Steven Raichlen's Simple Formula For A Foolproof Brine

From chicken to turkey to pork, most meat tastes better brined. If you're a barbecue enthusiast, you've probably tried a few brining techniques already. But, according to Steven Raichlen, author of countless cookbooks (mostly about barbecuing) and host of PBS's Project Smoke, there's only one basic brine recipe necessary for almost everything an amateur grill master is likely to cook up.

Answering questions in a Reddit Ask Me Anything thread, Raichlen provided his foolproof formula for brine. The main ingredients are sea salt and water. You need a ¾ cup of salt for every gallon of water, with exact measurements depending on how much meat you're brining. Raichlen also suggests tossing in "equal parts of brown sugar and bourbon" as optional additions, or even cinnamon sticks. These will make your brine sweet and bold, adding flavor to the meat as it tenderizes.

Raichlen's brine formula is perfect for both chicken and pork. He shares, "there's no need to brine beef unless you're making pastrami". Instead, stick to pork chops or pieces of chicken like the breast and thigh – the latter might actually be the best cut of chicken for grilling. To complete your meal, grill up some vegetables. In the AMA, Raichlen shouted out corn on the cob, asparagus, peppers, and mushrooms as his favorite veggies to cook over coals.

Before delivering his formula for an easy brine, Raichlen briefly explains what brining does to meat. He tells Redditors that "brine relaxes tightly coiled protein molecules, which enables the absorption of liquid and tenderizes the meat." Going a bit deeper, brining works through a process of osmosis. 

If you leave meat to brine long enough, salty liquid will be pulled into the protein until its salt level is equivalent to that of the brine it's resting in. If it's seasoned with additional ingredients, those flavors are also infused into the meat. Once the liquid penetrates into the chicken, pork, or beef, salt begins to break down tough fibers, which is the reason why tougher cuts of meat should always sit in brine before grilling. 

As a general rule, meat is best when it's brined for one hour for every pound it weighs. You can let it rest for less time and get some of the benefits, but you should never leave it for longer. Since the salt is doing the hard work in a brine by softening the meat as well as adding flavor, using the right amount is the most important part of making an effective brine. That's why Raichlen's formula should be scribbled down and placed on the fridge in every meat-lover's kitchen. It may be a simple recipe, but it's the key to good open-flame cooking.