Food - Drink
The Type Of Meat You Should Always Brine Before Grilling
By HOPE NGO
Brining does more than just keep meat and seafood fresh: when you brine meat at home before cooking it, the salt causes the meat's proteins to relax, making it more tender and juicy when cooked. While some meats can go without brining, others should absolutely be brined for best results when using high-heat methods like grilling.
Lean cuts of meat like chicken breasts and pork chops need brining the most, because they lack something that could help them survive an extended time on the grill: fat. As chef Isaac Toups of Toups Meatery tells Taste of Home, pork chops and chicken "lack the fattiness to withstand a long time on a hot surface without drying out."
A brine is one of the best ways to make sure your grilled lean chicken and pork doesn't dry out and become tough, and you can choose a "wet" or "dry" brine. To make a simple wet brine, you only need kosher salt and water, and for a dry brine, Food52 recommends using kosher salt plus a blend of your favorite herbs and spices.