Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons (15 page)

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Authors: Colleen Rush,Gary Wiviott

BOOK: Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons
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For the kettle, place two chicken halves in one one-gallon zip-top bag and pour all of the brine into the bag.
Set the bags in the sink and fill with cold water to within 1 inch of the zipper (8 to 10 cups of water, depending on the water displacement of the chicken). Press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Allow the chicken to brine for 6 to 12 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bag once or twice to redistribute the brine.
SOY-GINGER BRINE
 
Classic Asian flavors like soy and ginger pair well with smoky barbecue. Chicken brined in tamari, a type of Japanese soy sauce, tastes great in recipes that feature complementary Asian herbs and spices, like the Asian Chicken Wraps (page 236). The WSM and offset recipe makes enough brine for four chicken halves and the kettle recipe for two chicken halves.
WSM AND OFFSET
 
½ cup soy sauce or tamari
1 cup warm water
½ cup Morton kosher salt
⅔ cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
(optional)
 
KETTLE
 
¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
½ cup warm water
¼ cup Morton kosher salt
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
½ tablespoon Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
(optional–see Ingredient Finder, page 164)
 
In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until the salt and brown sugar are dissolved.
For the WSM or offset, divide four chicken halves between two one-gallon zip-top bags. Divide the brine between the bags.
For the kettle, place two chicken halves in one one-gallon zip-top bag and pour all of the brine into the bag.
Set the bags in the sink and fill with cold water to within 1 inch of the zipper (8 to 10 cups of water, depending on the water displacement of the chicken). Press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Allow the chicken to brine for 6 to 12 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bag once or twice to redistribute the brine.
ORANGE-ROSEMARY BRINE
 
Rosemary can be overpowering in a recipe, so I don’t recommend chopping the herb, which gives off too much flavor. Gently rub the leaves between your hands and let them fall into the brine. This bruises the herb and releases the oils. The WSM and offset recipe makes enough brine for four chicken halves and the kettle recipe for two chicken halves.
WSM
AND OFFSET
 
1 cup warm water
2 oranges, juiced (about 1 cup juice)
⅔ cup Morton kosher salt
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, crumbled to bruise
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1 serrano pepper, split in half (optional)
 
KETTLE
 
½ cup warm water
1 orange, juiced (about ½ cup juice)
⅓ cup Morton kosher salt
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, crumbled to bruise
½ tablespoon grated orange rind
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
¼ serrano pepper (optional)
 
In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until the salt and honey are dissolved.
For the WSM or offset, divide four chicken halves between two one-gallon zip-top bags. Divide the brine between the bags.
For the kettle, place two chicken halves in one one-gallon zip-top bag and pour all of the brine into the bag.
Set the bags in the sink and fill with cold water to within 1 inch of the zipper (8 to 10 cups of water, depending on the water displacement of the chicken). Press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Allow the chicken to brine for 6 to 12 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bag once or twice to redistribute the brine.
TEQUILA LIME BRINE
 
This brine is a perfect example of how a good splash of liquor can add even more depth of flavor to smoked chicken. I don’t have the science degree to prove it, but I’ve brined enough meat to know that alcohol also seems to make lean meat like chicken even juicier by aiding the salt in loosening up the proteins. Serve this chicken with a good margarita for Cinco de Mayo, and see if you agree. The WSM and offset recipe makes enough brine for four chicken halves and the kettle recipe for two chicken halves.
WSM AND OFFSET
 
½ cup tequila
2 limes, juiced (about ¼ cup juice)
1 cup warm water
⅔ cup Morton kosher salt
½ cup honey
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander
2 jalapeños, cut in half (optional)
 
KETTLE
 
¼ cup tequila
1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
½ cup warm water
⅓ cup Morton kosher salt
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1 jalapeño, cut in half (optional)
 
In a large bowl, whisk the tequila, lime juice, water, salt, honey, lime rind, pepper, and corriander together until the salt and honey are dissolved. Add the jalapeños, if using.
For the WSM or offset, divide four chicken halves between two one-gallon zip-top bags. Divide the brine between the bags.
For the kettle, place two chicken halves in one one-gallon zip-top bag and pour all of the brine into the bag.
Set the bag in the sink and fill with cold water, within 1 inch of the zipper (8 to 10 cups of water, depending on the water displacement from the weight of the chicken). Press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Allow the chicken to brine for 6 to 12 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bag once or twice to redistribute the brine.
LEMONGRASS BRINE
 
Lemongrass is one of my favorite Southeast Asian herbs. It doesn’t have the acidic twang of pure lemon, and combined with basil in a brine, the resulting smoked chicken has a distinct and unusual flavor. If you can’t find purple Thai basil or palm sugar (also called jaggery), use regular sweet basil and brown sugar as substitutes. Serve the chicken with Thai-Style Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad (page 205). The WSM and offset recipe makes enough brine for four chicken halves and the kettle recipe for two chicken halves.
WSM
AND OFFSET
 
1 cup warm water
⅔ cup Morton kosher salt
½ cup palm sugar or brown sugar
4 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and bruised
½ cup purple Thai basil leaves or sweet basil
leaves, loosely packed (optional)
 
KETTLE
 
½ cup warm water
⅓ cup Morton kosher salt
¼ cup palm sugar or brown sugar
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and bruised
¼ cup purple Thai basil leaves or sweet basil
leaves, loosely packed (optional)
 
In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until the salt and brown sugar are dissolved.
For the WSM or offset, divide four chicken halves between two one-gallon zip-top bags. Divide the brine between the bags.
For the kettle, place two chicken halves in one one-gallon zip-top bag and pour all of the brine into the bag.
Set the bag in the sink and fill with cold water, within 1 inch of the zipper (8 to 10 cups of water, depending on the water displacement). Press the air out of the bags and seal. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Allow the chicken to brine for 6 to 12 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bag once or twice to redistribute the brine.
TRIMMING AND
BRUISING LEMONGRASS
 
Peel two or three of the dry, fibrous layers of the lemongrass stalks to the soft, pale yellow portion. Trim about one inch off the top and bottom of the stalk. To bruise the lemongrass and release its aromatic oils, whack the length of the stalk with the back of a heavy knife several times.
 
BUILD-YOUR-OWN BRINE TEMPLATE
 
BY NOW IT SHOULD BE CLEAR
that brines (and marinades) are mind-numbingly easy to make, and there’s simply no excuse for not making them from scratch. I could cram thousands more recipes onto these pages, but you’re not here to be force-fed someone else’s idea of tasty. You’re here to learn how to cook reflexively, without having to reach for a recipe every time. When you’re ready, make your own brine using this template, and follow the instructions for Lesson #2.
 
SALT:
⅓ CUP PER GALLON BAG
Although basic brines call for ½ cup of salt per gallon of water, when you add the chicken halves to a gallon zip-top bag, the amount of water drops to about 10 cups (or about 6 cups shy of a gallon). So, I recommend reducing the amount of salt to ⅓ cup per zip-top bag. Always use kosher salt. (See Kosher Salt 101 on page 17.) The iodine in regular table salt gives off a noticeable medicinal flavor in the large quantities you use in brines. Remember to reduce the amount of salt if you add a salty flavoring or seasoning, such as soy sauce, so that the total amount of salt is still around ⅓ cup per bag.
 
SUGAR:
¼ CUP PER GALLON BAG
Not all brine recipes call for sugar, but I like to add about ¼ cup of sugar or another sweetener to each bag of brine. Sugar doesn’t make the chicken juicier; it minimizes the risk of the brined meat tasting too salty, and it can give chicken a nice, caramelized color. You can use brown or white sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, fruit, or fruit juice—anything sweet. This is where you get to start tinkering with the brine based on what you like or whatever ingredients you happen to have in your cupboard. One warning: adding too much sugar to the brine will give the meat a distinctly sweet, ham-like flavor.
 
SEASONING:
¼ TO ⅓ CUP PER GALLON BAG
Saltwater carries seasonings into the cell structure of the meat, so the addition of herbs, spices, and aromatics to the brine can contribute a subtle flavor to smoked meat. As with marinades, the amount of a seasoning you throw in each bag depends heavily upon how potent it is. With strong ingredients like hot sauce or rosemary, one or two tablespoons is plenty for this quantity of brine. If you want a note of heat, three toasted, crushed whole chiles or chopped fresh jalapeños get your point across. You can throw in onion halves, smashed ginger, cloves of garlic, or a few splashes of soy sauce. Go easy adding any acid, like citrus or vinegar. Too much acid can turn your brine into a salty marinade. Brining for six to twelve hours with too much acid will also turn your meat into mush and start cooking it. A teaspoon or two of citrus zest per bag is plenty.
The seasonings you choose can also complement any rub, paste, or sauce you plan to use. The Soy-Ginger Brine (page 89), for example, works well with the Five-Spice Rub (page 97). You can also flavor brines to match the seasonings in a dish you plan to make with the chicken; for instance, try adding one teaspoon of puréed chipotle in adobo per bag to the brine for chicken that will go into Tortilla Soup (page 239) or Chicken Enchiladas (page 234).
 
BOOZE:
2 TO 4 TABLESPOONS PER GALLON BAG
Alcohol loosens things up. Even chickens. Adding one or two ounces of liquor to a brine seems to aid the salt in breaking down the chicken’s proteins and making it jucier.
 
LIQUID:
Always dissolve the salt and sugar (and optional seasoning or alcohol) in a half cup of warm water. Then place two chicken halves in each bag, pour the brine over the chicken, and fill the bag with cold water to within one inch of the top. Press as much air out of the bag as possible before sealing.
 
TIME:
6 TO 12 HOURS
The salt-to-water ratio in other brine recipes tends to be stronger and the brine time is shorter, but this also makes it easier to over-brine chicken. I recommend a weaker solution and a longer soak—a minimum of six hours for chicken halves—because it gives you a bigger window of time to start the cook without risking over-brining.

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