Q: I’ve a query about brining pork. I’ve have good success moist brining pork. Particularly ribs utilizing espresso within the brine. What dictates, for you, between dry brining vs. moist brining?
A: Nice query and I apologize prematurely for the additional lengthy reply–
In each processes you find yourself with extra juice within the meat than you’d should you did not brine nevertheless, there are variations between the 2:
With dry brining, the meat won’t ever include extra juice than was already within the meat to begin with.
Coarse kosher salt is added to the floor of the meat at a fee of about 1/2 to three/4 teaspoon per pound.
Over time, the salt pulls the liquid to the floor, the liquid dissolves the salt and that very same salty brine is then re-absorbed again into the meat.
This causes the protein strands to unwind and the salty liquid will get trapped stopping the liquid from escaping through the cooking course of.
You possibly can weigh a bit of meat after dry brining and it will likely be about the identical because it was earlier than brining. Nothing was added that wasn’t already there aside from a small quantity of salt.
With moist brining, you find yourself with extra juice within the meat than it ever had on it is personal. A few of the salty liquid will get drawn into the meat through the brining course of.
This causes the protein strands to unwind and that salty liquid will get trapped stopping the liquid from escaping through the cooking course of.
Even a really lean piece of meat like pork loin or hen breast can find yourself tremendous juicy after cooking, not due to it is personal juices however since you added additional juice.
You possibly can weigh a bit of meat after it’s moist brined and it will likely be heavier than it was earlier than.
Which one to make use of?
To determine which one to make use of requires you to consider whether or not you need to add additional liquid to make it much more juicy or to simply lure the already current liquid so it is slightly extra juicy ultimately.
In each instances, it will likely be much more flavorful due to the added salt inside the meat.
I are likely to dry brine most issues as a result of it is simpler and fewer mess however leaner cuts like pork tenderloins, loins, chops, hen breasts, and so forth. might be vastly improved by moist brining.
I like to recommend a check equivalent to buying 2 massive pork chops or hen breasts and moist brining one, dry brining the opposite.
Cook dinner them precisely the identical and see should you can inform the distinction between the 2. Have a few associates or relations style the 2 as effectively and see if they will denote variations between the 2.
