The 411 on Rubs, Marinades and Brines

When grilling sometimes we want something extra to make our dishes sing. Brines, marinades, and rubs are great ways of imparting flavour to grilled foods with each adding its unique touch. Here is the 4-1-1 about the benefits of each method.

Marinades

Simply put, a marinade is any liquid that’s a combination of herbs, spices, something slightly sweet (like sugar, maple syrup, molasses or honey) and an acid — citrus juice, vinegar, or alcohol. Marinades do double duty by tenderising the meat and adding flavour. The tenderising is due to the acid component helping to break down the protein’s tissue. If you’re cooking a protein that is already tender, like fish or chicken breast, keep the marinating time under two hours. Tougher cuts of meat, like flank steak or a whole spatchcocked chicken, can be marinated in the fridge anywhere between four hours and overnight.

Why: Marinate if you’re looking for bold flavours. What: Works well with beef, lamb, pork, poultry, shellfish, and vegetables.

How: Use 1/4 cup of marinade per pound of meat, poultry, shellfish, or vegetables.

Easy Asian marinade recipe Ingredients:

1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sugar

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and marinade whole spatchcocked chicken or pork chops overnight.

Brines

Want to make your meat really juicy? Try brining. Brines are salt-based solutions that add juiciness to proteins and impart subtle flavours. The salt-water solution increases the juiciness of the meat by breaking down the protein structure. The brokendown protein traps extra water and flavours during the brining process; moisture and flavour are retained during the cooking process. This killer combination makes the meat oh-so-juicy and tender!

Why: Brining tenderises lean meat meats that tend to dry out on the grill.

What: Works well with poultry and pork.

How: Your protein can be brined in as little as 30 minutes; however, a whole turkey should brine for 24 hours.

Basic poultry brine recipe Ingredients:

2 gallons cold water

2 cups kosher salt

1 cup granulated sugar

3 teaspoons garlic, crushed

3 tablespons Private Label by Gregory Burrowes Italian Blend Seasoning

1 teaspoon all-spice berries, cracked

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method:

Dissolve the salt, sugar, and seasoning in the water. Submerge the turkey or whole chicken in the brine and keep it submered by placing a plate on top and weighing it down. Refrigerate the turkey/chicken in the brine for 12 to 24 hours.

Rubs

A rub is a spice mixture that seasons and adds flavour but does not tenderise. There are two types — dry and wet. Wet rubs are created by adding oil, soy sauce, or mustard, to a dry rub mixture to create a paste.

Note: Regardless of the type of rub you use, pat it onto the meat to form a nice crust when seared. However, dry rubs have a clear advantage as they don’t add additional moisture to the meat’s exterior, thus eliminating the time needed for the moisture to evaporate for a nice sear to develop.

Why: Use rubs to add flavour, plus the seasoning helps to form a crispy crust.

What: Works well with beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and shellfish.

How: Apply just before cooking. Remember to pat gently; don’t rub hard.

(Photo: Victoria Shes) Elevate your grilling by utilising marinading, the use of rubs, or brining, where applicable, to make your grilled meats, poultry, seafood and veggies sing with flavour.

A brine is easy to create: just combine salt, sugar, aromatics, spices with cold water and submerge your pork or poultry for a few hours to overnight.

Marinades are so easy to whip up that, if you’re up to it, you can serve five different flavours of chicken at your next barbecue.

Dry rubs have a clear advantage as they don’t add more moisture to the meat’s exterior, thus creating a great sear.

Brines are salt-based solutions that add juiciness to meat by breaking down the protein structure and imparting subtle flavours of herbs, spices and fruit.

You can make a simple marinade by combining herbs, spices, sugar and lime juice. Take things up a notch by using a variety of aromatics, different sweeteners like maple syrup or honey, and change the acid to fruit juice or alcohol, or both!

A dry rub is a mixture of spices that adds flavour to proteins but does not tenderise.

(Photo: Jess Larson) Butcher Block Master Meat Crafter Gregory Burrowes Marinades do double duty by tenderising the meat and adding flavour — a simple marinade can take your grilled meats to the next level.