Dry brine or Wet brine shrimp ?

[(GreenThumb)]

I'm trying to create a better shrimp texture in sauteed and grilled shrimp recipes.

Is it better to dry brine or wet brine shrimp before cooking?

I saw Dave's article

https://amazingribs.com/wet-brining-vs-dry-brining

but did not see pro's and con's of either approach about shrimp.

[ecowper]

I like to marinade them, including the salt, for no more than 15 minutes. More than that and they seem to be "cooking" themselves. I’ve never tried dry brining shrimp. Might be worth trying them side by side to see which you like better

my "standard" shrimp marinade ....

1 lb peeled, deveined, tail on medium shrimp (this is 1/2 of the Costco blue bag shrimp)
6 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Morton’s kosher salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
3-4 shakes of red pepper flakes

put shrimp and all ingredients in a gallon ziplock bag, seal, and toss until thoroughly mixed/coated. Marinade for 15 minutes in the fridge. Then grill. I just take them straight from the bag to a grill basket that I’ve pre-heated. But you could skewer if you wanted.

[Dewesq55]

Not to be an a-hole, but "marinade" is the liquid you put the food in, "marinate" it's the act of putting food in a marinade. Sorry. pkadare 's pedant has taken up residence in my brain. (Actually, that's a lie. I'm a pedant in my own right.) 😯

[ecowper]

All my snarky replies are just not coming to mind right now ;-)

[rickgregory]

https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/07/...velveting.html is what I'd do. I wouldn't straight up wet bring though. I don't want the extra water in the shrimp.


How are they turning out for you? What's not living up to what you want?

[LA Pork Butt]

No brine. Just oil and Shrimp Magic grilled about two minutes each side.

[N227GB]

I season shrimp with salt and whatever rub, or sauce before grilling or sauteing.Thats only for a few minutes. I guess I never considered brining.

[Jfrosty27]

I just brush lightly with oil and hit with whatever rub I am in the mood for about 15-30 min before going on the grill. Always works out great. For shrimp I think keeping it simple is best.

[Mr. Bones]

I use many marinades, likely similar to those previous posted, but I jus gotta tell yall: I also like rollin em in a baggie fer a while, with some prepared horseradish, an minced garlic, fer some dishes...
Might wanna try it....
Jus sayin.

[ecowper]

Oh ..... dang

[johnec00]

Unless you catch and process the shrimp yourself, they are almost undoubtedly already brined. Within minutes of being commercially harvested, shrimp are placed in a cold salt brine to chill them quickly. Additional salt is often added to make them easier to peel. I just looked at the label on some shrimp we have, and it says 780mg sodium per 7 shrimp. That's equivalent to about 1/2 teaspoon per 8 shrimp.

Edit: They already spent their entire life in sea water that has the equivalent of almost a cup per gallon salt.