Are you confused about the difference between marinating and brining? Why does browning add flavor?
Brining adds moisture to the meat by reverse osmosis.
Here are some questions I get from folks who write me:
- Why can you marinate beef but are advised to not brine it?
- What exactly does brining do for flavor and moisture?
- Why?
- And how the heck does Osmosis work?
- Why does my marinade dry the meat out?
There is an excellent online educational resource called ‘The Exploratorium’ with a section called “The Science of Cooking” that has some great information about cooking meat. I will often refer to this site to help me understand something I may know, but don’t know why I know it. (OK – to actually help me learn new stuff too!) This explanation of Brining & Marinating is one of the best I’ve read.
While you are at it you can read about browning meat, called the Maillard Reaction, and also find out about fat, collagen and muscle type – information to help you be a better cook and enjoy your grill this summer throughout the year!
~ Welcome to the Cookout! Barry CB Martin
CAN YOU USE POTASSIUM INSTEAD OF SODIUM CHLORIDE IN THE BRINING PROCESS?
Mike – You can use KCl (potassium chloride) instead of NaCl (sodium chloride) when brining, but from some of the quick research I have done, it sounds like people aren’t too keen on the taste of KCl. It is also more expensive and less readily available. If you do end up using potassium chloride as a substitute, I would be interested to hear how it turns out!
-Michael