Brine for Meat
Ingredients
Directions
Combine water, salt, saltpetre, and molasses in a large container.
Stir until the salt and saltpetre are fully dissolved.
Use the brine to soak meat as desired.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Salt
- Draws moisture out of meat and seasons it, helping to preserve it and firm its texture.
- Saltpetre
- Acts as a curing agent that helps preserve meat and gives it a characteristic pink-red color.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness and a deep flavor that balances the saltiness of the brine.
The step that matters
Dissolve the salt and saltpetre fully. Undissolved salt or saltpetre settles unevenly, so parts of the brine are stronger than others. Fully dissolved solids keep the brine evenly concentrated, so the meat cures and seasons consistently.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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