| I'm sure everyone has been to a barbecue, bitten | | | | barbecue go from ordinary to extraordinary! |
| into a grilled chicken breast only to have it crumble | | | | Brining is also a great way to defrost your protein, |
| like sawdust in your mouth. Then on top of it, the | | | | while adding flavor. More times than not I will use |
| grill-meister asks you at that exact moment, "How | | | | frozen shrimp, pork chops and loins, or chicken |
| do you like the chicken?" With clenched teeth and a | | | | breasts. Placing these frozen proteins in a bath of salt |
| wry smile, you say, "Mmm, that's good!" Well, let's | | | | water to defrost in the refrigerator is a great way to |
| put an end to this farce. The way to avoid dried-out | | | | bring them to a safe temperature before grilling. |
| chicken, pork, and shrimp is to brine it before grilling. | | | | Brining doesn't have to be an exact science. Brine |
| Simply put, brining is soaking the meat in salty water | | | | shrimp in the refrigerator for about an hour, pork |
| for several hours to overnight. This will help protect | | | | chops or chicken breasts for 2 - 3 hours, and whole |
| the meat when you cook it in the very hot, dry | | | | pork tenderloin for about 4 hours. For a whole turkey |
| environment of the grill. You'll be left with chicken and | | | | (smoked, brined turkey is unbelievable!) I recommend |
| pork that is plump and juicy, yet fully cooked. Shrimp, | | | | brining overnight. |
| which becomes rubbery when overcooked, will | | | | When you take your brined meats out of the brining |
| remain tender and flavorful. Brining your shrimp first | | | | liquid, place them on a paper towel-lined plate and pat |
| will allow you enough time to place them on the grill, | | | | completely dry. Spend a little extra time on this crucial |
| flip them all and brush them with your favorite sauce. | | | | step. Dry meat on the grill will caramelize and create |
| Enhance the flavor of the protein by adding additional | | | | a crispy crust; however wet food will steam and be |
| ingredients to the brine like brown sugar, bay leaves, | | | | bland. Once you've completely dried the meat, add a |
| thinly-sliced raw onions, fresh garlic cloves, whole | | | | little oil and your favorite spice rub (if the recipe calls |
| black peppercorns, etc. Adding some alcohol like | | | | for it). Just remember that you've already added salt |
| bourbon or tequila will leave a nice hint of flavor that | | | | to the food while it brined so use less salt than you |
| will really accent a barbecue sauce made with the | | | | normally would to season the food. |
| same ingredient. There is nothing like bourbon-brined | | | | I hope you find brining to be a technique you use the |
| pork chops with a bourbon/apple barbecue sauce. | | | | next time you grill delicate meat. |
| These additional notes of flavor will help your next | | | | |