Brine Your Way to Juicier Meat

May 23, 2014
We're taking the brine way past your holiday turkey! Get the juiciest, most succulent bite of meat from your grill with these recipes that begin with a good brine.
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Clinched and Planked Chicken Thighs

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Clinched and Planked Chicken Thighs Recipe
The basic brine for these chicken thighs includes plenty of spices and lemon for added flavor.
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B-Side Brown Sugar Smoked Brisket

Photo: Thomas J. Story
B-Side Brown Sugar Smoked Brisket Recipe
The bourbon in this brown sugar brine adds flavor and helps tenderize the meat.

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Grilled Pork Chops with Brown-sugar Brine and Onion-Peach Marmalade

Photo: Leigh Beisch; Styling: Dan Becker
Grilled Pork Chops with Brown-sugar Brine and Onion-Peach Marmalade Recipe
Because modern pork is very lean, the meat can easily dry out when cooked. Using a brine adds moisture and flavor to the chops.
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Sweet Tea-Brined Chicken

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen
Sweet Tea-Brined Chicken Recipe
For the tastiest chicken ever, brine a whole cut-up chicken in the South's signature beverage—sweet tea with lemon.

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Cider-Brined Pork Chops with Grilled Apples

Cider-Brined Pork Chops with Grilled Apples Recipe
Grilled pork chops benefit dramatically from a hard cider brine that penetrates right to the middle of the meat and an apple-brandy glaze that coats the outside of the pork with a tangy sweetness.

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Grilled Shrimp with Sangrita

Photo: France Ruffenach
Grilled Shrimp with Sangrita Recipe
Marinating shrimp in a seafood brine ensures moisture retention and enhances the flavors of this exquisite hors d'oeuvre.
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Barbecued Chicken

Photo: Thayer Allyson Gowdy
Barbecued Chicken Recipe
From chef Tyler Florence, everything you could want in a piece of barbecued chicken: moist meat, crisp skin, and tangy sauce. See his step-by-step tutorial on brining chicken at the end of the gallery.

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Coffee and Molasses-Brined Pork Chops

Karry Hosford
Coffee and Molasses-Brined Pork Chops Recipe
Coffee adds a background flavor that helps bring out the sweet yet bitter undertone of the molasses. This brine is also excellent with chicken thighs and drumsticks, and pork or beef ribs.

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Chai-Brined Shrimp Skewers

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro
Chai-Brined Shrimp Skewers Recipe
A brine made with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves is infused with black tea leaves before hitting the shrimp.
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Charcoal-grilled Pork Shoulder with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Garlic

Photo: Thomas J. Story; Styling: Randy Mon
Charcoal-grilled Pork Shoulder with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Garlic Recipe
Brining the pork shoulder for at least one day prior to cooking on the charcoal grill gives the meat a melt-in-your-mouth tender finish.

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Brown Sugar-Brined Chicken

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Brown Sugar-Brined Chicken Recipe
This brown sugar brine is enough to season 12 chicken breasts. Pair it off with some fresh vegetables for the perfect meal.

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Buttermilk-Brined Grilled Chicken

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Food Styling: Amy Wilson
Buttermilk-Brined Grilled Chicken Recipe
Buttermilk-Brined Grilled Chicken is soaked in a mixture of buttermilk, brown sugar, and hot sauce to ensure flavor and juiciness.
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Mackerel with Herb Salad

Photo: Marcus Nilsson; Styling: Victoria Granof
Mackerel with Herb Salad Recipe
Brining the fish in water with salt and sugar heightens its natural flavor, but it also provides a little added insurance that the fish will remain moist.

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Video: How to Brine Chicken

Video: How to Brine Chicken
Learn how to make a brine for grilled chicken with Food Network star Tyler Florence.
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