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Brining and Curing
Dry Curing
Dry cures are predominantly used by commercial smoking operations these days,
because they require less time to cure the meat, however it is a very easy method
that can be used by the home smoker.
Dry cures are predominantly made up of salt and sugar (do not use Iodised salt),
we’d recommend using good quality fine flake sea salt mixed 50/50 with sugar. If
this mix is too sweet for your taste, you can reduce the sugar content. Aromatics
and herbs can also be added to your cure for extra flavour e.g. lemon zest and dill
are great on salmon.
Brines
Brines are generally used on white meats such as fish or poultry and are used
to produce a juicier and more flavourful end product. The brining process will
enhance food that is to be either hot or cold smoked. Before you start brining,
there are a couple of basic rules to follow:
As brines are basically a salt solution, the containers need to be clean and made
from a non-reactive material. Plastic tubs or glass containers that are intended for
food preparation are best.
Before placing your meat into the brine, the temperature of the brine must
be below 4°C/39°F. This temperature needs to be maintained throughout the
process, and we’d recommend refrigerating. A good quality digital thermometer
will help with monitoring this, make sure the meat is fully covered by the brine.
Brines can NOT be reused.
Basic Brine Recipe
• 1/4 Cup of Kosher salt
• 1/4 Cup of brown sugar
• 4 Cups of water
In a medium bowl, combine the salt, sugar and water. Stir vigorously until all the
salt and sugar has dissolved. Once cool, you can pour this mixture over the meat,
poultry, or fish that you are preparing. Soak for several hours, or overnight. As
with dry cures, you may wish to add some herbs, spices or aromatics to your brine.
