Brine Tips

Always brine in the refrigerator. Be sure the liquid is ice cold when the food goes into it. When seasoning a brine, overdo it because very little flavor actually permeates the meat, or poultry, or fish. For instance, for 2 quarts of brine, you would want 1/3 cup hot chile powder, or maybe 15 cloves of crushed garlic, or 2 cups fresh basil leaves.

Time Your Brining by Thickness or Weight:
Anything around an inch thick (pork chops, chicken breasts, etc.): Brine 30 minutes to 2 hours. (Fish is the exception. Its structure is delicate so brine it no more than 30 minutes.)

Whole chicken and Cornish hens: 1 to 5 hours depending on size (figure 1 hour per pound)

Turkey (12 to 18 pounds): 12 to 18 hours (figure 1 hour per pound)

Roasts: 1-1/2 to 2 hours per inch of thickness.

Brine for Smoked/Grilled Turkey

• 1 gallon hot water
• 1 pound kosher salt
• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 1 lb honey or Karo Brown Sugar Syrup
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns.
• 1 (7 lb) bag of ice
• 1 (15 - 20 lb) turkey
• vegetable/olive oil for rubbing on turkey

 Combine hot water and salt in large (54 quart cooler). Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey/Karo, peppercorns, let cool. Add ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.

Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Run the bird thoroughly with the oil.

Brine Tips