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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.
How To Beer Brine a Whole Chicken
Beer Brined Coffee Crusted Pork Roast
Low and Slow Roast Beef, Pork, Lamb, Wild Meat in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven
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
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