Does making your own broth take time? Sure, it does! So does eating a meal. But, I can “Guar-Ron-Tee” dat eating a bad meal takes longer than eating a good meal. Do you want them plates and bowls to end up at the sink with…
How I create the perfect roasted chicken each and every time. It’s going to be crispy, it’s going to be juicy, and it’s going to be evenly roasted.
The essence of this recipe is very simple: One 12-ounce beer and 1-Tablespoon of salt. However, I will not leave you with that. There’s a few questions you have; I am sure. But, for now, the simple recipe is: Take a 12-ounce beer, heat it up, add 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of salt, let it cool, and brine your meat with the cooled beer brine.
Above is a quick video to show you an example of a 32-ounce batch of brine with herbs and garlic. The available ingredients in your kitchen is the limit of your brine varieties. Think about what flavor goes well with the meat you are brining and get a little crazy with it.
However, my suggestion is to get the brining down first. Make sure your SALT is perfect as you subjectively feel it’s been “Salted to Taste.”
Here’s a link to my salt suggestions: https://beerandiron.com/2022/11/salt-to-taste
Take good notes as you try this process. You’ll end up modifying your own brining process. This article is ONLY A STARTING POINT.
There are four factors that will affect the saltiness of your final, cooked meat:
I am going to tell you this: if you’ve never brined, you will end up with an over-salted piece of meat as you go through the trial-and-error process.
You will learn how much is too much and how much is just right…for your taste preference. How much salt and how much time are your factors that will make it or break it. If you break it, no worries. Make a soup with it and let the salt in the meat infuse into the broth. Definitely don’t throw it out. I’ve even taken over-salted roasts and made a delicious chili out of it by adding less or no additional salt to the recipe. Just keep on keeping on and you’ll find the right mixture of salt and time.
You will need 3-5 items. I’ve placed links at the bottom of this article if you need to find these items:
When I create a brine, I don’t create the volume of brine that most water brine recipes calls for. I have a small sauce pot I use to create my brine and it works great.
However (and wash my mouth out with soap), but creating your brine in a stainless steel pot is okay. Your cast iron pot’s seasoning will thank you for that.
We do use our cast iron to create the brine. Expect a film of very little oil to form on the top of the beer brine. It’s A-OK.
First, we’ll discuss the steps. Then, later in the article, we’ll discuss the fine points of brining. I have two methods of brining. This one uses heat. My other recipe does not use heat to create the brine. I use the heat method when I am adding herbs, spices, or other ingredients I really want the brine to be saturated with. The cold method is the easy, no-heat method of creating a brine…easier, yes. Better? Not really; they both have their place.
First, let’s get the how-to covered and then we’ll discuss the why-to. If you need to know more about brine and the brining process, I’ll offer that information later. I kinda figured you are here for the how-to more so than the why-to.
This brine recipe is a template only. Once you get the basic brining method down, then you can use this template recipe to create 1000s of different brine “flavors” or varieties.
This recipe will create a 36-ounce batch of brine. It will be very simple and will include garlic and a few herbs. This is not a recipe; it’s a TEMPLATE. The “flavor” of your brine depends on what you are cooking.
If you are only creating a beer brine without adding anything else, I suggest you create your brine using my “cold” method. Here’s the link: https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken.
The video presents this recipe with 36-ounces of brine created WITH herbs and garlic. All in all, 36-ounce brines are relatively small amounts compared to most brine recipes. We’re using beer to create these brines and using a zipper bag to reduce the needed volume of brine to keep the meat submerged.
Before you get started, you will need to prepare for these things:
Step 1: Pour two 12-ounce beers (24-ounces) into a sauce pot or other container large enough to hold the brine you are going to create. We will be heating only a portion of the brine. The rest of the beer will be added to the brine later and will work to cool the brine. We’ll add all the salt initially to the pot of hot beer on the stove. The cold beer we’ll add later will balance the brine to the 12 ounce to 1 tablespoon ratio.
Step 2: Slowly add your salt to the warm beer. WATCH THE FOAM! We will add 3 tablespoons to this simmering beer. Later, we will add the third 12-ounce beer to cool the brine down a bit.
Step 3: Heat the beer over a medium low heat and until just a bit of steam is rising from the beer.
Step 4 : When the brine is hot and simmering is the point where you will add the herbs and spices if you were planning to do so. The simmering liquid will “draw” the flavors from the herbs, spices, fruit, or other ingredients you want to add to your brine.
Step 5: Let the brine simmer until the salt has dissolved completely. If you have added herbs and spices, you can let the brine simmer a bit longer. You’ll lose some of the volume to steam and alcohol gas-off. Remember, alcohol has a lower boiling point than water. Consider a beer with a 6% ABV also known as alcohol by volume 6% of the volume will be gone pretty quickly. We’ll top this off to 36-ounces later.
Step 6: Once your brine has been simmering for a bit and you are pleased with the way it is turning out, remove the brine from the heat. We transfer the brine to another container to cool the brine. Cast iron takes a bit of time to cool down and transferring the brine helps it cool quicker.
We are going to add the third 12 ounce beer to another container. We are going to add that 12 ounce beer to a larger Pyrex container. That Pyrex can handle that hot brine. Take that third 12 ounce beer and add it to the Pyrex first and before adding the hot brine to that Pyrex.
Step 7: Add the hot brine with the herbs to the container with the cold beer. You can just leave it out to cool or speed up the cooling by placing the brine in the refrigerator. It will still be HOT even after adding the hot brine to the cold beer in the Pyrex.
Check the volume. Do you still have 36-ounces? Do you need to add any beer or water to bring the volume up to 36-ounces?
Step 8: Let the brine cool completely. Do not add the meat to the still-warm brine. You can refrigerate the brine a bit to cool it more. Even with the addition of the third cold beer, the brine will still be very warm.
NOTE: Some folks add ice to cool the brine more rapidly. And, that is A-OK. However, note the amount of ice you’ve added. You will need to make sure that your overall ratio is 1 tablespoon of salt to 12 ounces of liquid.
Step 9: Once the brine is cool, place the meat in a zipper bag large enough to accommodate both the volume of brine and the size of the meat you’re going to brine. Then, pour the cool brine over the meat.
Let the meat brine for as long you feel it needs to brine.
Step 10: Wrap up that meat-in-the-brine and let the meat brine in the refrigerator for as long as you feel it needs to brine. And, after those hours or days…it’s time to cook. It’s that easy.
I have a few how-to cook the brined meat “suggestions.” You can find those links on the website. There’s a recipe for how to cook a whole chicken, a coffee-crusted pork roast, and one to describe how to low-and-slow a beef roast. There’s also a link on how to salt a dish or a recipe. Don’t you struggle with those recipes that say, “salt to taste?”
Let’s talk a little more about the process. The rest of this podcast will explain some of the factors that you should consider when creating a brine and brining meat.
https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken
https://beerandiron.com/2023/02/beef-brined-coffee-crusted-pork-roast
https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/low-and-slow-roast
https://beerandiron.com/2022/11/salt-to-taste
Let’s talk a little more about the process. The rest of this article will explain some of the factors that you should consider when creating a brine and brining meat.
Keep the beer mild and keep it flavorful. And, consider the meat that you are brining. A whole chicken may not turn out well if brined in a deep, dark peanut butter stout. But, pork ribs ROCK a peanut butter stout brine. Look for beer “flavors” that go well with the meat you are preparing. I love a good citrus taste with my chicken and fish. Consider a nice citrusy IPA or a lager for these meats. A good stout or porter will work well with beef and pork.
Keep this in mind: A beer that pairs well with a meal may not work well when cooking with. Let me say that again but in a different way. You’ve heard about wine paring and even beer pairing. Beer that pairs well with a particular dish may NOT be the right beer to brine or cook that same dish with.
I love craft beer but keep mainstream, large brewery brews in my beer fridge at all times. Nope. I am not a beer snob; not at all. I learned this a long time ago: keep familiar brews in my beer fridge like Rainier, Corona, and even DosXX (to name a few). You’ll be surprised how your guest will pass on your $4, $6, and even your $10 cans or bottles of craft beer for a $1 tried-and-true, big-brewery brew. Craft beer is sometimes a gamble; dedicated Coors Lite drinkers know this and stick with what they know and enjoy; nothing wrong with that at all!
These beers may be less expensive, and some may consider these beers to have less flavor than a craft beer, but they have a perfect flavor for our brining needs. A great craft beer for drinking may not be a great beer for brining.
Your first few brining attempts should start with a simple lager or something mild. And, once you get the saltiness / time-in-the-brine down to meet your palate’s preferences, then experiment with the beer.
Not to beat the “dead horse” but I have been known to ruin a nice pot of gumbo after brining the chicken in a pumpkin beer that I was trying to “use up.” There’s something that just didn’t quite set right with a gumbo and that mild but distinct pumpkin aftertaste. On the flip side, I created a pumpkin chili with those beers and…WOW!
For this recipe, we will refer to 12-ounces as our liquid-to-salt ratio. Beer is commonly sold in 12-ounce cans or bottles. And YES! There are many other sizes. How about those nice 16-ounce cans and bottles? Yes, there are other sizes. As a reminder, here are the measurement conversions.
1 Cup = 8 Ounces
12-Ounce Beer = 1.5 Cups
16-Ounce Beer = 2 Cups
24-Ounce Beer = 3 Cups
3 Teaspoons = Tablespoon
Most brine recipes call for 1 tablespoon of salt to 1 cup of liquid. My recipe is different:
1 tablespoon of salt (15-grams) to 12-ounces of beer.
You can get more marbles in the same jar you’d stuff golf balls in; it’s true! Likewise, a pinch of fine-grind salt like table salt may taste more salty than an equal pinch of coarse grind kosher salt (usually and maybe with a few caveats). With a fine grind of salt, there’s more salt in that pinch than coarse grind salt. Less is better to start with. Weight is a good way to measure the salt. Do you have a scale? They are pretty cheap. Here’s one (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3iUDTxf
1 tablespoon of salt (15-grams) to 12-ounces of beer.
I prefer a nice course-ground salt. It’s what I am used to and can “eye-ball it” better when I am just adding to my palm to toss into dishes. Give me that white table salt and I will use it at the table if I need to, but I always cook with a coarse-ground salt. You’ll often see it labeled as Kosher Salt which really has nothing to do with a Jewish Diet but was used to “Kosher meat” “meaning to remove the blood from meat, so it’s really koshering salt. Certain salt companies labeled the boxes of this coarse salt kosher salt rather than koshering salt, and the name stuck.”
If you are using a fine-grind salt and you don’t have a scale, no worries! Just cut back a bit on the salt and see how the final flavor comes out. If it’s just right then you’ve found YOUR recipe. If it’s not salty enough, then next time you can add more.
Do you remember that word, “osmosis?” Sure, you do; you were an awesome middle school student! Nonetheless, let’s review.
If you take a salty solution and put something with less salt in the solution, the two will begin the process of equalizing.
If you take a salty beer brine and add a piece of meat like chicken with less salt into the higher-salt beer brine, the differing salt-containing sources (the high-salt beer brine vs the low salt chicken meat) begin the process of equalizing with the brine being “pulled” into the lower-salt chicken meat. This will, in turn, will draw the beer and herb flavor into the meat and infuse flavor and moisture into your meat. The flavor of the beer and any added spices or herbs will “follow” the salt into the depths of the meat along with additional moisture.
Brilliant!
When the brine is “pulled” into the meat (especially a tight, lean cut), it causes the meat to swell and begin the process of “denaturing” the proteins. Don’t let that word, “denature” set you off. That is the essence of what cooking does to meat. An example of denaturing is when the white of an egg that starts off clear and then turns white during cooking. That’s denaturing. That’s cooking.
When we cook meats, a lot of moisture is lost while cooking and some ends up out of the meat and into the bottom of the pan (we love the broth it produces but would prefer that broth to stay in the meat and keep it juicy). Cooking often results in less moisture and therefore less juicy meat…and we all like juicy, right? The essence of brining is to add additional moisture to the meat to offset the moisture lost during cooking.
Salt is not the only thing that “goes into” the brining meat. There’s some serious math to prove this but we’re going to keep it simple.
The molecule of salt is made of sodium chloride or “NaCl.” If I remember my days when I was in Nursing School, I know that Na+ is a positively charged ion of sodium and Cl- is a negatively charged ion of chloride. That “+” and “-“ are what “glues” the atoms together to make the molecule. A molecule is an electrically neutral group of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds and in this case, the salt we are using, is made of an atom of sodium and chloride.
Whew. This is about to make sense. When you mix water and salt, it will take nine water molecules (H2O) to dissolve one Na+ ion and one Cl− ion. To put it simply, one salt will have nine water piggy-backers.
When the less-salty meat is soaking in the salty brine, the salt will “move into the meat” as it tries to balance the salt between the meat and the brine. When the salt “moves into the meat” it takes with it the piggybacking moisture (the beer) along with the other flavors (any added spices or herbs).
Really and truly, when you are cooking, you are performing chemistry magic. Cooking is when you change the molecular properties of raw foods. Cooking changes these molecules into something else and that’s what causes foods to taste good. And, when we combine different foods together and we eat those foods, we are triggering and teasing biological processes to tell our brains…this is yummy. Not only yummy but comfortable. Cooking also changes the texture of foods. Taste and feel are what makes or breaks a meal.
For the most part, the sky’s the limit. You can add sugar, herbs, and even fruit like lemons. During the warming process, a lot of the essence of the additions will infuse in the beer brine and therefore “find” their way into the meat adding a whole layer of additional flavor!
Many of the recipes on Beer and Iron will have a specific brine recipe that will be referred to. However, for the most part: ONE 12-ounce beer to ONE (1) tablespoon of salt.
Beer is fizzy due to the carbon dioxide that is “trapped” or dissolved in the beverage. When that trapped gas finds a place to attach (also known as a ‘nucleation’ site), it forms a bubble. It’s kinda like when you put your finger in a soda from a soda fountain that fizzed up too much and you’re trying to get every drop you can into that cup you are paying for (yeah…I was that kid).
Salt has many, many edges; it’s a crystal shard. And there are countless numbers of these little crystal shards in that tablespoon of salt. With all those little crystals with all their little nucleation sites, the carbon dioxide (gas) will attach to these sites and a HUGE HEAD WILL FORM almost instantly. Yes! Almost like that barkeep who needs to tilt the glass more when he’s pouring your brew.
A 12-ounce beer is only a cup and a half of liquid. But, it may expand (only for a short moment) up to 3-times or even 4-times that volume. Make sure you have a container that is able to hold that much liquid.
Or, you could add your salt little-by-little. But I like to make that huge head; it’s pretty fun to watch!
Method 1) Just let it sit and cool to room temperature or put it in the refrigerator to cool.
Method 2) Some folks add ice cubes to their hot brine. That’s A-OK. But, the liquid-to-salt needs to be adjusted depending on the amount of ice you are adding.
Note: A cup of ice cubes is not equal to a cup of water.
We are looking for juicy, flavorful meals here, right? Sure, we are! And brining will add a level of awesomeness to your meat that’s for sure. It does take some prep. But that’s okay; you’ve got the next two weeks’ meals planned out already (tongue-in-cheek).
A beer brine recipe can be altered in all kinds of ways. The kind of beer you use to a specific meat you are brining can create all kinds of different flavor experiences! Water is not the only thing the salt “pulls” into the meat. It pulls all kinds of different flavors that are soaking in the brine as well such as rosemary, sage, thyme, peppercorns, lemon, sugar, and the list goes on and on and on.
If you’ve ever suffered a culinary disaster that is dry, tasteless chicken breast, spent most of the meal trying to cut into a tough pork chop that resulted in a trip to the chiropractor for a shoulder adjustment, or ended up with a tired jaw after trying to swallow a piece of turkey with the consistency of a paper spitball (yeah, I was that kid), then you are in for a real treat now that you have discovered Sulae’s Beer Brine Recipe.
Conversion Cheats (US Measurements)
1 Tablespoon = 3 Teaspoons
1 Cup = 16 Tablespoons
1 12-Ounce Beer = 1 ½ Cups
1 16-Ounce Beer = 2 Cups
“The myriad of flavors explode on my tongue, shimmy through my mouth, slap my taste buds and call them filthy bastards, and I love it.”
Zipper Bags: https://amzn.to/3FzmDX1
Salt: https://amzn.to/3Y4eIIw
Scale: https://amzn.to/3BrLzNH
Roasted, Beer-Brined Whole Chicken Cooked in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven on Grass, Straw, or Hay. Nutty, earthy aroma and flavors.
I’m talking about coffee. There are so many things to create with coffee as an ingredient.
Here’s the universal simple brine recipe: 1 cup of liquid to 1 tablespoon of salt. Submerge the meat in the brine for 3 hours per 1 inch thickness of the meat.
The problem with this “simple” is that not all beers are created equal, and neither is all salt. And, neither are our meal preparation schedules or our palate’s saltiness preferences. I will still try to keep it short and as simple as possible.
In this article, I’ll show you how I brine a whole chicken (and I brine nearly every piece of meat I cook from tougher cuts like chicken breast to low-and-slow cuts like beef and pork roasts). You will be the ultimate judge of the flavor. In trying these suggestions, if you find your meat to be too salty, then next time, cut back on the brine time and/or the amount of salt in the brine. This recipe is your starting place; I will leave it up to you to fine-tune the recipe to meet your and your family’s palate preferences.
Above is a quick video to show you the simple process.
Take good notes as you try this process. You’ll end up modifying your own brining process. This article is ONLY A STARTING POINT.
There are four factors that will affect the saltiness of your final, cooked meat:
I am going to tell you this: if you’ve never brined, you will end up with an over-salted piece of meat as you go through the trial-and-error process.
You will learn how much is too much and how much is just right…for your taste preference. How much salt and how much time are your factors that will make it or break it. If you break it, no worries. Make a soup with it and let the salt in the meat infuse into the broth. Definitely don’t throw it out. I’ve even taken over-salted roasts and made a delicious chili out of it by adding less or no additional salt to the recipe. Just keep on keeping on and you’ll find the right mixture of salt and time.
You will need 5-7 items. I’ve placed links at the bottom of this article if you need to find these items:
First, we’ll discuss the steps. Then, later in the article, we’ll discuss the fine points of brining. I have two methods of brining. This one does not use heat. My other recipe does use heat to create the brine. I use the heat method when I am adding herbs, spices, or other ingredients I really want the brine to be saturated with. This is the easy, no-heat method of creating a brine.
Start with a bowl large enough for the piece of meat you are planning to brine. I use zipper bags to hold my brine for two reasons: 1) It keeps the brine from sloshing and spilling and 2) I don’t need as much brine to keep the meat submerged. Less brine means I used less beer. In this case, less beer will not make a difference other than the cost to make the brine (a factor that outweighs the cost of the zipper bags). And yes, I will reuse my bags if I am brining back-to-back.
Step 1: Zipper bags leak. Use a large container like a pot or bowl to let the zipper bag rest in.
Step 2: Add your beer to the bag. How much beer? 3-4 12oz beers will take care of a whole chicken. Just let the beer head up as you pour; we ain’t drinking it and it’ll flatten out anyway after we add that salt.
Use enough beer that will allow for the meat to be fully submerged when we wrap up this bag.
Step 3: Add your salt. Keep in mind that if you are using a smaller container, the beer will head up like a volcano and it may just erupt over.
Here’s your mixture: 1 tablespoon of salt (15-grams) to 12-ounces of beer. Keep in mind that not all salt weighs the same. And “heavier” salt does not mean saltier. If you stick with the same measurement each and every time you create a brine, you will fine-tune your unique ratio of beer to YOUR particular brand and grind of salt.
Step 4: Pick up the bag and mix things up a bit. Dissolve as much salt as possible. It’s okay if some is left at the bottom.
Step 5: Place the meat into the bag. It may not look submerged in that zipper bag, but that is okay. We’re going to wrap it up a bit.
Step 6: After the foam has subsided, get the air out of the bag and zip up the bag. The meat may not appear submerged right now, but it will after we wrap it up.
Step 7: Don’t roll the top of the bag down. We want the air out of the bag and the top of the zipper bag to remain standing up so the bag does not leak from the top.
Step 8: Loop the bag edges together. This will keep the pointed ends from drooping and leaking.
Step 9: Use the chip clip or something similar to keep the edges looped.
Step 10: Let the meat rest in the brine for as long as it takes (the rest of this article will attempt to clarify that). You can leave it at room temperature for a very short period of time, or in the refrigerator for 1-5 days; it depends on your end goals and the time you plan to cook.
Let’s talk a little more about the process. The rest of this article will explain some of the factors that you should consider when creating a brine and brining meat.
Keep the beer mild and keep it flavorful. And, consider the meat that you are brining. A whole chicken may not turn out well if brined in a deep, dark peanut butter stout. But, pork ribs ROCK a peanut butter stout brine. Look for beer “flavors” that go well with the meat you are preparing. I love a good citrus taste with my chicken and fish. Consider a nice citrusy IPA or a lager for these meats. A good stout or porter will work well with beef and pork.
Keep this in mind: A beer that pairs well with a meal may not work well when cooking with. Let me say that again but in a different way. You’ve heard about wine paring and even beer pairing. Beer that pairs well with a particular dish may NOT be the right beer to brine or cook that same dish with.
I love craft beer but keep mainstream, large brewery brews in my beer fridge at all times. Nope. I am not a beer snob; not at all. I learned this a long time ago: keep familiar brews in my beer fridge like Rainier, Corona, and even DosXX (to name a few). You’ll be surprised how your guest will pass on your $4, $6, and even your $10 cans or bottles of craft beer for a $1 tried-and-true, big-brewery brew. Craft beer is sometimes a gamble; dedicated Coors Lite drinkers know this and stick with what they know and enjoy; nothing wrong with that at all!
These beers may be less expensive, and some may consider these beers to have less flavor than a craft beer, but they have a perfect flavor for our brining needs. A great craft beer for drinking may not be a great beer for brining.
Your first few brining attempts should start with a simple lager or something mild. And, once you get the saltiness / time-in-the-brine down to meet your palate’s preferences, then experiment with the beer.
Not to beat the “dead horse” but I have been known to ruin a nice pot of gumbo after brining the chicken in a pumpkin beer that I was trying to “use up.” There’s something that just didn’t quite set right with a gumbo and that mild but distinct pumpkin aftertaste. On the flip side, I created a pumpkin chili with those beers and…WOW!
For this recipe, we will refer to 12-ounces as our liquid-to-salt ratio. Beer is commonly sold in 12-ounce cans or bottles. And YES! There are many other sizes. How about those nice 16-ounce cans and bottles? Yes, there are other sizes. As a reminder, here are the measurement conversions.
1 Cup = 8 Ounces
12-Ounce Beer = 1.5 Cups
16-Ounce Beer = 2 Cups
24-Ounce Beer = 3 Cups
3 Teaspoons = Tablespoon
Most brine recipes call for 1 tablespoon of salt to 1 cup of liquid. My recipe is different:
1 tablespoon of salt (15-grams) to 12-ounces of beer.
You can get more marbles in the same jar you’d stuff golf balls in; it’s true! Likewise, a pinch of fine-grind salt like table salt may taste more salty than an equal pinch of coarse grind kosher salt (usually and maybe with a few caveats). With a fine grind of salt, there’s more salt in that pinch than coarse grind salt. Less is better to start with. Weight is a good way to measure the salt. Do you have a scale? They are pretty cheap. Here’s one (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3iUDTxf
1 tablespoon of salt (15-grams) to 12-ounces of beer.
I prefer a nice course-ground salt. It’s what I am used to and can “eye-ball it” better when I am just adding to my palm to toss into dishes. Give me that white table salt and I will use it at the table if I need to, but I always cook with a coarse-ground salt. You’ll often see it labeled as Kosher Salt which really has nothing to do with a Jewish Diet but was used to “Kosher meat” “meaning to remove the blood from meat, so it’s really koshering salt. Certain salt companies labeled the boxes of this coarse salt kosher salt rather than koshering salt, and the name stuck.”
If you are using a fine-grind salt and you don’t have a scale, no worries! Just cut back a bit on the salt and see how the final flavor comes out. If it’s just right then you’ve found YOUR recipe. If it’s not salty enough, then next time you can add more.
There are different rules of thumb that are used to brine meat. Some sources say 1 hour per pound and others say 2–3 hours per inch of thickness.
Whole chicken isn’t universally “thick” like a steak or roast (and roasts have “sections” which causes the “thickness” to be different). I’ve brined roasts for 3-4 days and they’ve turned out wonderfully. Same length of time for turkey and chicken and have done great.
I brine my tenderized chicken breast for an hour or so. Tenderized meat have more “surface area” and will “take the brine” quicker.
Considering tenderized, flattened chicken breast versus a whole chicken. The hour is plenty of time for a tenderized chicken breast brined at room temperature. But, a whole chicken brined for only one hour will turn out to be the same as a chicken not brined at all. Thickness and nature of the meat has a lot to do with how long you should brine the meat.
Why Brine?
First of all, let’s clear this question up. Why brine? Flavor? Juicier meat? Yes and yes! Then comes the question as to how brining creates more flavorful and juicier meats. I will mention osmosis only two times (and that was the first time). If you have a source (the meat or even vegetables) that is low in salt and a source (the brine or soup base) that is higher in salt, the salt will want to move into the area that has less salt. It’s through the magic of chemistry that this movement takes place. One salt molecule can hold on to 9 piggybacking water molecules (simply speaking here with a more in depth explanation here: https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/134581/how-many-sodium-ions-is-each-oxygen-atom-attracted-to-in-aqueous-sodium-chloride).
A higher salt solution will cause the salt to “move” toward the area with less salt. With brining, the salt moves into the raw, lower-salt meat and tak es a few piggybacking water, beer, and seasoning molecules with it to create a juicier, deep-salted meat. And, in a brine made with beer and salt, a lot of that beer will be infused into that meat through this osmotic movement. Just the same, if you add spices and other ingredients to your beer brine, those flavors will follow the salt into the meat as well.
And that ’bout does it. This is my “cold” method of brining. If you want the method I use to infuse herbs and spices into that meat, then my “hot” method of brining is for you. Here’s the link to that article and recipe: https://beerandiron.com/2021/05/basic-beer-brine-recipe
Let it be known that I often will only use this cold method to brine meats. Either way is A-OK. You will need to practice this method to get it right FOR YOU. Just like I cannot tell you what your favorite color is, or your favorite song is, or your favorite beer is, I cannot tell you what your favorite “saltiness” is.
Lache pas la patate!
“Losh-pa-la-pa-tot” – don’t give up (a testament to the enduring spirit of the Cajun people).
Enjoy!
Zipper Bags: https://amzn.to/3FzmDX1
Salt: https://amzn.to/3Y4eIIw
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Beef BEERguignon is born. Though I do enjoy cooking with wine, we’re going to stir things up a bit (pun intended). We’re going to cook this recipe with BEER!
I have to tell you a story about a Peanut Butter Stout we loved to drink and brine with. A brewery we love in Nampa, ID made this AWESOME peanut butter stout.
You’ve been at the market and waited behind “that person” shuffling around the beef or pork roasts, studying every package, pulling the back ones down and mixing up the cuts. His buggy is placed as an impenetrable wall defending his spot over the refrigerated area as he tries to decipher which cut will be the very best. What is he looking for? Marbling, less fat, size, shape…what?
Finally, after he’s made his selection and spends a grueling 20 seconds trying to get the PVC -cling-wrapped wrapped meat into a PE produce bag, he looks up and, “Oh, are you waiting. I’m sorry.” Yes…I am sorry for that; you were likely standing behind me. I hope you were not standing too long.
We all do this…or at least have done it in the past. And, as you and I grow in our knowledge about cooking and our skill improves, we’ll spend more and more time there doing our study of the cuts and going through our memory’s recipe box thinking about what meat will cook the best, what cut will work the best, and even the specific cut of the cut. How does the meat look? Will we have to truss it up? Or, can we just get it in the oven? How much time will we need? To brine or not to brine?
This article is one of the longest, most detailed articles I have written. Likely there will be few of y’all to read all (nearly) 5,000 words. But, it is an article of reference with details to the questions you will have when you print the recipe at the bottom of this article. The printed recipe will be to-the-point. I have included an audio version of this article to listen to while you are here to read along, or to listen to while you are on the go.
I am excited that this information and recipe will help you navigate through the process of selecting and roasting your beef, pork, lamb, or wild game roast, preparing it, cook it, and then enjoying it. This recipe will work for just about any lower-cost, tougher cut of meat. We’re going to present this recipe using a beef roast.
We’ll keep this recipe very, very simple. Nothing but the meat. Adding potatoes, carrots, celery, and other ingredients during the cooking process is all A-OK. The focus of this article is to get your roast cooked perfectly.
My wife calls this recipe “Broasting.” And, it kinda is a mixture of roasting and braising at the same time. Really, this recipe is more braising than roasting. Roasting is where you use dry heat to cook. Braising is where you use both moist and dry heat in a covered pot. It can be with a little liquid or where the meat is almost (or all the way) submerged. Not boiling per se, but kinda, sorta, maybe…in a way.
We’re not going to add any moisture to this recipe. We are using a brined roast that will produce its own moisture. And, if you add vegetables to the pot, they will contribute to the moisture as well. Adding moisture may cause the pot to fill with liquid and give the roast a boiled taste.
Roasting uses dry heat to cook. For example, to roast a beef, you’d take a 3-5 pound (1.5-2.5kg) cut of meat, like a round roast, season the meat, place it on an open rack in the oven at a very high temperature (450°F (235°C) or so), then turn the temperature down after about 15-20 minutes after the crust forms over the roast, then after 1 ½ – 2 hours at 325°F (165°C)-350°F (175°C), you would have roasted the meat.
To be honest, I seldom roast a roast. I see those images of roast cooked this way with all that deep rare, redness to the center tapering out to that well-done edge that is all embraced with a seasoned crust. My mouth waters! There are cuts of meat that you would roast such as the prime rib! Man, oh man! The prime rib is the pinnacle of cuts for roasting.
However, don’t cook a prime rib with this low-and-slow technique or you’ll end up with a $100 piece of meat that is about as delicious as a $20 round roast.
A few days before you are ready to cook your roast, you will start the brining process (here’s the link). After 3-4 days, you’ll remove the roast from the refrigerator and let it “warm up” a bit. The roast will never (and should never) get to room temperature, but you don’t want to start searing and cooking the roast straight out of a 37°F (3°C) refrigerator. Then, you’ll preheat your cast iron pot to a wicked-hot temperature in the upper to almost (if not at) 450°F (235°C) in the oven. Then, you’ll put the hot Dutch oven out and place it over a medium high heat burner. The oil will smoke and the vent hood over your stove top will roar! The roast will sear in that pot on all 6 sides (we’ll talk about that in a bit). After the searing, the roast is covered and set into an oven at about 200°F (95°C) to 225°F (105°C) for the foreseeable future…or the next 3-6 (and sometimes up toward 12) hours. A hint of the pending deliciousness will fill the home’s air as the hours pass. Later, you’ll pull that pot from that oven and remove the lid. Steam and aromas will fill the kitchen and family will start gathering. The roast will be sitting in a bit of broth in that pot…a treasure for future soups or stews. A fork-tender test will show little resistance to that fork.
Dinner is ready!
Basically, a roast is just a large cut of meat that takes a long time to cook. Look for cuts that are called “chuck” or “shoulder.” Also, “rump” or “round” (that may be labeled as “butt”) are some good choices as well. These cuts of meat come from an area that is “used” by the cow on a regular basis and usually are leaner and, if cooked at the standard 350°F (176°C) until the internal temperature is 145°F (63°C), the roast will be tough and less-than-pleasing on the palate. But, if cooked for a long time at a low temperature, they will be tender and delicious as well as very, very nutritious. And, as a bonus, these cuts will be less expensive AND work best for this recipe. Just because a cut is a “roast” doesn’t mean it’s going to be tough.
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Chuck – Also called shoulder. Very high in collagen.
Skirt – More like a steak than a thick roast.
Shank – Or “Shin.” Would work great with this roast recipe with the bone-in! More so we’d reserve this cut for our Beef Beerguignon Recipe (get it here).
Round Steak – Eye Round, Bottom Round, and Top Round. Low in fat…marbling. This is one I’d add just a bit of liquid to the pot when I cook.
Brisket – “Flat” or “The Flat” (First Cut) and “Deckle Point” (Second Cut) – if you are lucky enough to find the second cut in the market.
Oxtail – Very high in things “not meat” and very nutritious. Though, plenty of meat.
These are beer types to drink while you are enjoying your meal and not suggestions to cook with for this recipe.
Beef Roast:
A dark ale will go beautifully with a nice beef roast or beef roast meal. I enjoy a porter as well. Don’t get the porter and the stout mixed here. A stout will go well with a nice pork roast.
Pork Roast:
A farmhouse ale if the pork has not been prepared with “sweets” or has sauces added that are considered to be on the sweet side. I enjoy a stout with my pork roast. And, to mix things up, consider a wheat beer on the sweeter side. The beer can be a bit sweet to bring the flavors together but the addition of something like barbeque sauce to the pork may not complement the sweeter beers. Basically, the addition of a sweet-tasting sauce complements the flavors of the pork roast. If you plan to enjoy a beer with your pork roast meal, let the beer you are going to drink be your complementary “sweeter” flavor.
Lamb and Wild Meat Roasts:
A black IPA or a darker Belgium beer will go well with these more gamey-flavored roasts. Consider a dark lager like a German Schwarzbier with its dark color, chocolate and coffee hints
Other:
If you are adding some sauces to your roast and those sauces are on the sweeter side, consider beers like an IPA, Russian Imperial Stout, or Lager. Maybe a lighter beer such as a Kolsch or a Pilsner.
These are beer types to use as an ingredient when you prepare this recipe and to cook with.
The beer to use in this recipe is added during the brining process. I reserve my sweeter beers for my pork roasts and my easy-on-the-palate beers for beef, lamb, and wild game roasts.
Avoid brining with a heavy-on-the-hops, more bitter beer. The easy-drinking lagers work best when you brine meat.
To learn more about brining meat, here is a link to one of Beer and Iron’s articles that goes into much more depth: https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken
The example shown in this article is by using a whole chicken. The concept and methods are the same with a roast.
If you want to add liquid to the pot when you cook, add a bit of a lager or other non-sweet, less-bitter beers up to the level of the trivet you set the meat on. But, like with all recipes, there are no rules!
Select a Cast Iron Dutch Oven that will hold the size of the roast “comfortably.” Don’t have an over-full Dutch oven. Normally your standard 5-quart Dutch will work A-OK. But larger roasts will need a good 7- or even a 9-Quart. You want some air space all around the roast and to take the broth as it’s produced. Whereas, don’t put a 3 pound roast in a 9 quart Dutch oven. Some room, but not a lot of room. As long as the roast isn’t touching the sides of the Dutch oven and the lid will close without pressing the lid down, you are okay. You want the roast to be comfortable but not sitting in a Dutch oven so large in comparison that you’d just soon leave the roast in the open oven and roast it.
We are going to set the text of the steps in bold text to indicate the steps to follow with the specifics below each step. I want to keep it easy but also answer most every question that you may have about this recipe. There’s really only 10 steps with 1000 possible questions. If you have a question, feel free to contact me.
Step 1: Start a few days before you plan to cook the roast and brine Your Roast first.
Here’s the link for Beer and Iron’s beer brine: https://beerandiron.com/2021/05/basic-beer-brine-recipe Here’s a link to Beer and Iron’s How to Brine Meat: https://beerandiron.com/2022/12/how-to-beer-brine-meat.
This is a process I seldom skip. We pick up our roast for a particular day in the week and we brine that roast all the way up to the morning of the day we plan to cook the roast. You don’t have to brine the roast; it will be wonderful with a few added spices and herbs to the outside of the roast before searing.
Step 2: Remove the roast from the refrigerator and out of the brine about 1-2 hours (or more) before you plan to start searing the roast.
Some say that “warming up” a roast…or any meat…before cooking is pointless. Your goal is not to reach room temperature. Even if you keep your home at 68°F (20°C), a roast will likely only get to the 50°F (10°C) range (likely MUCH less). There seems to be little difference between a roast coming from 37°F (3°C) (refrigerator) to reach an internal temperature of around 50°F (10°C). But there is a notable difference in the cooking time. How long will it take for the internal temperature of a roast to rise from the 37°F (3°C) range to the 50°F (10°C) range in a 200°F (95°C) to 225°F (105°C) oven? We pull the roast out to “warm up” from the refrigerator temperature to whatever temperature it reaches by the time we are ready to cook; we really don’t care nor do we check the internal temperature of the roast before searing it. As they say, “It is what it is.” Basically, what ever temperature the roast has warmed up to is what it is. Needless to say, this is an optional step.
Step 3: After the roast has been out for a bit and you are ready to cook, place the cast iron Dutch oven in the oven at 450°F (235°C) to preheat the cast iron.
You can wipe a bit of oil onto the inside surface of the Dutch oven beforehand. If I am adding more oil to the Dutch oven for searing, I add the oil on the stove top. Let the Dutch oven preheat in the oven. This is an optional step but will have that cast iron sear-ready when you are ready to start cooking.
Step 4: Add oil to the outside of the roast.
I usually add a bit of oil to the roast directly instead of the Dutch oven. This way the oil is at a minimum. Not for the calorie’s sake…no sir! I am liberal with my oil on the outside of the roast. Too much oil causes some issues. I want a good sear on the roast and I don’t want to fry the roast. Too much oil will take the roast longer to get that good sear and likely will start the roast to actually cook deeper into the meat. This is also considering how much fat you have on the particular roast you are cooking; that roast may produce its own cooking oil. This is especially true for pork roasts.
If you wish to add oil to the cast iron instead of the or in addition to the oil you added to the roast, it’s all good. Add away. But not too much. Also, if you plan to add oil to the Dutch oven when you sear the roast, add the oil on the stove top to the preheated Dutch oven.
On the flip side, too little oil will not work either and likely cause the sear to look more like the meat has been burned. If you found you did not add enough oil, it’s okay to add more during the sear.
How much oil depends on the size of the roast and the size of the Dutch oven. There should be oil surrounding the roast that is touching the hot cast iron and you should see that “sizzling” effect all around the roast’s searing surface.
Depending on your stove’s burner top, you may find that parts of the Dutch oven are not as hot as other parts. Gas stoves with round burners may create a ring of hotter cast iron with a less-than-desirable sear to the outer sides and the center of the roast. Just move the roast around as you sear the sides. AND, it is okay to return a side that is not seared per your liking a second time.
Chef Tip:
You may find that the first side of the roast that you seared just didn’t look as good as the last side you are searing. That’s common because the first side is usually seared at the point where there is more standing oil in the Dutch oven than when you finally reach the last side. If after searing all the “sides” of the roast, there is an area you’d like to sear a second time, that is perfectly okay. The video shows the meat after that first turn. Notice subsequent turns and how the sear meat looks “more seared.”
Step 5: When the Dutch oven is very hot (at or around 450°F (235°C)), place the preheated Dutch oven over a medium-high heat and let the pot start to show wisps of smoke.
The Dutch oven will likely have wisps of smoke right out of the oven and be ready to sear. Keep the heat going by placing that preheated and very hot cast iron over the heat of the stovetop.
Remember, hot cast iron looks just like cold cast iron!
If you wish to add more oil to the pot, this is the time to add that oil. Let that new oil start to show wisps of smoke before adding the roast. The oil will cool the pot just a bit and you need some time…just a bit… to get the oil up to temperature. This will not take long in a preheated Dutch oven.
Step 6: Set the roast into the hot Dutch oven. Let the roast sear on each of its (imaginary) 6 sides for about 2-4 minutes (or a bit longer even) on each side.
Use your vent hood on high during this process. There will be smoke…and likely your home’s fire alarms will go off. You’ve been informed.
This process will take about 8 to 24 minutes. Roasts are irregular in shape. But, it’s easy to imagine the roast like a cube with 6 sides. Some roast (like tri tip) may look like a “tube” with only 4 sides. Sear each side in that wicked hot cast iron for 2-4 minutes per side to form that seared crust-like surface on the outside. Patience is the key. It’s like watching water boil; 2-4 minutes seems like a long time. Searing times are only a suggestion; sear by how the roast looks and not how long it’s been searing.
We use wooden utensils during the searing process and use them to aid in positioning the roast in the pot. Especially when the roast is on its thinner sides; it tends to fall over. I use my wooden utensils as a sort of wedge. I can leave them in the pot with the roast without the handles getting too hot…but don’t underestimate that wooden handle…check it before grabbing it. They will get hot when over the edge of that Dutch oven.
Pre-searing is a debated process. It’s how we prepare our roasts. We have tried both ways to create a roast…pre searing as well as straight-in-the-pot-then-into-the-oven. We prefer the seared method. I know others who prefer otherwise. There’s no debate here from me; to each his or her own. To sear or not to sear is like debating favorite colors…it’s subjective through and through. I like to sear the roast for the flavor my pallet prefers. I know some pretty awesome folks that create some pretty awesome roasts without pre searing. It’s your roast and your call.
Step 7: Once all the sides of the roast are nice and seared, turn off the heat. Lift the roast out and place a trivet in the bottom of the Dutch oven and place the roast on that trivet.
This too is an optional step. I use a trivet with the expectation that the roast will produce broth and fat to the bottom of the Dutch oven during cooking. If you add vegetables to the pot, you will likely create even more broth with the vegetables contributing to the liquid-deliciousness. I have had roast that produced no broth and other roasts that were swimming in broth when we pulled it from the oven.
That broth is special stuff so don’t toss it out. But I don’t want my roast to be too deep in the broth while it is cooking. I like my roast to be moist but not dripping. The “moisture” associated with a “moist roast” will also come with the broken-down collagen and other connective tissues as well as the broth that remains in the roast itself. The broth that has collected in the pot is my future soup base or a base for my gravy.
Some folks will use the vegetables as a “trivet.” And that’s okay; we’ve done this many times and it works well.
By the way, we seldom add vegetables with our roast; there are some logistics to adding vegetables. The long cook time may result in either dry, rubber-like or overly soft textures of the vegetables. When we do add vegetables, it’s usually for flavor such as onions and garlic. You could add the vegetables during the middle of the cooking process. Plan on being at the ready with those vegetables and don’t leave the lid off for too long when you are adding the vegetables during the middle or some time during the cook. To add or not to add, It’s totally up to you.
When we do add onions and garlic, here’s how we do it:
1) After the roast has seared, remove the roast from the Dutch oven and set to the side (use the upside-down lid to hold on to it for a bit). Toss in a whole onion that has been chopped. And, if you’d like, add a bunch of garlic. Don’t peel the garlic cloves; just smash them and toss them in.
2) The oil that is left over from searing the roast is already in the pot, but if you are lacking oil, add a tablespoon or two and let it heat back up a bit.
3) In the pot along are the bits and pieces from the roast that seared off. These bits and pieces of seared meat are called the Fond. And the act of sautéing the onions and garlic will break these pieces off and likely bring that Dutch oven’s bottom down to a smooth surface (in a nicely pre seasoned Dutch oven). That is called Deglazing. Did you learn a new word or two?
Deglazing also refers to cleaning, “to add liquid to a hot pot that makes scraping the fond off easier.” Unless you really burned your bits and pieces to a crisp (black and no longer considered food), then we will not waste that fond; it’s FULL of flavor. If you burned the fond, wipe the burned pieces out and toss it.
Once the onions and garlic are sautéed (just leave all that garlic skin in there), place the trivet (or not) right on top of those sautéed onions and garlic. Return the roast to the pot and onto that trivet.
Step 8: Cover the seared and trivet-ed roast with the cast iron Dutch oven’s lid.
We are not roasting the roast; we are essentially brazing the roast. Open roasting this roast at that low temperature for this long will produce a large jerky-like ball of meat. We need that moisture to stay in that pot. And a Dutch oven lid has the weight to hold in that moisture and almost (almost) work in a way similar to a pressure cooker (really, nowhere near a pressure cooker but the concept is there, right?).
Some of the cast iron Dutch oven lids have what’s called wings to the lids. And the Dutch oven pot itself has a pour, spout-like area between the two handles. Make sure the wings cover the little spout-like area, so the moisture does not steam-out and dry your roast. You may end up with less than a half-pint of broth or you may end up with more than a quart. That broth is what really helps the roast braise and not roast…almost like BROASTING! My wife came up with that word, “Broasting.” It’s really not braising and really not roasting. We put our roast in dry and it produces its own liquid. Broasting! I love it!!
Step 9: Place the covered pot into the preheated 200°F (95°C) to 225°F (105°C) oven.
250°F (120°C) is pushing it. I’ve even cooked at 175°F (80°C) (yes, I have!). Beef, pork, and lamb are considered done at 145° F (62.8° C) (being more exact here with my Celsius). But we are NOT going to check the temperature of that roast. We don’t care when it gets to 145° F (62.8° C). We’ll push forward for about 3-6 hours (I’ve gone for as long as 12 hours on a rare occasion).
Step 10: After 3-6 hours or longer, pull the pot from the oven and have a fork at the ready. Insert the fork into the roast. If the fork enters the roast with little effort, the roast is ready.
It should be “fork tender.” Take the fork and pull at the meat a bit. Does it flake away with the grain? It’s done.
Roast cooked to a fork tender state will not slice like a roasted roast. If you use even a very sharp knife, the roast will fold like a deck of cards being pushed around by the palm of your hand.
The meat can be pulled apart using two forks (pulled beef or pulled pork) or can be chopped up a bit into finer pieces against the grain.
The roast is ready!
Step 11: The broth. Remove the trivet from the pot (if you used one). Place a colander over a heat-safe bowl sitting on a heat-safe surface. Strain the broth into that bowl. Then, pour the strained broth from the bowl into a heat-safe container like canning jars (always a great storage container). Refrigerate if you are planning to use at a later date.
If you’ve added onions and garlic to the recipe, they will look very over-done. And that’s okay. They have rendered their flavors and done their jobs; leave them in the colander and toss them (this is why we don’t worry about removing the garlic skin). After removing the roast and the trivet, pour over the remaining contents through the strainer over the bowl. The pot and the liquid will be hot.
Strain out the liquid and then pour over into a heat-safe storage container. We use wide-mouth canning jars and a canning funnel. I like the wide-mouth variety because it’s easier to get that fat out later (for another recipe and not for the trash). FYI: Using a canning jar is not considered canning. Store this broth in the refrigerator. Use your good judgment as to how long to store the broth before using it or tossing it.
Don’t pour the broth down the drain of your sink. That fat will solidify at room temperature and WILL eventually clog your plumbing over time. Even the containers we use to store the broth and fat are wiped out with a paper towel before washing those containers. Hey! Did you know that oil-covered paper towels make for GREAT fire starters?
The broth will have a layer of fat that will separate to the top. PERFECT! Let the jars of broth cool a bit and then place them into the refrigerator on a heat-safe surface to protect your glass refrigerator shelves from that hot jar’s bottom.
Later, the fat will (more likely than not) separate to a solid. The broth underneath will likely jell-up like Jell-O. Sometimes (depending on the roast’s collagen), the broth will remain liquid. Later we will use this fat and broth to create other recipes. For example, we may use the fat to create a roux and the broth as the soup or stew base. Maybe we’ll create a gravy.
That broth is liquid gold! Don’t toss it.
Don’t leave the broth in the pot to strain later. The fat will cool and start to coagulate and will not “flow” like liquid. The fat will stick to anything left in the bottom of that Dutch oven. Strain while hot and put into heat-safe containers while still warm. If you wish to remove and throw away the fat; no worries. After the fat has solidified in the container in the refrigerator (I call this the “fat cap”), you can just break it off later and toss the chunks. But not me! I use that fat for things like sautéing and creating roux for other recipes.
Chef Tip 1:
You may find that the first side of the roast that you seared just didn’t look as good as the last side you are searing. That’s common because the first side is usually seared at the point where there is more standing oil in the Dutch oven than when you finally reach the last side. If after searing all the “sides” of the roast, there is an area you’d like to sear a second time, that is perfectly okay. The video shows the meat after that first turn. Notice subsequent turns and how the sear meat looks “more seared.”
Chef Tip 2:
A 200°F (95°C) to 225°F (105°C) oven will cook one roast in a 5-quart Dutch oven using the same energy it would take to cook TWO roasts in two separate 5-quart Dutch ovens. You’ll find that the roast you are cooking will shrink a bit during the cook (with the rest of the roast as the broth). No worries, it really isn’t just broth that makes a roast taste and feel moist. We often will cook two roasts in two different Dutch ovens at the same time. Benefits of cooking two roasts at the same time are:
Our oven will hold two 5-quart or one 5-quart and a 7-quart Dutch oven. I am referencing two Dutch ovens for two roasts but if you have a Dutch that will hold two roasts, do what you want with what you have.
Chef Tip 3:
The roast you will create by using this recipe will give you a meal’s main entrée. BUT, this recipe will create a roast that is also the main ingredient in many recipes. It can be prepared, cooked, and saved for quick-and-easy recipes that you can make during the week. Heck, even Po Boy sandwiches on Monday and beef tacos on Tuesday. Maybe there’s enough for Wednesday night enchiladas. All of these meals are cooked with a roast you prepared on Sunday.
Chef Tip 4:
There is no timer that will be the inevitable, “call to dinner.” With a little planning, you can decide when dinner will be done by the time you plan to cook the roast. Depending on the other part of your meal (the sides), or if you plan to use the roast as an ingredient in another recipe (like we did in the video), you can start preparing these items while the roast continues to cook. My suggestion is to cook a roast successfully once and get a good idea as to how long it will take to cook. Cut type, cut size, oven temperature, and other factors will determine the cook time; take notes. If you start preparing the rest of the meal an hour ahead of your anticipated “done” time and don’t have a feel for this recipe, you may find that everything else is done and there’s an hour to go on the roast.
Chef Tip 5:
We have created the broth from the roast that has been brined. The beauty of the broth is the salt. It will have a lot of the salt that the roast absorbed during the brining process. When adding this broth to other recipes, forgo adding salt to the recipe until after you have sampled the recipe with which the broth is an ingredient. Here’s a link to how we salt our recipes: https://beerandiron.com/2022/11/salt-to-taste
We did a lot of talking in this article. Cooking a beef, pork, lamb, or wild meat roast this way is really very simple. It will take you longer to read this article than it will during the whole of the preparation time for this recipe. Later, you’ll be able to create this nearly fail-safe recipe without even thinking about it. It’s really very easy to create.
On many recipes on beerandiron.com, I will refer to this recipe as an ingredient and one of the reasons why I went into so much detail.
As always, your comments are welcomed and different techniques you use to cook a roast are welcomed as well. My way is a way and not the only way.
ENJOY!
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