(and other uses not just for your Turkey)
Courtesy of our friends at Smoke Junction Café, who have spent hours in their test kitchen, come additional uses for the RAD brine for Chicken, Pork Chops, and just in time for the Big Game, RIBS!!!
BRINE INSTRUCTIONS
Whole Chicken = ½ bag of brine:
Most chickens are between 5-7lbs and a half bag of R.A.D. brine (measures slightly more than 1 cup of brine) will be just right to brine the chicken. In a saucepan, heat and dissolve the brine in 1 quart water (1 quart = 4 cups), then cool. While that cools, add almost 3 quarts of ice along with cold water until there is 3 quarts total of ice water in the container you will brine the chicken in. Best method to accomplish this is to use a container that is clear plastic and has measurements on the container and can accommodate up to 7 or 8 quarts of volume due to the fact that this is the approximate total volume needed once the chicken is added. Kitchen supply stores will have these containers. Next add the 1 quart dissolved brine mixture to the 3 quarts ice water and stir. There should still be ample amounts of ice, approximately ½ of the amount of liquid and temperature should be at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, before adding the chicken. Place container with the chicken in refrigerator for up to 12 hours. For best results, do not brine the chicken longer than 12 hours. This same method can be used for either a whole chicken or a whole chicken cut into parts.
4 Pork chops = 4 tablespoons of brine:
In a saucepan, add 4 tablespoons of brine to 2 cups water to dissolve. Cool the brine and add 2 cups of ice water. Choose a container that can accommodate more than 2 quarts of volume. Depending on size of pork chops (typical size for chops will likely be 6 to 8 oz each), a container that is at least a 3 quart may be necessary. Make sure brine mixture is at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit before adding chops. Best method is to ready the brine liquid the night before, refrigerate overnight, then add chops to the brine the morning of the evening you plan to cook them. Pork chops should be brined 8 to 10 hours in refrigeration that is maintained at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Brine method can be modified to add 2 tablespoon of brine to 1 cup water, per every additional 1 pound of chops you intend to brine.
3 racks pork back ribs = 1 bag of brine:
Most pork back ribs you will find with your local grocery store will be 2 to 2.5 lbs per rack. Add 1 bag of brine to 2 quarts water in saucepan, heat and dissolve brine. Cool brine and add 3 quarts ice water to it and stir. Making sure the 5 quarts total of brine liquid is at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, add to rib racks so that they are completely covered in the liquid. Baking pans can sometimes work well for this (do not use metal or aluminum). Refrigerate overnight for up to 12 hours. R.A.D. Rub has the perfect balance of seasoning to salt ratio to add to these brined ribs prior to grilling or smoking.
Helpful tip: Be mindful of how much salt you are adding to any brined meat prior to cooking, in most cases you can get away with half of what you would normally use for your favorite seasoning recipe or even leave it out altogether – remember you can always add salt to taste later but you can’t take it out once its cooked.
