House Brine

This one comes from my Buttermilk & Bourbon cookbook, a wonderful book filled with recipes from a restaurant by the same name.  The chef/owner is quite a personality!  I enjoyed reading it as a book, as much as the recipes. 

With warm weather not too far off, my thoughts are turning to firing up the grill and smoker.  So this particular recipe caught my eye and I am anxious to try it this Spring, Summer, and Fall - prime smoking season!  I have always used a basic brine for chicken going in the smoker, consisting only of water, salt, and brown sugar.  This brine is good for pork or chicken.

3/4 cup salt

3/4 cup honey

4 cups boiling water

1/2 Granny Smith apple, quartered

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1/2 carrot, roughly chopped

1 stalk celery, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 fresh sage leaves

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

2 cups ice

In a large bowl, mix the salt, honey and hot water.  Add the apple, onion, carrot, celery, thyme, sage, and peppercorns.  Add the ice to cool the brine.  Add the meat (pork or chicken) and let it sit, refrigerated for 12 to 24 hours.  Remove from the brine and pat dry before cooking.  Be sure the brine cover the meat entirely while it is in the refrigerator.

Makes 8 cups.