Use a Quick Brine to Make Any Cut of Meat More Tender (2024)

FAQs

How to brine meat to make it tender? ›

What's the Secret Recipe? We might have a few marinade secrets up our sleeve, but brining is a no-recipe-required kind of event. Simply combine one tablespoon of salt for every cup of water. You'll need enough water to completely cover the meat, and usually 4 cups of water (and 1/4 cup of salt) will do the trick.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

For all-purpose brine, a good rule of thumb is: ¼ cup of kosher salt and ¼ cup of sugar for every quart of water. You can also add aromatics or other flavorings to intensify the seasoning, like whole peppercorns, garlic cloves, dried herbs, whole spices, citrus or other fruit, mirepoix or fruit juices.

According to research published in the Journal of Food Science , the salt in the brine dissolves a bit of the protein in the muscle fibers, and allows the meat to absorb the brine and retain moisture during cooking. This makes the poultry juicier, more tender and improves the flavor.

What to Do After the Meat Is Brined. After waiting the appropriate amount of time, remove the meat from the brine and pat it dry with a paper towel. You won't need to rinse it with fresh water unless you accidentally brined it for too long. From here, cook the meat according to your favorite recipe.

As a general starting point, take one gallon of water and add 3/4 cup (preferable - but you can use up to a cup) of salt (Kosher is best), 1/2 cup of sugar and then the rest is up to you. Sliced onions are nice, a few cloves of crushed garlic add a nice flavor and then there's the spices and herbs.

Brining is the process of submerging a cut of meat in a brine solution, which at its most basic is simply salt dissolved in water. A brine can also be seasoned with dried herbs and spices. The meat absorbs some of the liquid and salt, resulting in a juicier and more flavorful final dish.

Muscle fibers and meat proteins denature: A salt solution can denature proteins, essentially unfolding and unravelling them. As they unfold, water works its way in between these proteins so there is more water in between the meat proteins as the meat cooks. This results in a more tender cooked meat.

In a bowl combine water with 1/3 cup bourbon, 1/3 cup honey, kosher salt, lemon zest and black pepper; stir to completely dissolve the salt, then add in the garlic. Place the steaks in a large resealable plastic bag and set in a shallow dish. Pour the brine over the steaks then seal the bag.

My standard brining solution is 1/4 cup of kosher salt dissolved in 1 quart (4 cups) of warm water. I combine the salt and water in a shallow baking dish and stir it gently until the salt is dissolved before adding the meat. This is enough to brine 4 chicken breasts or pork chops, about 1 1/2 pounds of meat.

How long is too long to brine meat? ›

How Long Does It Take to Brine Meat? A general rule of thumb is to leave your meat in its brine for roughly one hour per pound—never brine your meat more than the prescribed amount, lest the proteins break down too far, turning it into unappetizing mush.

Refrigeration Is Required

Put the meat and brine directly in the cooler, then place Ziploc bags filled with ice or reusable gel packs into the brine solution.

Place the meat on the bed and completely cover it with kosher or coarse sea salt. You can rub it in or just let it sit for approximately **15 minutes (or up to 45 minutes for thicker cuts). The salt breaks down the muscle fibers and connective tissue to maximize the tenderness and texture of the steak.

Moisture Loss: Contrary to popular belief, soaking meat in water does not necessarily make it more tender. Instead, it can lose moisture, mainly if the meat soaks in water for too long.

Force: Pounding, Massaging, Cutting, and More

Mallets and meat pounders, for example, can be used to hammer steaks and thin slices of meat; the heavy force from banging the meat breaks up the connective tissue and collagen around the muscle fibers, causing the muscle fibers to separate and the meat to be more tender.