Meat Brine

I was inspired to try this brine after word from our son and daughter-in-law that they thought it was good and made for a juicy grilled boneless, skinless, chicken breast.  I concocted this mixture for chicken after having much success with The Pioneer Woman's Maple-Whiskey Turkey.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup mustard
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
sprig of rosemary
1/2 to 1 cup of water

Instructions:

• Mix together all ingredients except the water in a gallon zip-bag or a plastic seal-able container.
• Add six boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  (We have even added boneless pork chops or thick steaks.)
• Add enough water for meat to be immersed in liquid at least half-way and stir around to mix with other ingredients.
• Place chicken and brine in fridge for at least a half-hour or for as long as a couple of days.

When getting ready to grill or roast:

• Remove chicken from brine and rinse well.  Optional - add desired spices as a rub - salt will not be needed!  (We've added  pepper, paprika, Cajun spices, mustard, jerk seasoning, poultry seasoning, steak seasoning, and lots of different BBQ rubs.)
• Cook over direct heat on a grill rack for about five to seven minutes per side.  (We often will also give a quick splash on both sides with of a combination of melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard and/or BBQ sauce with a basting brush.)
• Or roast in the oven, uncovered, at about 300 degrees.  
• Remove from heat when meat reaches an internal temperature of about 150-160 degrees and let rest and continue internal cooking for two-three minutes.

We almost always grill all six chicken breasts at the same time even though there are only two of us eating because the chicken is so good later as left-overs.  I will add different seasoning rubs to each piece or leave a piece or two naked so that we can have different flavors when we eat chicken later in the week.  We often slice it into thin slices or chunks and top a green salad or add to pasta for a pasta salad.  We have chopped it and used it for fajitas and quesadillas.  I've even chopped it and used it for chicken salad with some mayo, celery, nuts, and fruit.  This method of preparation makes it delicious, no matter how or when you choose to eat it!

This chicken is juicy and flavorful even when eating it as left-overs as described above.  We have added a commercial BBQ sauce right before removing from the grill, too.  We also have been known to add a splash of Tennessee's famous Jack Daniels to the brine a time or two in homage to The Pioneer Woman!  The image above is one I made with left-overs that I diced and tossed with a combination of mustard and commercial BBQ sauce.  I added the chicken to an onion roll for an image to Tweet in hopes of winning a sweepstakes.  Wish me luck!

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