A great brine for roasted turkey and other roasts - make meat juicy and flavorful

Soaking your roasts in a brine for a day or two before you roast them is just about the best way to make them very juicy and very flavorful.  For the reasons and science behind brining, plus another tip to make your holiday or other roasted turkeys and other birds absolutely delectable, see this recent article to get started.  Then continue with the recipe!

A brine, basically, is a super-salty solution that you will "marinate" a roast in for many hours or a few days before cooking.  The result is that the cells inside the meat actually absorb some of the brine solution, and so you can season your meat from the inside while simultaneously making it even more juicy.  It's a win-win situation.

Basic brine recipe:

1. Enough water to cover your roast, 1-2 gallons is usually sufficient.  Divide this into hot water and cold water.  In fact, only about 4-6 cups need to be heated, and it's helpful if some of this is ice.  The brine solution must be cold before the raw meat is placed into it!
2. 2-3 cups of kosher salt, depending on how much water you have (more for a larger brine).
3. 1-2 cups of sugar of any kind (brown sugar is pretty good because it carries more flavor).
4. Herbs and spices, particularly good are rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, juniper berries, black peppercorns, and red chili flakes.

Directions:

1. In a large pot, combine the sugar, salt, and four to six cups of the water and begin to heat it.  Add all of the herbs and spices as well.  Let the brine come up to a simmer or a boil so that all of the salt and sugar dissolve.  Feel free to simmer the herbs and spices for a short time as well.
2. Turn off the heat and combine the brine base with the remainder of the cold water (and ice) in a large food grade bucket or bag.  The brine solution must be colder than room temperature before you put the meat into it!
3. When the solution is sufficiently cooled, add the meat.  Close the bucket with a tight-fitting lid or seal the bag and place it in a cold, but not freezing, place.  A garage in the winter is often cold enough, but keep in mind that the entire thing must be kept refrigerator cold (below 40 or at the most 45 F) for the entire duration of the brine to prevent spoilage.  This is a serious safety point that cannot be neglected.
4. After brining for 12-72 hours, remove the meat from the brine, rinse briefly, and cook or roast it as intended, which may involve patting it dry with paper towels first.

That's it... the world's simplest secret to absolutely mind-blowingly stunning roasts and other meats.  You can follow the directions in this related post to make your roasted birds even better.  Enjoy!

Get your ingredients and roasts locally!  All of the ingredients for a simple brine are available widely in the Knoxville area at essentially any grocery store, but why not check out these fine sources of great meats to use in your brines: The Fresh Market and Earth Fare stores in Knoxville both have excellent meats, and for something extra special, consider looking at Laurel Creek Farms Pasture Raised Meats, which are top-notch and from the area, specifically from Sunbright, TN.  They have a retail location on Washington and High Street in Maryville in conjunction with The Market and their website lists three area farmer's markets where they go to sell their meats, one in Knoxville, one in Maryville, and one in Oak Ridge.

For more great recipes and cooking ideas, follow the Knoxville Gourmet Food Examiner by subcribing at the top of the page. You can also read more on his personal cooking blog: The Untrained Gourmet.