Basic Brine

I always brine my turkey using this recipe or the Cardamom Brine (page 279 in my cookbook) with equally excellent results. Splaying a turkey or chicken, brining it, and then grilling it with smoke chips results in meat for the gods.

Basic Brine

Makes enough for a bone-in, 10-plus pound pork roast, or a large turkey

1 cup kosher coarse salt
1 cup sugar
1 whole lemon, sliced into 5 pieces
8 cloves garlic, sliced in half
6 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons red chile pepper flakes
4 cups water
8 to 12 cups ice

Directions

1. Place all ingredients except ice in a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower temperature and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and pour into a nonreactive container that you will use to brine your meat. Add 8 cups of ice and stir to cool the brine to below room temperature. Add more ice if it is not cool enough. You can store the brine in a nonreactive container for later use. Refrigerated, it will keep up to 2 weeks.

3. When the brine is cool, add your meat. If the brine does not cover the meat, add additional ice cubes until meat is covered. Seal with plastic wrap or a tight lid and refrigerate. Brining times range from a half hour to 30 hours depending on the type of meat and the desired intensity of flavor. Generally, fish should be brined no more than a half hour while boneless chicken should be brined no more than 4 hours. Whole turkeys and large pork roasts can be brined for up to 30 hours.

4. Thoroughly rinse the meat in cold water, pat dry, and place on a sheet pan covered with paper towels for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking.

NOTE: Limit your salt use while cooking! Beware of dry rubs or barbecue sauces with salt as the brine has already imparted salt.

Photo: Lynn Donaldson