Why to brine chicken

[senior chef]

There is nothing worse than trying to eat a dried out, tasteless chicken. However, with a little bit of planning and foresight, this is easy to avoid.

1.) For every 1 gallon of water, add 1 cup of kosher salt. (Other herbs/spices are optional)
2.) bring water and salt to a rolling boil.
3.) remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
4.) chill salted brine.
5.) add either whole chicken OR chicken pieces and put back in refrigerator.
6.) Brine for 24-48 hours IN REFRIGERATOR.
7. ) remove chicken and throw away brine.
8.) cook chicken as per your recipe. If baking, the chicken skin will be nicely browned, and moist. If frying, the chicken meat will not shrink and thus it will NOT squeeze out the chicken juices.

So, why is it so critical to add chicken ONLY after the brine is chilled ? BACTERIA ! if you add the chicken to a warm brine, bad bacteria will get a running start and you will get sick.

 

[WheatenLover]

I have never brined chicken. So the 15% added water doesn't come out when the chicken is roasting?

 

[senior chef]

I have never brined chicken. So the 15% added water doesn't come out when the chicken is roasting?

Not quite. Salt is THE critical factor in keeping chicken from drying out and also to stop it from shrinking thus squeezing out the juices.

 

[Capt Lightning]

Do you not rinse the chicken before cooking? I've found it a bit salty if you don't.
I prefer to buy a good quality corn fed chicken and not over-cook it. Costs a bit more, but has better taste and texture.

 

[Shero]

Do you not rinse the chicken before cooking? I've found it a bit salty if you don't.
I prefer to buy a good quality corn fed chicken and not over-cook it. Costs a bit more, but has better taste and texture.

You are right. Brining ( melichah) is a Jewish tradition to make meat kosher.

 

[Alligatorob]

chicken

Thanks Chef!

Does this work for turkey as well?

 

[senior chef]

Thanks Chef!

Does this work for turkey as well?

Absolutely. It works for any bird.

 

[MrPants]

Is brining better than injecting when cooking a whole bird?

 

[senior chef]

Is brining better than injecting when cooking a whole bird?

There are pros and cons to each method.
Brining creates a more even distribution of salt but it takes longer.
Brining also helps prevent shrinkage.
Injecting is much faster and it delivers greater flavor BUT that flavor can be spotty.
Also, injecting is often difficult unless you use a BIG BORE needle. Plus it sometimes "blows back out".

I think if I wanted to go to all of the trouble, I might do both. Salt brining for moisture retention. Butter and herb injection for flavor.

My advice ? keep a somewhat lower oven temp, keep turkey well covered until the very end.

 

[senior chef]

Oh, MrPants,
I almost forgot. Be VERY careful to cook your bird to a temperature of 165 F. When inserting temp probe, be sure to NOT touch any bone. You will get a false reading.

 

[MrPants]

I've played with injection before, using a decent injection kit but I want to try brining next time I have the chance. I always cook my meats low and slow. I find that yields the best result in terms of moisture retention and flavour. I'm a med-rare person when it comes to beef, lamb or veal and even my pork. I always use a quick read thermometer to ensure I'm on or close to recommended internal temp for the meat I'm cooking and I allow for a slight temp increase during the resting period.

 

[Marie5656]

Can this be don with skinless chicken pieces? Or better with skin on?

 

[senior chef]

Can this be don with skinless chicken pieces? Or better with skin on?

Yes. You can do either. Just be aware that skinless poultry will absorb more salt and much quicker.
ALso, a dry rub works quite well especially with skinless chicken