The concept

Brines are not just for pickles.

The problem with cooking is that the heat dries out meat. And the longer you cook the more moisture escapes.

Marinades do not penetrate more than 1/8 inch or so and really only add a bit of flavor, not much moisture. Basting and spritzing do not penetrate the meat, all they do is cool down the surface and when you open the oven the oven temp drops a lot. Bad idea.

There is a way to get moisture deep down into the muscle tissue that will produce juicier meat: Brining. Soaking the meat in a salty solution. Yes, it adds a bit of saltiness to the meat, but no, it doesn't make the meat too salty, unless you overdo it. Brining is especially good on pork, chicken, and turkey. It is not recommended for red meats.

Here's the concept. If the meat is submerged in a slightly salty solution, a physical and chemical process called osmosis will cause the meat to absorb the salty liquid. In effect, osmosis swells the meat with moisture. The salt also changes the way the meat proteins are arranged. They unwind and form a matrix that traps the moisture so less is lost during cooking. This process is called denaturing. The process does not tenderize. It only adds moisture, improves moisture retention, and it can enhance flavors.

Salt can enhance flavors, but too much can make it unpleasant. So the trick is to not make the brine too salty and not leave the meat in too long. The time left in the brine depends on the thickness of the meat. If you add sugar and other seasoning to the brine, some of it will get pulled into the meat, too.

The basic brine

A basic brine for thin cuts should be 1 cup of table salt to 1 gallon of water and 1 hour in the refrigerator. If sugar is added it should not exceed the salt.  Keep thicker meats such as turkey in the brine longer, up to 12 hours.

Yield. Makes 1 gallon, enough for 6 pounds of meat
Preparation. 10 minutes
Soaking time. 1 hour

1 gallon cold water
1 cup table salt or 1.5 cups kosher salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
8 tablespoons sweet paprika
4 tablespoons of garlic powder (not garlic salt)

Do this

1) Stir the dry ingredients in the water until the salt and sugar dissolve. If you plan to cook the meat indoors, you might want to add the liquid smoke to the brine to get a mild smoky flavor.

2) Submerge the meat in the brine and refrigerate for only one hour. Do not leave the meat in too long or the brine will make it too salty and pull out too many of the juices. When it comes to brining, more is not better. A reader who brined overnight and he said the result was his ribs that tasted like ham from a can.

3) Remove the meat, rinse with cold water to wash off excess salt, and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. If time permits, let the meat rest in the refrigerator for another hour to allow the brine to equalize itself throughout the meat.

4) If you plan to use a rub or other seasoning, and you should, leave the salt out of the rub recipe. Apply your rub, and, if possible, let the rub penetrate for an hour in the refrigerator, or even overnight. You are now ready to start cooking.