Read Online Smoking Meat by Jeff Phillips - Free Book Online Page A

15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let the brine cool for a few minutes before placing it in the refrigerator.
    Setting the bird or fish in the brine
    The brine solution
must
cool down to a temperature of 33° F to 39° F before you pour it over the meat. This is crucial to keep the meat safe from spoilage. Once the brine is in the 33° F to 39° F range, pour it along with any remaining water from your initial 1 gallon into a nonreactive container such as an ice chest, a large Tupperware bowl, or a 1- to 2-gallon Ziploc bag—anything that is clean and made of glass or food-grade plastic and is large enough to cover the meat you are brining will work great. It’s always a good idea to make enough brine to cover the meat completely rather than having to stop and make another batch. I like to make a little extra just to be sure, but you’ll have to use your own judgment. I have found that 2 gallons is plenty of brine for a 12-pound turkey when using a 5-gallon plastic bucket.
    A chicken or turkey will tend to float to the top of the brine. To keep the bird completely submerged in the water, I place a heavy plate on top of it. You can also put a clean brick into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and place it on the bird. Either way, the poultry must be completely covered with the brine.
    Food-grade plastic
    When brining, it is very important to use only glass or plastic containers made of food-grade plastic. It can be difficult to determine if a container is food grade or not, so the best option is to use a plastic container marked for handling food, such as a Tupperware bowl or a bucket from a restaurant or food-service establishment that previously contained sauce, oil, or other edible items.
    How long should you brine?
    Different sizes of bird need to be brined for different amounts of time. For instance, a whole chicken will require only about three to four hours, while a 12-pound turkey will need to brine overnight or from 10 to 12 hours for best results. Turkey legs will do just fine with about two hours of brining.
    THE SMOKING MEAT PANTRY
    Several folks have asked me over the years which spices, condiments, and other ingredients they should keep on hand so they can smoke meat when the urge arises. This is very personal and should be tailored to your own needs and tastes, but I have provided some guidelines to make sure you are well stocked.
    Must-Have Dried Spices
    Here is my dream spice rack. It would be ideal to have each of these in stock and organized in alphabetical order so the one you want is easy to find. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but these are the items I could do almost anything with.
Allspice, ground
Aniseed
Arrowroot powder
Basil leaves
Bay leaves
Black pepper
Caraway seed
Cardamom, ground
Cardamom seed
Cayenne pepper
Celery seed
Chervil
Chili powder
Chopped chives
Cinnamon, ground
Cinnamon sticks
Cloves, ground
Cloves, whole
Coriander, ground
Coriander seed
Cream of tartar
Cumin, ground
Curry powder
Dill seed
Fennel seed
Garlic powder
Garlic salt
Ginger, ground
Italian seasoning
Kosher salt
Lemon peel
Mace
Marjoram leaves
Mustard powder
Mustard seed
Nutmeg, ground
Onion powder
Onion salt
Orange peel
Oregano, ground
Paprika
Parsley
Peppermint leaves
Pickling spice
Poppy seed
Poultry seasoning
Red pepper flakes
Rosemary leaves
Saffron
Sage, rubbed
Sesame seed
Spearmint leaves
Tarragon leaves
Thyme, ground
Thyme leaves
Turmeric
White pepper
    Other Useful Pantry Items
    Here is a list of condiments, sauces, and miscellaneous dry ingredients—some of which need refrigeration—that are also useful pantry items. They add so much flavor to the smoking recipes I like to throw together at a moment’s notice.
Apple juice
Beef broth
Brown sugar
Chicken broth
Curing salt (such as Morton Tender Quick)
Extra virgin olive oil
Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
Ketchup
Lemon juice
Mustard
Ready-to-use injectable marinades (such as Cajun Injector brand)
Soy sauce
Sriracha sauce
Tabasco sauce
Turbinado