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Brining chicken legs & thigh's?

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While I almost always brine whole chickens for roasting, I never really bother with thighs..........

 

But it certainly can't hurt............your brining time for parts is gonna be much shorter than for a whole bird.........a few (2-3 hours) will do as opposed to the 15-20 hours I usually do with a whole chicken.

"You know the Bill of Rights is serving its purpose when it protects things you wish it didn't."

 

"You can no longer be oppressed if you are not afraid anymore - Unknown"

 

SOL Member #174

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My wife would throw me out of the house if I brined another chicken for roasting. Gravy gets too salty and if I let it become a choice between me or decent gravy...

 

I have brined chicken for frying before marinading it in buttermilk but that was too much trouble for not much difference, just the buttermilk is fine.

 

I brine turkey if it's going on the smoker.

"I have ... put a lump of ice into an equal quantity of water ...  if a little sea salt be added to the water we shall produce a fluid sensibly colder than the ice was in the beginning, which has appeared a curious and puzzling thing to those unacquainted with the general fact."- Joseph Black

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View PostMy wife would throw me out of the house if I brined another chicken for roasting. Gravy gets too salty and if I let it become a choice between me or decent gravy...

 

 

 

Can't see how it is getting too salty unless you are using too much salt in the brine....1/2 cup of KOSHER salt per gallon of brining liquid.......if using other salt such as table or sea salt, you have to cut it back, as table and sea salt are much more dense than kosher salt.

"You know the Bill of Rights is serving its purpose when it protects things you wish it didn't."

 

"You can no longer be oppressed if you are not afraid anymore - Unknown"

 

SOL Member #174

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View PostCan't see how it is getting too salty unless you are using too much salt in the brine....1/2 cup of KOSHER salt per gallon of brining liquid.......if using other salt such as table or sea salt, you have to cut it back, as table and sea salt are much more dense than kosher salt.

 

 

You might be right about that but I'm not going to get another do-over. The meat itself has been fine, just the gravy. Thought it was probably because the juice get reduced somewhat and concentrate whatever salt is in it.

"I have ... put a lump of ice into an equal quantity of water ...  if a little sea salt be added to the water we shall produce a fluid sensibly colder than the ice was in the beginning, which has appeared a curious and puzzling thing to those unacquainted with the general fact."- Joseph Black

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When I think about it Steve, I use twice as much salt.

Pretty sure was using 1/4 cup (kosher) per quart which I thought was pretty standard ratio.

"I have ... put a lump of ice into an equal quantity of water ...  if a little sea salt be added to the water we shall produce a fluid sensibly colder than the ice was in the beginning, which has appeared a curious and puzzling thing to those unacquainted with the general fact."- Joseph Black

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View PostWhen I think about it Steve, I use twice as much salt.

 

Pretty sure was using 1/4 cup (kosher) per quart which I thought was pretty standard ratio.

 

That may be the issue......for a "quick brine" (like less than 2 hours or so), that is pretty much a standard (although I think it is overkill). But for a whole chicken, turkey, or large piece of pork that goes overnight or longer, that is way too much.

"You know the Bill of Rights is serving its purpose when it protects things you wish it didn't."

 

"You can no longer be oppressed if you are not afraid anymore - Unknown"

 

SOL Member #174

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I always brine a whole bird or chicken breasts...

 

I never really feel the need to brine strictly dark meat like leg quarters or individuals legs & thighs.

 

My brine is usually water, salt, brown sugar, garlic, peppercorns and a bay leaf.

fearisyouronlygod.
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View PostOK, I'm clueless here. What's the benefits of brining chicken before cooking???

 

First, it helps to keep the chicken moist and juicy. Thru osmosis, the cells in the meat get filled with moisture. The salt also partially denatures the protiens of the meat, making it more tender.

 

Second, depending on what you use for a brining solution, it can impart various flavors and seasonings into the cells of the meat, making it more flavorful.

"You know the Bill of Rights is serving its purpose when it protects things you wish it didn't."

 

"You can no longer be oppressed if you are not afraid anymore - Unknown"

 

SOL Member #174

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