Brining Basics
Brining Tips and Tricks
Easy Step

What is brining?

During the cooking process, meat can lose up to 30% of its water. Properly brined and cooked meat can reduce the water loss by as much as one half.

Brining solution works by unwinding meat proteins, opening them up to form a matrix that traps water. When herbs and spices are added to the brine, the flavors are also trapped in the meat. This technique is called Flavor Brining and greatly enhances the texture, flavor, and juiciness of meats.

How does 30 Minute Brining work in only 30 minutes?

Cuts of meat that weight up to four pounds are generally brined for several hours. Fire & Flavor's 30 minute brines are concentrated, therefore the process of adding moisture to meats takes only minutes rather than hours.

Can you brine with 30 Minute Brines longer than 30 minutes?

No, you should not brine any longer than 30 minutes and meats should be cooked with in 15 minutes after being removed from the brine solution.

Will brining make the meat taste salty?

Unless you brine for too long, your meats will not be salty. The salt actually unwinds the proteins of meat and causes water and flavor to travel into each strand and fill up the hollow proteins allowing the meat to hold in moisture and flavor.

What if I am brining very small cuts of poultry, like tenders or cubed poultry for kebobs?

If you are brining extra small cuts of meat reduce the brining time to 15 minutes to avoid over brining.

Brining Tips and Tricks

After removing the meat from the brine solution, many of the herbs and spices may have settled to the bottom. We recommend rubbing the leftover flavors directly onto the meat just before cooking. This step really maximizes the flavor.
Cutting a small 2-3" slit in the skin of whole chickens (just above the thigh at the thickest part of the breast) will maximize the brining process. Brine solutions can not penetrate through poultry skin (only the inside cavity or any exposed meat) so by exposing the meat, the brine can penetrate faster.
When brining small chicken tenders or cutlets reduce the brining time to 20 minutes.
You can always add more flavors to your brine by stirring in fresh herbs, citrus slices, or other seasonings into the brine when heating.
Substituting fruit juice, beer, or wine for some of the water will also add additional flavor.

Easy Steps for 30 Minute Brines

1. Prepare 30 Minute Brine according to package directions.
2. Place meat inside brining bag and add liquid brine.
3. Seal bag tightly, removing as much air as possible, being sure sharp bones can not puncture brining bag.
4. Place full bag inside bowl or large stock pot and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes, but no longer. Make sure bag is sitting upright and meat is fully submerged in brine.
5. Remove meat from bag and dispose of brine bag. Roast, grill, or sauté meat as desired. 30 Minute brined meats should be cooked with in 10 minutes of brining.