an injector somewhere. I need to look for that...

russ

 

[noboundaries]

just trying to keep it in the smoker as long as possible w/o drying it out.

There's possibly some misunderstanding about meat and brining in that statement. A lot of undercooked, collegen-filled meats will taste dry and tough whether brined or not.

Meats in a brine that includes any acid (fruit juice or vinegar), will taste dry and tough if brined too long because the acid "cooks" the meat. 4 hours max if using any acid, especially poultry.

Brine away!