LOCAL CHEFS WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS ON FOOD PAGE
Technique will turn you into a grilling pro just in time for Memorial Day
John Haas of M’tucci’s Restaurants says brining is the secret to grilling success in new Journal column.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Today the Journal launches a new column with a rotating group of local chefs answering readers’ questions.
DEAR CHEF: When I roast or grill items like chicken or pork, it can come out dry. Is there any way to prevent that? — IN A COOKING DRY SPELL, ALBUQUERQUE
DEAR IN A COOKING DRY SPELL: Chefs have a lot of tricks to keep that exact thing from happening. First, the humorous side of me says don’t cook it until it’s jerky! In all seriousness though, there is a fantastic and incredibly easy technique to solve your problem. It’s all about the art of brining. It’s a word you may be familiar with but haven’t taken the time to really learn about.
When you brine something, you are marinating in a very salty liquid that is infused with the flavors you want to permeate the meat. It increases the amount of moisture in the meat by osmosis. When you cook it, that flavor will be layered all the way through the meat. It will also season the meat with salt so very little additional seasoning is needed. When you’re done, you have a cut of meat that nearly every bite is rich with flavor and seasoned perfectly.
There are a few potentially fatal flaws that do require some attention. First, you must be sure to follow a proper ratio in your brine. Second, you must be careful about over brining. The meat doesn’t know when it’s done brining, so it will get unbearably salty if you happen to forget it for an extra day or so! Next, be sure to use meats that take to brining well. The best meats to work with are chicken, turkey and pork.
The first rule of a good brine is to mix 1 quart of water with ¼ cup of kosher salt. I always use Morton’s. If you use a different salt, you’ll want to be sure to research how much to use. Different salts require different amounts of water because of the size of the grind.
After that, you’ll generally add some herbs, garlic, maybe fresh citrus, and a sweetener. You’ll bring this to a simmer to dissolve all the ingredients and let it cool. After that, you’re ready to brine.
Once you get the hang of it, you can start to mix just about anything into it. I’ve used mustard, hoisin, apple juice instead of some of the water, BBQ seasoning, soy sauce, and the list can go on forever. You can look around on websites to find one for just about every situation.
What you brine will determine your brine time. If it’s a whole chicken, it’s always 24 hours. If it’s a turkey, generally two days. You might be starting with something smaller like a chicken leg quarter (leg and thigh). For that, try six hours. In the case that it’s something as small as a chicken breast or pork chop, it’s 30 minutes to two hours (depending on size, 4-5 ounces being 30 minutes).
Make sure your brine is cold and don’t ever reuse it. Unused, it can stay good for a week. You can also brine a bulk pack of something, freeze it, and use it for a later date.
Be sure to rinse and dry the meat after it has been brined or it will be very salty.
John Haas is Company Chef & Partner of M’tucci’s Restaurants. If you have a question for Ask the Chef, write to features@abqjournal.com.
BBQ BRINE
1 gallon water 1 cup kosher salt 1 cup brown sugar 1 onion, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons favorite BBQ rub spice Bring this to a boil to dissolve salt and sugar. Remove from heat and cool. Brine for necessary time. Rinse and pat dry. Rub with additional BBQ rub. Grill or smoke the meat as you normally would.
ROSEMARYGARLIC BRINE
1 gallon water 1 cup kosher salt ¼ cup honey 2 ounces fresh rosemary on the stem
10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
Bring this to a boil to dissolve the salt. Remove from heat and cool. Works wonderful for roasting chicken, Cornish hens, turkey or pork.