Beer Brine Food

BASIC BEER BRINE + FLAVOR VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Basic method: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add the salt and sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the solution to the cold water to temper the temperature and let it cool down completely. Add the cold beer and any additional ingredients you are using. Submerge the food, cover with lid or plastic and refrigerate. Brine per the schedule below. Alternative method: Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the salt and sugar, whisk to dissolve and add 1 1/2 cups of ice cubes plus the cold beer. Add any flavoring ingredients. Mix to combine, then add the food. Cover with lid or plastic and refrigerate. Brine per the schedule below. Brining Schedule***: Brine for 30 minutes to 24 hours, depending on the weight of the food and its size (ex. 4 pounds of pork chops need less time than a 4 pound pork loin). less than 1 pound - 30 minutes 1 to 3 pounds - 45 to 60 minutes 3 to 5 pounds - 60 to 120 minutes 5 to 8 pounds - up to 6 hours over 8 pounds - 12 hours and up to 24 hours Always discard a used brine.

BEER-BRINED BARBECUE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Brine the chicken: Combine 1 can of beer, the salt, granulated sugar, hot sauce and bay leaves in a very large bowl and whisk until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the remaining 2 cans of beer, 4 cups water and the chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Make the barbecue sauce: Combine the orange juice, vinegar, onion, garlic, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender until smooth. (The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat a grill to medium low and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly season the chicken with salt, then arrange on the grill, skin-side up. Cover and cook until marked, about 12 minutes per side. Continue cooking, flipping and basting the chicken with the barbecue sauce every 3 to 4 minutes (keep covered in between), until a thermometer inserted into the center of a breast registers 165 degrees F, about 15 more minutes. Transfer to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

BEER-BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Line 2-quart bowl or saucepan with 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add water, kosher salt and brown sugar; stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in beer. Add chicken. Tightly seal bag; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Remove chicken from brine; rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine. Place chicken, breast side up, in pan. Refrigerate uncovered 1 hour to dry chicken skin. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all rub ingredients except oil; set aside.
• Heat oven to 375°F Brush oil over chicken. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture; rub into chicken skin. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and drumsticks). Let stand 15 minutes for easiest carving.
• Time-Saver Tip:
• You can skip the step of refrigerating the brined chicken 1 hour to dry the skin. This step results in a crispier skin, a technique used in Chinese cooking.

BEER BRINE

Steps:

• Place peppercorns, thyme, bay, garlic, water, salt, and brown sugar in a saucepan,.
• and heat to a boil, stirring until salt and brown sugar dissolves and mixture becomes.
• mostly clear.
• Remove from heat and stir beer. Allow to cool.
• Pour mixture over selected meat (chicken, pork, turkey, etc) in a food safe container or plastic bag, ensuring that meat is covered (make more brine if needed).
• Refrigerate meat and allow to brine for about 12 hours.
• Then remove meat from brine and pat dry, afterwards cooking as desired.

BEER-BRINED BEER-CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the brine: Combine the beer, brown sugar, salt, orange zest, orange juice and cardamom pods in a bowl; stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
• Put the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and add the brine; seal and refrigerate 2 hours.
• Prepare the grill: For a charcoal grill, pile 3 to 4 pounds briquettes in the grill; ignite and let burn until the coals are ashy. For a gas grill, preheat to high.
• Prepare the chicken: Remove from the brine and pat dry; reserve the orange zest and cardamom. Rub the olive oil all over the skin. Loosen the skin on the breasts and legs with your fingers; rub 1 garlic clove under and over the skin. Combine the brown sugar, coriander, cumin, paprika, allspice, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper; rub under and over the skin of the chicken and inside the cavity.
• Pour half of the remaining beer can into a disposable 8-inch-square pan. Add the reserved orange zest to the pan. Poke 3 or 4 holes into the top sides of the beer can using a paring knife. Add the remaining 3 smashed garlic cloves and the reserved cardamom pods to the can.
• For a charcoal grill, bank the coals to both sides in two piles; nestle the pan with the beer between the coals and replace the top grill grate. For a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium on one side and turn off the burners on the other; place the pan under the grate on the unlit side.
• Set the chicken over the beer can, inserting the can into the cavity so 1 inch of the can is exposed. Set on the grill grates over the drip pan so the chicken balances on the can and legs like a tripod. Cover the grill and cook until the chicken is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. If using charcoal, this will take about 1 hour 20 minutes; add a handful of briquettes to each bank of coals every 30 minutes to maintain the heat. If using gas, it will take about 1 hour 5 minutes; carefully rotate the chicken halfway through.
• Remove the chicken from the grill, discard the can and transfer to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes before carving.

BEER-BRINED GRILLED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups water, beer, 1/4 cup coarse salt, sugar, and molasses in large bowl. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in ice. Place pork chops in large resealable plastic bag. Pour beer brine over pork chops; seal bag. Refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove pork chops from beer brine; pat dry. Mix garlic, pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, and sage in small bowl. Rub garlic mixture over both sides of pork chops. Grill pork chops until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 145°F to 150°F, about 10 minutes per side, occasionally moving chops to cooler part of rack if burning. Transfer chops to platter; cover with foil, and let stand 5 minutes. Serve.

90 MINUTE BEER-BRINED POT ROAST

Steps:

• The success of this recipe relies on two things: the use of a Dutch oven or similar heavy pot with a heavy bottom; and that you use a very large piece of aluminum foil to cover not only the roast, but also go up the sides of the pot and over the pot's edge. The cover must make contact with the foil all around the edge. This is what permits the pot roast to cook quickly.
• Brining: Put all of the brine ingredients into a zippered gallon-sized plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake it until the salt and sugar are dissolved and the beer has lost most of its carbonation.
• Add the pot roast, seal and shake to coat the roast.
• Open an inch long section of the zipper, expel as much air as you can, reseal. Place on counter for 45 minutes.
• Roast: Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Remove the roast from the brine and pat dry. (Discard the brine).
• Put the Dutch oven over medium high heat and add the oil. Brown both sides of the roast, about 5 minutes per side.'.
• Remove to a platter and season with salt and pepper.
• Add onions to the pot and saute until golden. Add the wine and simmer about 1 minute.Turn off the heat.
• Return the meat to the pot. Protecting your hands with oven mitts, place a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the meat, pressing down until it is covered from edge to edge, letting the excess foil drape over the edge of the pot. Press the foil against the pot.
• Cover the pot with its lid, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook until you hear the liquids bubbling.
• Place the pot in the oven and cook for 90 minutes - the roast should be dark brown at this point. Remove and let rest covered for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove the foil - steam will billow up, I suggest that you pull away the foil from the side farthest away from you first - and remove the roast to a platter.
• Skim fat from the liquid, then place the pot over medium high heat.
• Whisk the flour into the chicken broth and stir into the liquid in the pot. (You can add parboiled veggies at this point to the gravy, according to the chef).
• While the gravy thickens, slice the roast against the grain into slices. Cover with gravy and serve.

BEER BRINED BABY BACK RIBS WITH HONEY BBQ SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare your ribs by rinsing them off and removing the membrane on the back (slide a sharp knife under there to loosen it, then grab it with something dry like a paper towel and pull it off).
• You may cut your ribs into sections before brining, if desired.
• Mix together beer, salt, brown sugar, celery seed, cayenne pepper, black pepper and liquid smoke in a saucepan.
• Heat over low heat, stirring gently until all the salt dissolves; allow to cool.
• Place rib sections in a large ziplock or resealable bag and pour the cooled brine over; squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag.
• Allow the ribs to brine in this mixture, for 6 hours or overnight, rotating bag occasionally.
• Prior to cooking, remove ribs from brine and pat dry; discard used brine.
• Using a drip pan, prepare a grill for indirect cooking.
• Place the ribs over the drip pan and grill using indirect medium heat (test by placing your hand over the heat- you should be able to keep it there for about 3 seconds).
• Cover grill and cook for 1 1/2- 1 3/4 hours or until the ribs are tender, and the meat has pulled back from the edges of the bone slightly.
• Add additional coals during cooking if needed.
• Baste with honey bbq sauce during the last minutes of cooking, allowing the sauce to set.
• To make the sauce, cook onion and garlic in oil in a small saucepan until the onions become tender.
• Add the chili sauce, beer, honey, Worcestershire sauce and mustard to the pan, stirring to mix well.
• Bring sauce to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until it is as thick as you like it.
• Use sauce on ribs as a baste; sauce can be prepared ahead.

BEER BRINED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• In a deep dish, combine the beer, water, salt & sugar, then add the onions. Submerge the pork chops in the brine then cover and refrigerate. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Dry Rub: In a bowl, thoroughly combine the dry rub spices, then set aside.
• Take the dish out of the fridge one hour prior to cooking.
• Heat a greased grill pan on medium heat. Remove pork chops from brine then pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice blend onto both sides of the chops.
• Place seasoned chops to grill and cook until the juices run clear when pork pierced, about 5 minutes per side.