Brining

[zodiac]

After reading something on another thread here, I tried brining for the first time, nothing fancy, just brown sugar and salt with a big standard pork leg.
Well, it delicious, tasty tender meat, far nicer than I'd expected from a bit of pork from Tesco.
So, how does brining work? What cuts or meats work best with brining? And, is it worth brining more expensive cuts? Or is it a way of getting cheaper cuts to taste better? For example, if I spent a lot of money on a big fillet of beef, which is already succulent and tasty, would brining make it even better?
Brining novice asking...

[Mike J]

Ive brined pork belly many times using the fat publicans recipe.
Also used a good Chinese recipe but the pork needed to dry for a day or two before frying.

The Chinese brine all their spare ribs before cooking, its why the meat always falls off the bone.

Since early December I been enjoying a brined and air dried Jamon/leg of Spanish pork (from Lidl).
Simpley delishious, very filling and the ideal carry all day snack for roaming.
Just sits on worksurface and you slice off what you need, simples

[zodiac]

Ive brined pork belly many times using the fat publicans recipe.
Also used a good Chinese recipe but the pork needed to dry for a day or two before frying.

The Chinese brine all their spare ribs before cooking, its why the meat always falls off the bone.

Since early December I been enjoying a brined and air dried Jamon/leg of Spanish pork (from Lidl).
Simpley delishious, very filling and the ideal carry all day snack for roaming.
Just sits on worksurface and you slice off what you need, simples

Mike, are you talking about the big leg of Serrano ham? I got one a couple of years ago, I love cured meats, I eat far too much than is good for me.. but the big leg out of Lidl was honking, it tasted like smelly feet. I eventually binned most of it after persevering for a while. I stuck with it for a bit because, i love smoked and cured meats so much, I couldn't accept the fact it tasted like s**t.

[Mike J]

Ive brined pork belly many times using the fat publicans recipe.
Also used a good Chinese recipe but the pork needed to dry for a day or two before frying.

The Chinese brine all their spare ribs before cooking, its why the meat always falls off the bone.

Since early December I been enjoying a brined and air dried Jamon/leg of Spanish pork (from Lidl).
Simpley delishious, very filling and the ideal carry all day snack for roaming.
Just sits on worksurface and you slice off what you need, simples

Mike, are you talking about the big leg of Serrano ham? I got one a couple of years ago, I love cured meats, I eat far too much than is good for me.. but the big leg out of Lidl was honking, it tasted like smelly feet. I eventually binned most of it after persevering for a while. I stuck with it for a bit because, i love smoked and cured meats so much, I couldn't accept the fact it tasted like s**t.

Im really sorry to learn your leg that was off.
Yes mine is exactly the same, I just used the 'local' name of Jamon.

If I were to judge the one I have on my past experiences over 15 or so years of eating it throughout Spain and Portugal mine is little salty but only in places, that said it has the true taste of Spanish Jamon and I would grade it 70-75% authentic. PM me your address and I will send you a sample

Part of the curing process involves the legs being hung in large open building in the interior of both countries where the summers are very dry with an almost constant thermal breeze. During this drying process the legs are regularly examined and only those that are curing correctly remain until the process is completed by which time the leg has shrunk to 50-40% of its original size.

To give an idea of quality the best Jamons from the true black Iberian pigs sell for hundreds of €s, the Lidl verion is from a white pig (the colour of the feet refelct the skin colour of the animal) and refelect a lower grade of flavour.

We are enjoying ours so much I am going to get another at the end of next year, either sent by a friend or from a specialist supplier and from a black pig.
I will keep you informed and when its on the stand I can send you a taster if your interested?

[Ben]

After reading something on another thread here, I tried brining for the first time, nothing fancy, just brown sugar and salt with a big standard pork leg.
Well, it delicious, tasty tender meat, far nicer than I'd expected from a bit of pork from Tesco.
So, how does brining work? What cuts or meats work best with brining? And, is it worth brining more expensive cuts? Or is it a way of getting cheaper cuts to taste better? For example, if I spent a lot of money on a big fillet of beef, which is already succulent and tasty, would brining make it even better?
Brining novice asking...

I’d never wet brine a lovely piece of fillet, I’d dry brine that in the fridge for a couple of days, just put some salt on it then place on a metal rack then leave in the fridge. The salt enhances the flavour no end.

I wet brine Chicken a lot, same with cheap cuts or Pork as you do.

Loads of info on YouTube, for your next brine try adding aromatics such as bay leaf, whole peppercorns, garlic, fresh herbs. Be careful if using lemon or oranges as the acid can start cooking the meat, I prefer to use lemon or orange zest.

I find simmering the brine then leaving it to cool overnight enhances the flavour.

Happy brining