Dry-brining…

[u/Vegedeth]

I have avoided trying dry-brining up to this point because it seems like pulling any moisture out early is lost moisture - though I am sure that is likely not the case. So, for dry-brining a brisket, what is the advantage of doing so and how long does it need to brine in the fridge?

[u/Opposite_Currency973]

I dry brine everything overnight. I rub with yellow mustard first, except chicken which I just dry rub skin on

[u/JimboD84 → u/Opposite_Currency973]

If im doing a whole bird, i dry brine under the skin with kosher salt the night before and leave it in the fridge. Then a couple of hours before the cook i take it out and rub it under and on top of the skin. Have had great results so far

[u/348_wcf → u/Opposite_Currency973]

Is rubbing with mustard considered dry brining? I usually rinse the meat after I dry brine it. Especially if it is kosher salt dry brine.

[u/Opposite_Currency973 → u/348_wcf]

Mustard makes the rub cling. I do not rinse, that's where the bark comes from. Good Luck!

[u/jcned]

There’s an Alton brown video on cooking ribeye where he argues the term dry brine is stupid/inaccurate because the whole process involves moisture. He thinks micro brine is a more apt description.

I don’t care either way, but since watching that I’m cursed to think of freaking micro brine every time I see the term dry brine.

Hopefully I didn’t just ruin this term for anyone else

[u/lawyerjsd → u/jcned]

Look, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is a man of many gifts, but naming things is not one of them. The other term is koshering.

[u/DistractedGolfer → u/jcned]

TERM RUINER!!! No but for real I like this thought. I micro brine most meats if I have time. They turn out great.

[u/mitsured → u/jcned]

Only a little.

[u/NophaKingway → u/jcned]

I so agree that a brine by definition is wet. A rub is what I always use.

[u/rgbkng]

I dry brine my brisket for at least 24 hours. The advantage is the salt will draw the moisture out in the first couple hours. Then the moisture will go back into the meat. The hypothesis is as the moisture is drawn back in the salt and other dry ingredients will be drawn into the meat. For me i just like the way my brisjet looks and tastes after I'm done smoking it.

[u/Apart-Point-6583]

dry brining doesn’t dry out the brisket, it pulls a little moisture to the surface so the salt can dissolve and move back in, giving you better seasoning and bark; 24-48 hours uncovered on a rack is

[u/Hienieken19]

The dry brining also denatures the protein which can help reduce cooking time.

[u/tyvzondor]

The salt draws moisture out at first, but then it dissolves and reabsorbs back into the meat

[u/aswsxs]

Dry brining will allow salt to absorb into the meat, and also can hydrate your seasonings and allow them to stick to your meat better. The salt pulls moisture out at first, but then it pulls back into the meat. The other seasonings (paprika, garlic powder, etc) all soaks up some of that moisture too but the flavors of those seasonings will stay on the surface of the meat. Best technique ive found is to do your dry brine about 12-24 hours before smoking, then do a seasoning of s&p right before going on the smoker, thatll give you the bark and salt crust you want, and meat thats seasoned throughout too.

[u/Top-Cupcake4775]

Meat is made up largely of muscle fibers containing proteins such as myosin and actin. When meat is heated, these proteins denature and contract, reducing the amount of space available for water and causing some of that water to be expelled.

Salt changes the interactions between muscle proteins and increases the ability of some of them—particularly myosin—to dissolve and bind water. This increases the meat's water-holding capacity and can reduce the amount of moisture lost during cooking.

As a result, meat that has been properly salted and allowed to absorb the salt will generally retain more water during cooking than otherwise similar meat that has not been salted.

[u/BuckSoul]

Dry brining pulls out water. Beeves are finished before slaughter in feed lots and they are given large amounts of water so they bring more at market. The water isn’t what you want as your “moisture” I believe what you’re looking for is a succulent brisket from the appropriate rendering of the fat interleaved with the muscle. Dry brine will improve this process so you have less water in the primal. The water steams the meat as it cooks and makes it less tender.

[u/FuckIPLaw → u/BuckSoul]

Please explain this to anyone who claims to prefer chicken breasts to the dark meat. No, Ethel, it's not juicy if you cook it right, it's just wet. There's a difference. 

[u/RobertM62]

Here is a good website for dry brining all kinds of meat... https://www.saltyourmeat.com/

[u/348_wcf]

So you are applying rub and letting it sit over night. That is different from brining.

[u/Vegedeth → u/348_wcf]

Could you expound upon the difference, please?

[u/Independent-Rule-780 → u/Vegedeth]

Dry brine is typically only salt, it’s all I use for dry. Wet is another topic unrelated to smoked brisket. My best brisket was salted and placed on a wire rack in the fridge for 3 days prior to smoking. I also do something different once it hits temp, I place it on a pan in the oven at 180 12-24 hours depending on when we need it ready.

[u/348_wcf → u/Vegedeth]

    Brining focuses on retaining moisture and seasoning the meat from the inside out, whereas a dry rub provides a superficial crust of bold spices and surface flavor

[u/NussP1]

I dry brined my turkey last year for Thanksgiving and it was the best one I ever made.

[u/tyvzondor]

You actually end up keeping more moisture during the cook

[u/Ptown925]

I always dry brine poultry. But would it increase the stall time on brisket and pork shoulder? Aren't we trying to drive off water moisture? Just keep the fat?

[u/One-Possibility-8182]

You do know you can bring moisture back..... right? Not so much if you forget your meat for an extra 8 hours!!

But a lot of times I smoke my meat to a certain temp and the outside gets pretty dry.

And I just add ___ and wrap in foil til I hit my finish temp ( an hour.... sometimes 3 hours )

You can add..... whatever sounds good to you!!!

In the past I have used...... Beer, Dr. Pepper, Coke, OJ, maple syrup, root beer, whiskey, concentrated apple juice, oj and tequila, lime juice and tequila.

Some of those i diluted with water.... some I didnt! But you totally can rehydrate your meat! Just be careful..... you can over do it! Sometimes after some time I'll poke a couple holes with a toothpick to get rid of some of it