Do I need brine my chicken before I marinate it?

[Hotler]

or just marinate it only.
Thank you

[Laelth]

1. Be careful brining a chicken.

A little salt goes a long way, but it’s really tasty.

-Laelth

[Major Nikon]

6. 5-7% brine is as much as you need

That's 5-7% salt to water, by weight.

[irisblue]

2. What chicken parts and how are you cooking it?

[Hotler]

8. Chicken breast. The only reason I thought about the brine was friends said to try it.

Instead I marinated them in yogurt with a bit of olive oil and some Greek seasoning and grilled them. They turned out ok, so-so.
Thanks

[BillyBobBrilliant]

3. Brining is not necessary

If you are cooking it in the oven, either put a little water n the bottom of the roasting pan and tent it with foil, cook it low and slow and brown it for 15-30 minutes at the end, or if you have a Dutch Oven cook it en cocotte.

[brokephibroke]

4. Depends

A whole chicken can be brined before roasting. Parts, just marinade.

[Major Nikon]

5. Either way, both or neither

I gave up on brining chicken a long time ago. A brine if done correctly will move salt into the interior of the bird, but it will also move meat flavors out into the brine water. Instead I just apply salt to the outside, loosely cover, and place in the fridge for 24 hours. The salt draws moisture from the meat where it combines with the salt and then returns to the interior. So you get the same effect as brining without washing out flavor from the meat.

[packman]

7. Agree with chicken, brining not necessary and adds very little

BUT , I do brine a turkey for Thanksgiving in wine and juices and it always turns out perfect. As for marinades, they add something, but the marinade will not infuse the entire bird, just the first few millimeters of the meat. However, depending on the marinade, you may be able to use it for a sauce or incorporate it into your gravy.

[sir pball]

10. You can use a small amount of concentrated brine, or even inject

I generally use water equivalent to about half the weight of the meat when I do a plain brine; it's enough to properly infuse the meat without leaching too much out. Injection is ideal, but a bit bothersome if you don't want to use moisture retainers like STPP (I happen to like it, but there's too much calculating and precision for everyday home work). Done right, it definitely makes quite a difference even with the best Greenmarket proteins.

[sir pball]

9. Brine and marinade can be combined into one foolproof step.

Last edited Wed Apr 22, 2020, 12:03 AM - Edit history (1)

There's a relatively new procedure called equilibrium brining, which is actually of of the simpler Modernist techniques, but also one of the best and most useful.

You simply weigh your protein (subtracting the weight of any bones), and liquid you're going to use for the brine, then measure .75-1.75% of that total weight (protein + liquid) in salt, depending on the product and desired salt level. Mix the brine and proceed as usual. To combine it with the marinating step, simply add your marinade seasonings to the brining liquid. You'll need to let the meat sit in the brine/marinade for at least 24 hours so the salt can fully penetrate, but that also lets the flavor penetrate and since you can't over-brine with this technique, you can even let it go a couple of three days to get even more flavor.

It really doesn't take any more planning or skill besides the extra time, once you master it there's never a reason to do hit-or-miss again.

[Hotler]

11. Thank you. nt

[Demsrule86]

12. How do you know what the weight of the bones alone is?

It is a great idea.

[sir pball]

13. You usually look it up

At the restaurant I keep records so I have a running average for the products we use in a regular basis, but for something new I just search around a bit and can usually get a number. Common stuff like chicken and bone-in pork loins are easy to find, more offbeat stuff like rabbit can be trickier. Worst case, I guesstimate the weight, usually somewhere between 20-40% and then dial the salt back by 0.25%. Haven't had problems yet...

[Demsrule86]

14. I never thought of that thanks...going to try this!