How Can I Tell If Meat Has Been Brined?
My wife and I were eating some rotisserie chicken the other night and she commented something to the effect of "I think they brined this because I can taste the seasoning pretty deep in the meat."
I she probably right? Is there a surefire way to tell if what you're eating has been brined? Perhaps by telltale marks or coloring?
Best Answer
Empirically, you could use a salinity meter-- one that is made for checking salt water fish tanks. The only other thing I can think of that would drive seasoning into the meat would be cooking in a pressure cooker. I believe some grocery stores employ such a method on chicken before finishing in a rotisserie. Certain fried chicken chains also deep-fry in a pressure vessel which could yield similar results.
Pictures about "How Can I Tell If Meat Has Been Brined?"
How do I know if my chicken is pre brined?
Check the label on the package of chicken. If it says anything about a sodium solution. It has more than likely been brined already.What happens when meat is brined?
Brining is the process of submerging a cut of meat into a solution of salt and water. It adds flavor, seasoning from the inside out, but it also changes the meat's physical nature. The salt in brine denatures the meat's proteins to allow the cells to retain more moisture.How do I know if my turkey is pre brined?
It's not unheard-of for store bought turkeys to be injected with brine to impart moisture. If you see a label that has ingredients other than turkey, your bird may be pre-brined. If you brine a pre-brined turkey, you will end up with a very salty Thanksgiving centerpiece.Should brine be washed off?
Rinse off the brine and pat it as dry as possible before cooking. Remember that wet skin prior to roasting will make for a soggy\u2014rather than crispy and golden-brown\u2014bird, so don't let your hard work be upstaged by a lackluster finish.Should you brine your steak? -- Steak EXPERIMENT !!!
More answers regarding how Can I Tell If Meat Has Been Brined?
Answer 2
It would be hard to tell with rotisserie chicken, because of the way it's cooked. Flavors penetrate it very easily due to the whole "impaled on a spit" aspect of the cooking process, and rotisserie style meat is basted often. The best way to find out is to simply ask the cooks.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: MART PRODUCTION, MART PRODUCTION, MART PRODUCTION, Rachel Claire