--
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

"The Fat Man®" wrote in message
om...
chef_rwmiller wrote:

Brine (Wet-cure)
A brine has 2 main ingredients: Salt and Sugar. Salt is the primary
ingredient, with sugar added to offset some of the salt's harshness,
and to keep the meat more moist and soft during aging. One of the
reasons that bacon keeps so long is that it's been both brined and
smoked. The salt in the brine is used to pull moisture out of the
meat.


Oops, you lost all credibility with the last sentence.

Brining dehydrates? I don't think so. I know not.

Brought to you by the chicken that goes, "Squirt",
TFM®


Salt will dry meat, but that is a curing/drying process, not a brining
process. There is a difference. Hams are often dry cured with salt, and of
course beef can be also.

Below is from Kit Anderson:
== 7) What does brining do to the chicken meat ?

Kit: It draws water into the meat and starts
crosslinking (coagulation, cooking) of the
cellular proteins. This raises the temp at
which the cells breakdown losing their moisture.
Hence, juicer meat. The flavor is also enhanced.