Best Beer Brine Recipes

BEER BRINE

Steps:

• Place peppercorns, thyme, bay, garlic, water, salt, and brown sugar in a saucepan,.
• and heat to a boil, stirring until salt and brown sugar dissolves and mixture becomes.
• mostly clear.
• Remove from heat and stir beer. Allow to cool.
• Pour mixture over selected meat (chicken, pork, turkey, etc) in a food safe container or plastic bag, ensuring that meat is covered (make more brine if needed).
• Refrigerate meat and allow to brine for about 12 hours.
• Then remove meat from brine and pat dry, afterwards cooking as desired.

JAN'S BEER-BRINED CORNED BEEF

Steps:

• Place water, 3 bottles beer, 2 onions, kosher salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, curing salt, 1/4 cup pickling spice, and 2 tablespoons garlic in a very large pot. Stir well until salts are dissolved. Add beef; stir gently. Use a large bowl or heavy plate to keep the beef submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, stirring once a day, for 4 days.
• Soak wood chips in apple juice for 2 hours.
• Remove beef from pot, discarding brine, and rinse well until cold water. Let beef come to room temperature.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to 150 to 175 degrees F (65 to 80 degrees C). Place soaked wood chips in a shallow aluminum pan on the heat source.
• Place meat directly on the grate and allow to smoke for 2 hours.
• Combine 1 beer, 1 onion, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons pickling spice, 2 tablespoons chopped garlic, and black pepper in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into a large roasting pan. Place beef in braising liquid in the roasting pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Increase grill temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Place the roasting pan on the grill and close the lid.
• Roast the beef until tender, 3 to 4 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (60 degrees C).
• Remove beef from the roasting pan, discarding braising liquid. Let beef cool until easily handled.
• Slice beef into very thin slices across the grain.

BEER-BRINED BEER-CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the brine: Combine the beer, brown sugar, salt, orange zest, orange juice and cardamom pods in a bowl; stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
• Put the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and add the brine; seal and refrigerate 2 hours.
• Prepare the grill: For a charcoal grill, pile 3 to 4 pounds briquettes in the grill; ignite and let burn until the coals are ashy. For a gas grill, preheat to high.
• Prepare the chicken: Remove from the brine and pat dry; reserve the orange zest and cardamom. Rub the olive oil all over the skin. Loosen the skin on the breasts and legs with your fingers; rub 1 garlic clove under and over the skin. Combine the brown sugar, coriander, cumin, paprika, allspice, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper; rub under and over the skin of the chicken and inside the cavity.
• Pour half of the remaining beer can into a disposable 8-inch-square pan. Add the reserved orange zest to the pan. Poke 3 or 4 holes into the top sides of the beer can using a paring knife. Add the remaining 3 smashed garlic cloves and the reserved cardamom pods to the can.
• For a charcoal grill, bank the coals to both sides in two piles; nestle the pan with the beer between the coals and replace the top grill grate. For a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium on one side and turn off the burners on the other; place the pan under the grate on the unlit side.
• Set the chicken over the beer can, inserting the can into the cavity so 1 inch of the can is exposed. Set on the grill grates over the drip pan so the chicken balances on the can and legs like a tripod. Cover the grill and cook until the chicken is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. If using charcoal, this will take about 1 hour 20 minutes; add a handful of briquettes to each bank of coals every 30 minutes to maintain the heat. If using gas, it will take about 1 hour 5 minutes; carefully rotate the chicken halfway through.
• Remove the chicken from the grill, discard the can and transfer to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes before carving.

BEER-BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Line 2-quart bowl or saucepan with 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add water, kosher salt and brown sugar; stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in beer. Add chicken. Tightly seal bag; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Remove chicken from brine; rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine. Place chicken, breast side up, in pan. Refrigerate uncovered 1 hour to dry chicken skin. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all rub ingredients except oil; set aside.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Brush oil over chicken. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture; rub into chicken skin. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and drumsticks). Let stand 15 minutes for easiest carving.

BEER-BRINED BARBECUE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Brine the chicken: Combine 1 can of beer, the salt, granulated sugar, hot sauce and bay leaves in a very large bowl and whisk until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the remaining 2 cans of beer, 4 cups water and the chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Make the barbecue sauce: Combine the orange juice, vinegar, onion, garlic, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender until smooth. (The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat a grill to medium low and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly season the chicken with salt, then arrange on the grill, skin-side up. Cover and cook until marked, about 12 minutes per side. Continue cooking, flipping and basting the chicken with the barbecue sauce every 3 to 4 minutes (keep covered in between), until a thermometer inserted into the center of a breast registers 165 degrees F, about 15 more minutes. Transfer to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before serving.