Homes all over will smell like kraut that day and grocery stores have sales on the stuff starting a few weeks before New Year’s.

It’s just not New Year’s if you don’t have pork and kraut. Scott embraced this tradition with open arms.  Not really surprising since his previous tradition was boiled cabbage and ketchup.

Um.

I would wager a guess and say that this dish is probably a little tastier than that.

It’s also made with beer, onions, and peppers. Plus being tossed in a crockpot.  Winner!

Andrea’s Country Ribs With Sauerkraut

• 4-6, Country Style Pork Ribs
• 1 32oz Jar of Sauerkraut, drained (but not rinsed!)
• 1 Onion, sliced thin
• 1 Green pepper, sliced thin
• 1TBSP Brown Sugar
• 1C Dark Lager Style Beer (I used Great Lakes Eliot Ness)
• Big Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
• 1tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2tsp Smoked Paprika

In the crockpot, add in beer and brown sugar, and stir.  Then add in the kraut, onion, and pepper along with the spices, then mix.  Place ribs in crockpot on top of the kraut mixture.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.

Serve immediately!

Typically this dish is served with a large helping of mashed potatoes on the side and the kraut mixture on top.

If you don’t have any beer or would like to use something else, I would recommend some beef stock.

You could swap out the ribs for a pork butt roast.  Once that’s cooked, just shred the pork into the kraut mixture.  Would be great for a party or game day because you could serve this as sandwiches.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Comments: 2

First, you all know that I love to brine. And if you’re eating pork or poultry, my opinion is always to brine that baby first.

I’ve done cider brines and I’ve done beer brines, but I have not combined them.

Last Sunday I decided to do just that.  I had some cider that needed used up and I had a fall inspired pecan beer that would pair well with the cider.

I used up the last of the cider so I don’t know exactly how much was left but I’m going to guess about two cups or thereabouts.

Andrea’s Cider and Beer Brined Chops

• 2 Thick cut, bone-in pork loin chops (Blues Creek)
• 2C Apple Cider (get fresh and local!)
• 1 12oz Bottle of Abita Pecan Harvest Ale + 1/4C (more if you make gravy)
• 1/4C Brown Sugar
• Slightly more than 1/4C Kosher Salt
• 2 Jalapenos, sliced in half
• 1/2 Small onion, + 1/4 Small Onion, sliced
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• Red pepper flakes
• Chili powder
• Garlic Powder
• Smoked Paprika

*As much as you want of the seasonings

In a large bowl combine the cider, 12oz beer, salt, and sugar.  Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved.  Add in the other seasonings, garlic, 1/2 onion, and jalapenoes and stir.  Add in the chops. Top mixture off with more water until the chops are completely submerged.  Quick stir and place in fridge.

Let brine in fridge for at least 5 hours.

Remove from brine, gently rinse chops under cold water and pat dry.  Sprinkle with garlic powder, chili powder, and smoked paprika on both sides.  Allow to rest for at least a half an hour to take the chill off the chops.

Preheat oven to 400.

In a sautee pan, drizzle in a little olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add in chops and sear chops on each side.  Add the 1/4 of an onion, and about 1/2C of Pecan Ale.  Place in oven and roast until cooked through.  About 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let chops rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

I also made a quick pan gravy for the chops.  In a blender, I blended up the beer and onions that were in the skillet with the chops.  I then added that mixture to a roux of olive oil, butter, and flour.  I added in more chicken stock and another 1/2C of beer to create the gravy.  A little pinch of salt and pepper brought it all together.

These chops turned out really well.  Leaving the bone in meats is automatically going to guarantee you more flavor and a juicier bite, by adding a brine to that makes those attributes even more prominent.

Both Scott and I were really pleased with the way these turned out and the chops were so HUGE that neither of us could finish our portions.  Scott had the leftovers the next day for dinner.

They are also flavorful enough on their own that you don’t need gravy but well, it was a gravy kind of day so I went for it.  It was my first time making gravy with beer and it didn’t turn out too shabby.

These would be great for grilling too.  Add in some hickory chips for extra umph!

What are your thoughts on brining? What is your favorite brine?

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 2

And twice on Sundays please.

Because of this I’m constantly creating new rubs and trying out different seasoning combos.

One that I couldn’t get out of my head was using coffee grounds in the rub.

If we had a compost pile or actually planted things around the house, those coffee grinds would be put to good use.  For now they end up getting tossed and I feel like that is such a waste.  I’ve been looking for new uses for them.

Some are to eat and some are for the body.

I decided to try out some of the grounds in a rub and both of us were pretty pleased with the results.

Andrea’s Coffee and Cocoa Dry Rub

• 1TBSP Coffee Grounds (whatever you used that morning is fine)
• 1TBSP Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 2tsp Garlic Powder
• 1TBSP Brown Sugar
• 3tsp Chili Powder
• 2tsp Smoked Paprika
• Pinch Salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and use on chicken, beef, or pork.  You can even use this on veggies or tofu!

I’ve used this rub on a rack of ribs and also on some flank steak.  I prefer it on the steak!  It gave the steak an very lovely deep color as it grilled, along with providing a nice crust on the outside.

I fought Scott over the crispy ends!  We made tacos with the flank steak, grilling up some onions and peppers on the side.

You can also add a bit of oil to the rub to make a paste and use that on veggies or tofu, cooking them however you choose.

The coffee provided more color than it did flavor but the combo of coffee and cocoa did provide a more intense beef taste.

If you drink coffee, try using the grounds in recipes and experiment a little.

And if you’re going to be getting in some grilling because you’re not ready to let that go just yet, give this rub a try!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 7

In fact, you might have to stop me from eating it before it even hits the table! I love it!

Country gravy where I’m from, is a white gravy loaded down with ground black pepper.  It’s super easy to make and most times is paired with sausage or dried beef, and poured over biscuits or toast.

Using local ingredients takes this dish up to a whole other level. Once you start using local sausage, there’s no turning back.

Andrea’s Sausage Gravy

• 1lb Ground Bulk Pork Breakfast Sausage (or meat of your choice)
• 3TBSP (Heaping) of Unbleached All Purpose Flour (can also use white whole wheat flour)
• 2C Unsweetened Coconut Milk
• 1tsp Ground Sage
• 1tsp Poultry Seasoning
• Olive Oil for sauteeing (about 2 tsp)

In a sautee pan add olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add in the sausage and cook until done.  If the pan seems to have a bunch of oil in it, remove the sausage and drain.  Leave some oil, add the sausage back in, add in the seasonings and stir.  Then add in the flour.  Combine and allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If it seems dry, you’ll have to add in some more oil, just a touch!

Slowly add in the coconut milk and stir.  Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.  It will start to thicken up on you.  Once it’s thickened and can coat a spoon, remove from heat and place in a bowl.  Serve and enjoy!

Perfect for Sunday morning breakfast!  Along with some biscuits and you’ll have a bunch of very happy folks at the table.

I used coconut milk because that’s what I have on hand.  If you have milk (everything will work except fat free or skim), feel free to use that! I recommend Snowville.

Do yourself a favor, if you’re going to eat sausage and make gravy, get the good stuff.  Here’s a list for Columbus Locals:

Blues Creek, North Market

Mosley’s Meat Market

Thurn’s

Those are just a few! Columbus is loaded with places to purchase local ohio meats.  I encourage you to start checking them out.

Not to mention all the farmer’s markets that have local meats as well.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Comments: 10

The trouble is that when I thaw it, obviously I now have a whole pound of bacon at the ready.

We might love bacon but we won’t eat a pound of it in one sitting.

No worries though because I just cook it all and then freeze whatever doesn’t get used.

That’s right, you can precook your bacon and then freeze it so that it’s ready when you need some smoky goodness in your life.

I cook my bacon in the oven on top of a cooling rack.  This saves me from having to stand guard over a hot skillet with flying grease. Cooking it in the oven is so much easier! Plus you have the benefit of even cooking and taking that bacon as far as you want it to go.  I like my bacon extra super crispy pretty please.

How OHC Handles Makin’ The Bacon

What you need:

• 1lb Fresh Bacon
• 1 Large Baking Sheet
• Foil
• Metal Cooling Rack
• Oven

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line the baking sheet with foil and place the metal rack on top.  Place bacon slices in a single layer, on top of the metal rack. The entire amount of bacon might not fit and you make have to do this twice. I always have to do two batches.

Place baking sheet in oven and cook until the bacon is as crisp as you like it.  Be careful it doesn’t burn or that the grease doesn’t smoke too much.

Once it’s at your desired crispness, remove from oven VERY CAREFULLY so that you don’t spill hot bacon grease.

Place cooked bacon on paper towel.

Repeat with the next batch.  If you have a lot of bacon grease, drain into a heat proof glass container and then proceed with making the next batch.

Use as much bacon as you need for whatever you’re using it for and just freeze the leftovers in a freezer bag.  The bacon takes no time to thaw and you can pull out as many slices as you need for your next meal or recipe.  The bacon will thaw as you prep ingredients.  If you want it warm, just heat in the microwave for about 10 seconds.

Ta-da! Easy! Not only do you now have a grease free stove-top, you have successfully made some bacon including leftovers for future uses.

Like for sandwiches or salads.

Or just eating. Whichever comes first.

Comments: 8

Developing into an adult and with my ever expanding list of “Foods I Didn’t Eat But Do Now”, I decided to give cauliflower another try.  I liked it well enough but then I discovered roasted cauliflower and fell immediately in love.  We’ve been having roasted cauliflower at the HQ a lot this year!

Recently Scott and I were discussing Thanksgiving plans and possible side-dishes to make.  The topic revolved around either sticking with the same old stuff or branching out and trying something new.  One of the things he suggested was a creamy cauliflower type dish.

Hrm….

That got my wheels spinning and I decided to do a test run that very night!  I came up with this creamy cauliflower casserole that both of us adored.  It’s got a cheese sauce and prosciutto, so how can you go wrong?

Andrea’s Creamy Cauliflower

• 1 Small Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Medium Head of Cauliflower, core removed and chunked
• 1/2C Unsweetened Coconut Milk (not from a can)
• 1C Chicken Stock
• 4 TBSP All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2C Shredded Sharp Cheddar
• Sprinkled of grated Parmesan cheese
• 4-5 Prosciutto slices, chopped
• 1/2 TBSP Butter
• Pinch Red Pepper Flake
• Salt and Pepper to taste (I like a lot of pepper)
• 1tsp Garlic Powder

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a large casserole dish.  Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat, add in just a touch of olive oil, about 1 TBSP.  Sprinkle in the chopped prosciutto and allow to crisp up.  Keep an eye on the prosciutto because it crisps fast and can burn.  Once crisp, remove from pan and place on a paper towel.  Check to see if you need to add more oil and if so, about another TBSP or so.  Add in the butter at this point and the sliced onions.  Let the onions sauttee for about 3 minutes just until the start to get soft.  Add in your seasonings and stir.  Add in the cauliflower and sautee for about 3-4 minutes.  Add in the flour and stir, making sure to coat the cauliflower and the onions.  Cook for about 2 minutes.  Add in the chicken stock and stir.  Let it thicken up a bit and then add in the coconut milk.  This should result in a creamy sauce.  Now add in the cheddar and stir.

Remove pan from heat and dump contents into the greased casserole dish.  Sprinkle some parm on top (however much you want), and the crispy prosciutto.  Bake in oven for about 10 minutes, just till the cauliflower is completely cooked through.  Serve up immediately and enjoy!

I added some chopped chives on top just for a punch of color but you can leave them out or add in some fresh herbs.  Some parsley and sage would work well with this.  Both of us adored this dish!  It was creamy and full of flavor but not so heavy as to cause your stomach to feel weighed-down.  Sometimes that can happen with cream based dishes but using a mix of stock and coconut milk kept this dish a tad lighter.

Of course you can use any unsweetened nondairy liquid of your choice or you can use milk.  Totally up to you and your preference.

The cheddar gives the dish a bit of tang but doesn’t make it overly cheesy.

The onions are what make this dish I think.  Without them the cauliflower wouldn’t have a partner to compliment it so nicely.

Of course the prosciutto tastes fantastic!  I happened to have that on hand as well, so I used it.  Certainly you can sub in bacon or even some ham cubes here if you wanted to.  If you have ham at your Thanksgiving table, this would make a great idea for using the leftovers.

This dish certainly will be making a repeat appearance here at the HQ!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Comments: 4

I am that kind of clever!

We love pork in this household.  I often talk about my love for seafood and how I like to use that as my main animal protein source.  I do enjoy the groundwalkers (said with a growly voice. Bonus points to those who get it!) as well and my favorite groundwalker is swine.

Yes you read that right, the good ole’ pig.  My heart belongs to the swine.

If you are a long-time reader then you also know that I love me a good brine.  Pork and poultry get brined, it’s house rules.  I decided to try something fun and make some beer brined pork chops.

The first time I made these, after one bite, Scott looked me straight in the eye and said, “Andrea, if we weren’t already married, I would ask you to marry me right now.”

Well then! I must have done something right! It also reinforces my belief that men love good food and if you can create great food for your man, you are aces in their eyes.

Beer brined pork chops have been seen on occasion since.  Not regularly as I like to keep it in my back pocket for when things need some spicing up around here.

Andrea’s Beer Brined Pork Chops

• 2 Bone-in Loin Chops

For the Brine:

• 12oz of Dark Beer (lager or dark ale style)
• 4C Cold water
• About 1/3C Kosher Salt (not quite a full 1/3C, just slightly less)
• 1/4C Organic Brown Sugar (packed)
• 1TBSP Chili Garlic Paste (found in the Asian foods aisle)
• 1/2 Onion, chunked
• 1 Carrot, chunked
• 1 Large garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

For extra seasoning:

• Garlic Powder
• Chili Powder
• Black Pepper

In a very large and deep mixing bowl, combine the beer, water, salt,sugar, and chili paste.  Stir until everything is combined and the salt and sugar are dissolved.  Add in the remaining ingredients and also the pork chops.  You will have to add in more water at this point so that the pork chops are totally submerged and floating unobstructed.

Allow to brine for at least 5 hours.

Remove, lightly rinse off with water and pat dry with paper towel.  Place pork chops on a plate and sprinkle with extra seasonings, the amount depends on you and your taste.  Sprinkle both sides and allow to sit for about an hour before you start cooking.

Cook the chops anyway you like!  Bake, grill, or sautee.  It’s up to you!  Allow chops to rest about 5 minutes after cooking, serve and enjoy!

Next to grilling, my favorite way to cook chops is first with a skillet and then finishing them in the oven.  That’s how I prepared these chops.

Cooking the chops:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  I heated a large skillet over medium heat and added a bit of olive oil.  I browned the chops on each side, about 3 minutes.  Then I removed them, added a splash of chicken stock and a splash of the same style beer I used in the brine.  Sometimes I’ll add in a spoonful of grainy mustard as well.  Stirred, and added the chops back in.  Turn off heat and place chops in the oven to finish cooking.  About 7-10 minutes.  Depends on the thickness of the chops.  If you have super thick ones, it will take a bit longer in the oven.

I give the chops a good coat in the sauce before plating.  Then serve!

You’ll notice that I didn’t add on any salt for the extra seasoning.  This is because there was salt in the brine and the chops will be plenty seasoned with that.

Bone-in chops tend to be more moist and juicy than boneless, but with a brine they are even more succulent and delicious!  Perfect for a special dinner or a fun day in the backyard with the grill!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Other Beer Recipes you might enjoy:

Spicy Shrimp and Sausage

Chili Rubbed Beer Can Chicken

Cheddar Beer Bread

Comments: 8

And while I don’t eat a lot of meat, one thing I love is sausage.  My love for it would be just a few levels down from seafood.  Seafood I would eat everyday if you gave it to me, sausage I have to be in the mood for.  I swear I’m not trying to make a joke with that statement.

Sometimes those two wants just happen to collide with each other.

I will tell you that because I love food so much, I am constantly thinking about it.  I would guess this is the way most foodies behave.  Wondering about your next meal, when you can get in the kitchen and create.  Or maybe that’s just me?

One day Scott asked me what we were having for dinner and my response was, “I’m not sure yet but I do know that some shrimp and sausage needs to find their way into my bellah right quick!”

Once I had a base plan, knowing I was going to use shrimp and sausage, I started formulating a recipe around them.  I decided I wanted something with a little bit of a kick and something saucy.  Sort of a take on jambalaya a little bit.

Then I realized that I also wanted to incorporate beer into the mix and well crap I needed to get a move on before I started drooling all over myself.

Andrea’s Spicy Shrimp and Sausage

• 1/2LB Kielbasa, cut into small bite size pieces
• 2 Spicy chicken sausage links of your choice, also cut into bite size pieces
• 1 Dozen medium sized shrimp, peeled (including removing the tail) and deveined
• 1 Small onion, sliced thin
• 1 Green pepper, sliced thin
• 1 14.5oz Can of diced tomatoes (can use flavored if you prefer)
• 1C Beer (dark, like a lager or red beer)
• 1/2TBSP Chili Garlic Sauce (from the Asian Foods aisle)
• 2TBSP Tomato Paste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
• 1tsp Chili Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• Olive oil for sauteeing

In a medium sized skillet (with high sides), drizzle a little bit of olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add in sausage and cook till they are browned and a bit crisp.  Remove from pan and drain off excess oil if there is some.  Then add in just a touch of olive oil and the peppers and onions.  Season with seasonings and stir.  Sautee just until they start to get soft, then add in the chili garlic sauce and tomato paste.  Stir till everything is coated, and cook for about another minute.  Add in the Worcestershire sauce and beer.  Be careful when adding alcohol.  Keep an eye out that you don’t get a flare up.  Then add the sausage back in and combine.  Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, giving time for all the ingredients to marry and enjoy each other’s company.  Add in the shrimp, stir, and cover with a lid.  Cook until shrimp is pink and done, about 3-5 minutes.

Give one final stir, pour mixture over rice, serve, and enjoy!

I don’t mind telling you that this dish was the flipping bomb-diggity.  I literally could not stop eating it nor exclaiming loudly to Scott that this, “Is freaking awesome!”  It was everything I hoped it would be, full of flavor, just a bit spicy, and totally saucy.

I put this on top of some Jasmine rice but you can use whatever rice you like.  Or maybe some noodles?

If you don’t dig on beer or don’t have any (which is a shame), stock/broth of your choice can be used.  I wouldn’t recommend water only because using a flavored liquid helps give the dish a little more umph and depth.

If you like super spicy, feel free to bump up the chili garlic sauce amount or even add in some red pepper flakes or jalapenos.  Totally up to you!

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 8

I made sure to tell Scott all about it and since then he has been saying, “Mmm spicy mac ‘n cheese” at random points.

Mac ‘n cheese isn’t something I make all that often but I have been making it since Scott and I first moved in together.  He grew up on that crazy boxed stuff and I personally think that stuff is disgusting (Gee do I want powder cheese? Or cheeze-whiz in a pouch for the “creamy” version. EW!).  We didn’t have it at my house.  We didn’t have mac ‘n cheese period, except when my neighbor would bring over some of the homemade kind which was amazing.

Because I had homemade I knew it could be done and whenever Scott would ask for mac ‘n cheese, I would make it for him.  I learned what a bechamel sauce was and how to make a great one.  Then I learned how to make short-cuts because I like being uber efficient in the kitchen.  Then I learned that I could do it my way and make it even better.

Scott stopped his random mutterings and straight up asked for some spicy mac ‘n cheese.  This was my first time making a spicy version and I’m pretty pleased with the results.

Andrea’s Spicy Mac ‘N Cheese

• 2 1/2C Whole Wheat Elbow pasta
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine
• 1/2 Medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2C Cubed Ham
• 2/3C Salsa (chunky preferably)
• 1C Chicken stock
• 2/3C Soymilk
• 2 1/2TBSP Unbleached all purpose flour (heaping)
• 1 1/2C Shredded pepperjack cheese
• 1/2C Shredded sharp cheddar
• Reserve some cheese for sprinkling on top
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1tsp Chili powder
• 2tsp Garlic powder
• 1/2tsp Smoked paprika
• Olive oil for sautéing

Preheat oven to 400.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Do not cook all the way but take until just shy of being done.  Set aside.  In a medium-sized skillet (one with high sides) add some olive oil (about 2 TBSP) and heat over medium heat.  Add the onions and jalapeno and sauté until they are soft (about 4 minutes).  Add in the red pepper flakes and the rest of the seasonings, combine.  Add in the flour and stir until everything is coated.  If this mixture looks dry, add in some additional olive oil, just a touch.  Allow to cook for about 2 minutes, then add in the salsa and stir.  Slowly add in the chicken stock and stir until the mixture is combined.  It should start to thicken up on you.  Let it start to simmer and thicken even more.  Add in the soymilk.  Turn the heat down and slowly add in the cheeses, stirring each time you add in some cheese.  Remember to hold some back for sprinkling on top.  The “sauce” should be thick and creamy by this point.  Turn the heat off and add in the pasta and ham cubes.  Combine.

Add mixture to a greased casserole dish.  Place in oven and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, then stir.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and place in oven to heat for about another 5-7 minutes.  You want the cheese melted and perhaps starting to brown on you.

Remove from oven and serve immediately!

You’ll notice right away a few things that make my mac ‘n cheese different from the norm:

• Using stock
• Using soymilk
• No butter

Personally to have a great dish I don’t think you need to have a lot of “heavy” things.  Mac ‘n cheese can be creamy and glorious without heavy cream, butter, and tons of cheese.

The chicken stock helps keep things on the lighter end and you can just as easily use veggie broth or No-Chicken chicken broth instead.  Heck you can even use some white wine (which I’ve done before.  Surprised? I didn’t think so.) to give it some depth and umph.

I don’t even keep dairy milk in the house so soymilk is my go-to for most things.  It’s creamy and you cannot even tell that soymilk is used instead of regular milk.

Whole wheat pasta because that’s how we roll over here.

There is a good bit of cheese still in this dish but it’s not over-the-top considering this fills up a huge casserole dish and leaves plenty for leftovers.  My mac ‘n cheese isn’t a super creamy saucy dish just because that’s not our preference.  It has just the right amount of pasta-to-sauce-to-cheese ratio.

Since it’s a spicy version, I went with pepperjack as the main cheese but you can use whatever you like.  Using chunky salsa helps provide heat and also adds color and texture to the dish.  It really makes the dish in my opinion.

Scott loves ham with his mac ‘n cheese and I always make sure he gets it.  You can omit it though if it’s not something you dig on.  It won’t affect the ingredient portions at all.

We loved this dish and it made Scott start back up with the random, “Mmm spicy mac ‘n cheese” outbursts.  We’re outta ham though so he’s going to have to wait!

This dish also freezes well but be careful when reheating that you don’t overcook it and dry the cheese out.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Comments: 19

Today’s tip is also about brining because there’s always more to learn!

The basic base for a brine is water right?  But brining liquid doesn’t have to be just water based, oh no friends, you can use anything.  A list of things I’ve used in brining include:

• Wine
• Beer (hellz yeah!)
• Apple Cider
• Unsweetened cranberry juice

All that sounds pretty tasty right?  And it totally is!  A brine consists of:

• Liquid
• Salt
• Sugar
• Seasonings and miscellaneous veggies

Some people don’t use sugar when they brine but that’s not a practice I subscribe to, so for the purposes of this post, we will be talking about a sugar and salt brine.  I typically will use just a touch less sugar in my brine than salt.  If it’s a straight-on even amount, I find that the meat becomes too sweet and you lose some of the savory components of a lovely roast or grilled dinner.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you are using a liquid that tends to be on the sweeter side, for example apple cider or even the cranberry juice, you will need to take this into consideration when creating the brine.  You will have to add in even less sugar than you normally would because the meat will be able to pull sugar out of the liquid as it’s brining.

The same rule applies if you are adding in a sweet aromatic to help season the brine, such as some fruit.  Fruit contains a good bit of sugar and you will need to factor that in as you create the brine.

An example of a sweeter type of brine is one using apple cider and cranberry juice.  While I did use unsweetened cranberry juice, cranberries still contain sugar, so keep that in mind.

Andrea’s Apple cider brine for Two bone-in Chicken breasts:

2 bone-in chicken breasts

For the liquid:

• 1C unsweetened cranberry juice
• 3C apple cider
• 2C water
• 1/4C kosher salt
• 1.5 TBSP brown sugar

Seasonings and aromatics:

• 1/4-1/2 yellow onion chunked
• 2 large carrots
• 1/4 green pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 chipotle peppers + 2 spoons of sauce
• 2 small red apples cut in half
• 3 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp chili powder (salt free)
• Large pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 dashes of cayenne pepper
• Small dash of cinnamon

In a very large mixing bowl combine the ingredients for the liquid brine.  Stir until all the sugar and salt is dissolved.  Add in the remaining ingredients and stir.  Add in the chicken breasts, add more water so that the chickens are completely submerged and covered with liquid.  Make sure the bowl is large enough that the chickens have plenty of room and they are not stacked on top of each other.  Brine for about 6 hours.  Remove from brine and rinse under cold water.  Pat dry with paper towels and season the chicken with seasonings of your choice.  I used:

• Garlic powder
• Ground pepper
• Rosemary
• Smoked paprika
• Chili powder

Place in roasting dish with a splash of broth for basting.  Bake at 375 until cooked through, about 20 minutes to half an hour.  Allow to rest for two minutes and then serve.

This made one of the best brines we’ve had for some time.  The chicken was totally tender with just a hint of sweetness in the background but not so much that it over powered the savory spices.  You could use this brine for chicken legs as well or even try it with some bone-in pork chops.

Because I used two juices, plus apples in this brine, I kept the brown sugar down to a minimum.  You could even get away with using 1TBSP of brown sugar as well.  I used 1.5 TBSP just to play it safe.

Since I brine a good bit whenever we have poultry or pork, it gives me a chance to play around with combinations.  Experimenting with brines is so much fun!  Give brines a chance guys because you can walk away with some mighty tasty dishes!

Here’s a list of last year’s Thanksgiving Tuesday Tips!

Plan out Thanksgiving

Prep and chop veggies ahead of time

Brining is your friend

Simmering stock with veggie trimmings

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