My first attempt at brining was a success. The reason I brined my pig’s cheeks was to preserve the meat, but brining also serves – as I discovered – to improve it’s texture and increase the moisture content once cooked. My braised pig’s cheeks were extra mouthwatering and tender thanks to their time spent in the brine I made. So I am now a firm advocate of brining. In future I intend to apply this process to any slow-cooked meat dish that I undertake. On my to-do list now is to make Puerco Pibil with brined pork shoulder; the one thing that always disappointed me slightly about that dish is that the pork is a bit dry when it comes out of the oven. Brining is the answer!
So what actually happens to the meat when it’s sitting in the brine? I decided to consult the books and find out. Harold McGee, in On Food and Cooking provided the answer: the salt in the brine reacts with the long protein molecules in the meat’s muscle fibres, causing them to unravel and lose their characteristic shape. This process is known as denaturation; it increases the muscle fibres’ ability to hold moisture, allowing them to absorb water from the brine along with any aromatics it has been flavoured with. When any meat is cooked, it typically loses about 20% of it’s weight in water. However, the brining process causes the weight of the meat to increase by around 10%, resulting in half the amount of moisture loss once the meat has finished cooking. The beauty of it all is that the brine has most of an effect on the outer part of the meat, which is the region most likely to be overcooked. Conclusion: brining is good!
wow super interesting where did u first learn about this brining technique?