Stupid Brining Question

For a couple of years I pretty much brined any meat destined for the smoker or the oven and it made for consistently well-cooked food. Nothing mindblowing or inspirational, but the technique leaves lots of room for error and unsupervised cooking. I worked at a salt percentage closer to McGee's low-end numbers and didn't notice that the results were overly salty, but I live near the ocean and might have confused olfactory stimuli of my environment with those stimuli of a more gustatory nature and overcorrected my sensory impressions in my mind, so maybe all of this stuff was indeed salty but my guests were too polite to say anything about it.

About a year ago I switched over to Judy Rogers' method of salting/seasoning the meat a day or two ahead of cooking and I couldn't be happier with the different approach. Here too I use the smallest recommended amount of salt, but use high quality fleur de sel (and relatives) along with additional seasoning, depending on what sort of meat I'm working with. Again, I haven't noticed any overt levels of salinity in the flavor of the cooked meat, but my guests (polite and otherwise) have been heard to regularly emit a "yee-haw, atsa some good-lickin' chicken!" and the occasional "bitchin'-ass ribs, Eden" from time to time, whereas before with the wet brined prep it was all I could do to coax even the smallest "it's sorta yum-ish" or "do ya have the toll-free number for the Centers For Disease Control handy?" from them.

-Eden (getting all musically inspired today by the Egon/Dr No "Ethiopium" LP)
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
About a year ago I switched over to Judy Rogers' method of salting/seasoning the meat a day or two ahead of cooking and I couldn't be happier with the different approach.
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+1

3/4 teaspoon per pound of meat. For a whole chicken, I've had best results doing it 48 hours in advance - but you could get by with as little as 8 hours. No issues with the juices being too salty, either.
 
originally posted by fillay:
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
About a year ago I switched over to Judy Rogers' method of salting/seasoning the meat a day or two ahead of cooking and I couldn't be happier with the different approach.
Click to expand...

+1

3/4 teaspoon per pound of meat. For a whole chicken, I've had best results doing it 48 hours in advance - but you could get by with as little as 8 hours. No issues with the juices being too salty, either.
Click to expand...

This is what we've been doing with chicken for several years. I'm content, but my blushing bride seeks greener pastures. It never occurred to me this technique could be applied to red (skinless) meats.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
originally posted by fillay:
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
About a year ago I switched over to Judy Rogers' method of salting/seasoning the meat a day or two ahead of cooking and I couldn't be happier with the different approach.
Click to expand...

+1

3/4 teaspoon per pound of meat. For a whole chicken, I've had best results doing it 48 hours in advance - but you could get by with as little as 8 hours. No issues with the juices being too salty, either.
Click to expand...

This is what we've been doing with chicken for several years. I'm content, but my blushing bride seeks greener pastures. It never occurred to me this technique could be applied to red (skinless) meats.
Click to expand...

fish too.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
I'm trying to relate these explanations to my observations of eggs under various frying conditions.
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He's got about 30 pages of close-spaced text on cooking eggs; if you don't have On Food and Cooking yet you should definitely go get it. It's the best $25 you can spend in the kitchen.

And yes, weight ratios. I've been baking over the past few months and I've found that doing things by weight simplifies everything so much. It can be just as helpful in other cooking, too, because multiplying recipe amounts becomes a snap.

Also re: salting fish in advance - I've heard it's not so good to do with delicate fish like sole, as it toughens up the flesh some and because the filets don't require as much seasoning. True?
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
... but I live near the ocean ...my guests (polite and otherwise) have been heard to regularly emit a "yee-haw, atsa some good-lickin' chicken!" and the occasional "bitchin'-ass ribs, Eden" from time to time...
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That ocean wouldn't be the Gulf of Mexico by any chance?
 
Also re: salting fish in advance - I've heard it's not so good to do with delicate fish like sole, as it toughens up the flesh some and because the filets don't require as much seasoning. True?
Click to expand...

Never occurred to me to try it with sole. But I have found that lightly salting and then air-drying scallops about a half hour before sauteeing gives them a nice crust on top and bottom without having to overcook them.
 
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
... but I live near the ocean ...my guests (polite and otherwise) have been heard to regularly emit a "yee-haw, atsa some good-lickin' chicken!" and the occasional "bitchin'-ass ribs, Eden" from time to time...
Click to expand...

That ocean wouldn't be the Gulf of Mexico by any chance?
Click to expand...

Nope. I'm overlooking the Pacific in a trailer park called "Malibu Seabreeze Villas".

-Eden (AKA as "Tijuana by the Sea" by the swanky neighbors whose property values we apparently are causing to descend to Marianas-like depths)
 
I use a 5% salt solution for brining
250g boiling water, 50 g salt then ice to to bring the total to 1050 g of solution
once the salt is dissolved I might add some aromatics at that point and maybe some sugar too.

if you want to do it quicker use a 7 to 10% solution
 
originally posted by John Donaghue:
... if you don't have On Food and Cooking yet you should definitely go get it. It's the best $25 you can spend in the kitchen.
Click to expand...

Actually, I do have this book, but read it about eight years ago. Should haul it back out, I guess.

originally posted by mel hill:
I use a 5% salt solution for brining
250g boiling water, 50 g salt then ice to to bring the total to 1050 g of solution
once the salt is dissolved I might add some aromatics at that point and maybe some sugar too.

if you want to do it quicker use a 7 to 10% solution
Click to expand...

Makes sense, thank you.
 
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
Also re: salting fish in advance - I've heard it's not so good to do with delicate fish like sole, as it toughens up the flesh some and because the filets don't require as much seasoning. True?
Click to expand...

Never occurred to me to try it with sole. But I have found that lightly salting and then air-drying scallops about a half hour before sauteeing gives them a nice crust on top and bottom without having to overcook them.
Click to expand...

Salt broiling fish is a traditional Japanese cooking technique and IME is usually applied to the oilier fish, salmon and mackerel. The salt is applied shortly before cooking but otherwise it's the same idea.

Mark Lipton
 
I have a hard time seeing Yixin going for 'dumbed down,' especially if he's read the first edition already.

As to 'Reinvent[ing] Cuisine,' I can barely cope with the with the old, atavistic ways. An Alice Waters dish or two now and again defines the limits of culinary challenge we seek in the kitchen a cote de chez Fitzsimmons. The photos are nice, though - as you note. Can you get busted for looking at them online?
 
Pardon, I worded that poorly. Just wondering if it's in the same vein or if it trends more towards cooking techniques. Reviews seem to be love/hate.

Speaking of Waters, The Art of Simple Cooking is one of my favorite cookbooks right now. The recipes are well laid out and she explains basic technique behind each one really well.

As far as getting busted, that one's between you and the missus...
 
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