Have you ever wondered what brining really does to a piece of meat? We went the distance this weekend with tremendous results. But first, let’s start with the question – “What is Brining”? According to Wikipedia:
“Brining is a process similar to marination in which meat or poultry is soaked in brine before cooking. [This] makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation”
For this experiment, we took celebrity chef Adam Perry Lang’s tried and true recipe, “Pork Tenderloins Glazed with Peach Preserves and Rosemary“. APL calls for the tenderloin to be brined for 2 to 12 hours in a mixture of Peach Nectar, salt, brown sugar, garlic, red pepper and of course, water.
We decided to brine the day before and gave the tenderloins over 24 hours. Setting up the Big Green Egg for direct cooking over medium high heat, we prepared exactly as the recipe calls for. The results were hands-down the best iteration of this recipe we’ve ever had.
Part of the reason for this is the relatively low salt mix in the brine. You have to be careful with many recipes not to over-brine or the meat will come out salty. With this one, we kept the pork fully submerged in the brine in a ziploc bag, all of the air removed. Flip a few times and you’re golden.
