Michael Symon's Trick To Barbecuing Like A Pitmaster Is Probably In Your Fridge Already

Michael Symon knows a thing or two about barbecues. The celebrity chef and winner of the first season of "The Next Iron Chef" has hosted or been on shows such as "Burgers, Brew, and 'Cue", "BBQ Brawl: Flay V. Symon" and "BBQ Across America." So when he gives out pointers on barbecuing — as he did in an exclusive interview with Tasting Table on the ultimate barbecue and grilling tips and six simple ways to elevate your BBQ — we listen. One tip that he has that will have you barbecuing like a pitmaster involves an ingredient that you probably have in your fridge already: pickle brine.

Yes, that bottle pickle juice is good for more than just pickleback shots and other pickle drinks (even if it's the ingredient your margarita may be missing). Although it sounds a little unusual at first, this tip actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it: Pickle juice and pickle brine has acidity (from the vinegar), which help tenderize meat by breaking down some of the proteins, and keep things moist and juicy, plus salt and other spices that help add flavor — it's the same reason why we say you should be using pickle juice for brining and braising meat.

As Symon explains, "Add a little pickle brine to your spray bottle for misting while cooking — it adds brightness and keeps things juicy." As your meat cooks over the grill, mist it with your spray bottle of brine periodically. The nice thing about this trick is you won't expose to your meat to too much acid for too long and toughen it or turn it mushy instead, which can happen when meats marinate for too long in an acid.

You should also consider the type of pickle juice to use: A dill pickle juice would work great for a juicy and tender smoked brisket (with the periodic misting helping the outer bark to form) while sweeter pickles like bread and butter would work well to impart a sweeter flavor to wings and spare ribs. Pickle brine works especially well for chicken and pork dishes. The great thing with the pickle juice is that you can also use it to dissolve dirt and great build-up on your grill without harsh chemicals (one of our recommendation of more than a dozen ways to use up leftover pickle juice).