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Brine for Pork & Poultry

Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 16 cups of water - 8 cups warm and 8 cups cold water and/or ice.
  • - I like to replace some or all of the water with apple juice when I do pork
  • 1 cup salt
  • 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar 1/2 cup if you are using apple juice
  • Optional Additions
  • 1/2 - 1 cup cider vinegar replaces water
  • 1/4 cup hot sauce
  • 4 Bay leaves
  • 2-4 smashed cloves of garlic
  • 2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 4 tsp Thyme
  • 2 tsp Rosemary

Instructions
 

  • Combine the brown sugar and salt with the 8 cups of warm water and bring to a boil.
  • Add any additional ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add some ice (figure that into the water total) to cool it down when done.
  • Add the brine and the meat to a large container or a zip lock bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.
  • Rinse the meat when you remove it from the brine. Don’t use much if any salt when you season the meat for cooking.