Dry Brine Rub
Before refrigeration became mainstream, brining was used extensively to preserve meat, poultry and fish by curing. While curing is still used as a preservative, many people use brining to add flavor and improve the overall texture of food. This recipe is enough to dry brine 3-4 lb. salmon fillet.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2-4 tbsp coarse kosher salt Do Not Use Table Salt
Instructions
- Mix together sugar and salt in a large bowl. Do Not Use Table Salt
- Apply the dry brine rub liberally to fish or meat so that it is totally encased. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for 6 – 48 hours. The dry brine will extract fluid from the fish or meat and then impart it with moisture and flavor. The protein being brined will turn the dry brine into a syrupy liquid and this is when the magic starts happening. If the meat or seafood is left too long in the brine it will make the texture mushy and overly soft.
- To cook your brined meat or fish, rinse thoroughly under running cold water until all the brine has been removed. Be aware that brining can impart enough salt to the meat or fish, so use salt sparingly.
- You can customize your dry brine to create your desire taste profile. You can use fresh or dried herbs and spice. Garlic, onions, chili flakes, cumin, cardamom, ginger, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, sage, lemongrass, galangal etc.
- Add 1/2 tsp of your desired spices and or herbs to your sugar and salt mixture.
Notes
There are many recipes for dry brines on the internet. Some use salt with a few pinches of sugar. Others just use salt or just sugar. Then others will use sugar and salt. Whatever you choose to do, remember that the brine does impart its flavor profile to the meat, fish, poultry, tofu or vegetables.
My go to is a brown sugar with salt mix. This way I can control the amount of salt I want in my dry brine. Depending on what I’m brining I’ll use up to 1/2 cup of kosher salt to 1 cup of brown sugar.
My personal preference is a dry brine for meat and fish, and a wet brine for poultry, shrimp and lobster.
Rule of thumb for wet brining is
1 cup kosher
1 Gallon water
1/4 cup sugar optional
To this you can add pepper corns, garlic, onions, thyme rosemary etc. Wine Brine
You can also use wine in your brine.
3/4 cups water
1/4 cup wine
1 cup kosher salt IMPORTANT I ALWAYS RINSE OFF UNDER RUNNING COLD WATER ALL OF THE BRINE OFF THE MEAT, POULTRY OR SEAFOOD, before I marinade or cook. Marinade Can I marinade after brining? Yes you can. Make sure that you pay attention to the saltiness of the food, if your marinade contains salt. Do’s & Don’ts If the meat, poultry or seafood that you purchase has been injected with a saline solution, called plumping, reduce the salt when brining or it can make the food overly salty. If you are able to find certified organic meats and seafood that hasn’t been “plumped,” use them. Don’t leave seafood, poultry or meat in a wet brine for too long. The chemical reaction from the salt, sugar and water will begin breaking down the meat. It will turn it into mush. Additives You can add dry and fresh herbs and spices to both your dry and wet brines. Be sure to understand the flavor profile it will impart to the end product. When using spices that are pungent, like star anise, fennel, cinnamon, clove etc. a good rule of thumb to remember is that a little goes a long way. Sugar Brown sugar contains molasses, which makes it more flavorful than white table sugar. Salt Not all salt is equal. Yes they all are sodium Chloride, NaCl. But they all have different flavors, shapes, colors and texture. Some even taste saltier than others. If a recipe call for kosher salt, it is usually referring to coarse salt. Which mean that the granules are larger than table or fine salt. So the measurement you will need are going to different.
Click the link to checkout this salt conversion chart
- 1 hour per pound of meat or poultry
- 30 minutes to 1 hour for seafood.
1 cup kosher
1 Gallon water
1/4 cup sugar optional
To this you can add pepper corns, garlic, onions, thyme rosemary etc. Wine Brine
You can also use wine in your brine.
3/4 cups water
1/4 cup wine
1 cup kosher salt IMPORTANT I ALWAYS RINSE OFF UNDER RUNNING COLD WATER ALL OF THE BRINE OFF THE MEAT, POULTRY OR SEAFOOD, before I marinade or cook. Marinade Can I marinade after brining? Yes you can. Make sure that you pay attention to the saltiness of the food, if your marinade contains salt. Do’s & Don’ts If the meat, poultry or seafood that you purchase has been injected with a saline solution, called plumping, reduce the salt when brining or it can make the food overly salty. If you are able to find certified organic meats and seafood that hasn’t been “plumped,” use them. Don’t leave seafood, poultry or meat in a wet brine for too long. The chemical reaction from the salt, sugar and water will begin breaking down the meat. It will turn it into mush. Additives You can add dry and fresh herbs and spices to both your dry and wet brines. Be sure to understand the flavor profile it will impart to the end product. When using spices that are pungent, like star anise, fennel, cinnamon, clove etc. a good rule of thumb to remember is that a little goes a long way. Sugar Brown sugar contains molasses, which makes it more flavorful than white table sugar. Salt Not all salt is equal. Yes they all are sodium Chloride, NaCl. But they all have different flavors, shapes, colors and texture. Some even taste saltier than others. If a recipe call for kosher salt, it is usually referring to coarse salt. Which mean that the granules are larger than table or fine salt. So the measurement you will need are going to different.
Click the link to checkout this salt conversion chart
Nutrition
Serving: 8ServingsCalories: 105kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 1gSodium: 1752mgPotassium: 37mgSugar: 27gCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg
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