Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About meReal name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan- near Clare. (dead center of lower peninsula)
Occupation:
Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
Salt helps protein hang onto water during cooking so brining is a great technique to make food moist. But which is better, wet brining or dry brining? It all depends on which meat you're cooking and the results you want. Get the details.
Good article, I think it really just re-asserts the whole notion of dry brining beef and pork, and wet brining poultry which is what I routinely do anyway. I've dry brined a lot of chicken and always preferred and ill continue to wet brine in the future based on this article.
As for brisket, butts and big clods of meat, this also verifies the use of a water pan or some sort of spritzing to let the surface take on more smokey flavor and develop that deep bark.
Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About meReal name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan- near Clare. (dead center of lower peninsula)
Occupation:
Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
I prefer to wet brine chicken pieces and pork pieces & loins. I happen to disagree though that wet brining skin-on chicken leads to rubbery skin, in my side by sides it completely does not affect it if you cook it like you should. I've even used the SnS with water in the reservoir and some wet brined skin-on chicken and got nice crisp skin.
Yea I think high heat negates the skin issue. I just did my chicken Inosol over the weekend using the vortex to 500* and the wet skin got plenty crispy.
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:
SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron Griddle
Grill Grate for SnS
Grill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:
Extreme BBQ Thermometer Package
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:
Thermapen MK4 (pink)
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:
8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
Once you've spilled a large 2 gallon bag full of salmonella-laden wet brine all down your cabinets onto the kitchen floor, it sort of puts you off of wet brining. Ask me how I know. I almost called in a Hazmat Team.
I've wet brined less than a hand full of times, but only in the winter, that way I can store everything in the garage. It stays in the mid 30's low 40's during the winter.
Have a 5 gallon Home Depot plastic paint barrel with lid for the brining.
All the prep work also happens in the garage so I don't run into Katherine's predicament....
Real Name: Hunter
Hometown: Lexington, KY
Current Location: Chicago-ish with my wife Caitlin and sons Johnny Roger (J.R.) and Marty
Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5"
Weber Performed Premium with Slow N Sear
Pit Barrel Cooker
I read the article a few days back. While interesting, I'd like to see the same test run with normal salt levels for the dry brining. Just saying when you set up a test with impractical conditions you can draw false conclusions.
I keep a qt jar of brine in the reefer at all times and have for years. Remember only salt and water will penetrate the meat, other herbs and spices will only add to the surface flavor. I use it for both chicken and pork chops. I can't stand the other white meat as I grew up in the 50's and 60's and pork did not taste like chicken. LOL Anyway thaw them over night and brine while at work, if your not retired like me and either one will be delicious for dinner. If your retired like me and get up at noon a 6hr brine is fine. For crisp chicken skin dry the skin both over and under it leaving it attached in only 3 or 4 places, just get it as dry as possible.
Well I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and was put on a low sodium diet ( 2000mg daily) and low calorie diet ( 2000 daily). Which some foods I know I will be restrict from my diet like certain cheeses, salt, heavy cream, etc.. Well I really do not want to give up smoked ribs or pulled pork. I know very fattening foods but I can still have them in moderation. as long as my other meals of the day are less fat and low sodium. Normally I used kosher salt to dry brine ribs and pork shoulder. My favorite rub is only 120 mg of sodium per 1/4 tsp. Which is really low compared to other store bought rubs. My main concern is brining with salt. I thought well since my rub has some salt in already that maybe I could just dry brine with that instead of using salt. And with the pork butt at 250 mg sodium per 4 oz and the ribs at 220 mg per 4 oz. I can control my sodium intake and stay under my 2000 mg limit of the day without brining. I am wondering if I do not dry brine at all would greatly affect the tenderness of either pork meats? Maybe texas crutch to help with tenderness? I was wondering if anyone has any ideas or advice??
I typically don't dry or wet brine with Kosher salt or any salt for that matter.
Even when I make my own dry rub for every cup of rub I only put in a level tbsp of sea salt.
No one here seems to complain about tenderness of my butts or ribs unless I absolutely ruin a cook. .
But to be clear I do crutch the majority of my cooks.
But isn't that only after the bark has formed? That takes a while on the briskets I smoke. They have several moist-surface hours to absorb smoke before that surface starts to change.
"The smoker test showed that the salted meat square took on less smoke because it became dry and polymerized (see the photo below). Which makes total sense because we know that smoke sticks best to water. This means that dry brining a brisket can ultimately make it less smoky tasting."
The best solution they offer is to use a water pan and use coarse salt for brining.
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