Wet brining is a method of adding flavor to a meat by soaking it in a salt solution prior to cooking. After sitting in the brine, the meat will gain weight from the liquid and flavor from the salt. A general rule of thumb is to soak the meat in a solution of 1 cup of salt for 1 gallon of water. When cooked, the salt will stay in the meat, adding flavor, and the liquid will be cooked out. You’ll end up with a piece of meat that is more flavorful than if it wasn’t brined, and you’ll lose less moisture from the meat.
After much research and trial and error, we now generally recommend the dry brining method over the wet brining method. Dry brining (only sprinkling salt on the meat, not soaking it in liquid), is faster, more effective and uses fewer ingredients. Wet brining is at its most effective for cuts of meat like chicken breast, pork loin roasts and whole birds, but dry brining still outperforms the traditional wet brine. Both methods work and help improve the flavor of your meat, but we recommend dry brining. What do you think about brining? Stop in the store and share your thoughts with us, we’re always happy to share expertise!