Mastering the Grill_ The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking - Andrew Schloss [259]
2. Put the bag in a bowl just large enough to hold it snugly. Open the bag and add the meat. Seal the zipper, leaving about an inch open; push on the bag to release any trapped air through the opening, and close the zipper completely. Massage the liquid gently into the meat and refrigerate for the suggested time.
Cumin, Coriander, and Lime Brine
The combination of cumin and coriander may be exotic in mainstream America, but it is one of the most common pairings in world cuisine, helping to define the flavors of North Africa, the Middle East, India, and Latin America. This brine infuses whatever it touches with a fragrant base that can be made spicy, sweet, floral, or cooling by adding a chile pepper to the mix, substituting honey for the sugar, or replacing the cilantro with freshly chopped mint.
TIMING
Prep: 5 minutes
GETTING CREATIVE
• This versatile brine can be made Mexican with the addition of dried or fresh chiles; Moroccan with some cinnamon and turmeric; Middle Eastern with mint and garlic; and Indian with some ginger, cardamom, and crushed red chile flakes.
• For Tequila Brine, replace the water with tequila.
THE TWO CORIANDERS
Both the leaves and dried fruit of the parsleylike herb coriander are common in world cuisines, and although they come from the same plant, they couldn’t be more different in flavor or in how they are used culinarily.
The dried fruit, which is round, pale brown, and about the size of a peppercorn, has a citrusy, floral fragrance that is the base of the Indian spice blend garam masala, is a standard ingredient in pickling spices, and is one of the distinctive flavors in hot dogs.
BRINING TIME
Brining small seafood and thin fish: 30 minutes
Brining thick fish and boneless poultry: 1 hour
Brining bone-in poultry, chops, and steaks: 2 to 3 hours
Brining roasts: 3 to 8 hours (depending on size)
GOOD WITH
Seafood: shrimp, scallops, salmon, any white-fleshed fish
Poultry: chicken, turkey, game hen
Meat: beef, pork
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The leaf, which is called cilantro in Hispanic markets, Chinese parsley in Asian groceries, and fresh coriander around the Mediterranean, looks like flat-leaf parsley but is paler green and has a more delicate leaf with a rounded edge. It is highly fragrant and needs very little cooking to release its flavor. If you don’t like cilantro (some people think it tastes soapy), you can substitute flat-leaf parsley; the results won’t taste the same, but if you don’t like cilantro that could be seen as a benefit.
Coriander is only sold dried; the leaf is sold both fresh and dried, although dried coriander does not have much fragrance. Cilantro (the leaf) is also available frozen and as a paste sold in a tube. Both of these products have good flavor.
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INGREDIENTS (MAKES ABOUT 1¼ CUPS)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup water Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the ingredients in a gallon-size zipper-lock bag; seal and shake until the salt and sugar dissolve, about 30 seconds.
2. Put the bag in a bowl just large enough to hold it snugly. Open the bag and add the meat. Seal the zipper, leaving about an inch open; push on the bag to release any trapped air through the opening, and close the zipper completely. Massage the liquid gently into the meat and refrigerate for the suggested time.
Margarita Brine
With a bit less salt, this brine would be drinkable! With the classic margarita flavors—tequila, lime, and orange—it is perfect for poultry and quite good on pork and fish as well. Use it whenever you want to infuse meat, poultry, or fish with a Mexican flair.
TIMING
Prep: 5 minutes
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BRINING TIME
Brining small seafood and thin fish: 30 minutes
Brining thick fish and boneless poultry: 1 hour
Brining bone-in poultry, chops, and steaks: 2 to 3 hours
Brining roasts: 3 to