Wet brining steaks

[21TonyK]

Anyone tried it?

[Mobile Chicane]

Why would you do that?

[Silvanus]

I brine plenty of meat but not sure I would brine steak, not sure why you would

[ZedLeg]

Yeah, unless you're doing something like chicken fried steak I'm not sure why you'd need to? Surely the whole point with steak is drying out the surface as much as possible so you get a good maillard reaction?

[DrJNA]

I always tend to brine my Pork and Chicken, but never steak or red meat - not sure why, it just seems wrong.

Definitely makes Pork and Chicken really delicious. Usually a 5% NaCl and 2.5% Brown sugar and herbs into boiling water. Allow to cool and then submerge meat for 24 hours. Before you cook really make sure you get the surface dry to ensure a good browning. With Chicken with skin on, I usually leave it in the fridge unwrapped to allow the skin to dry out throughly else it wont crisp.

[HD Adam]

ZedLeg said:

Yeah, unless you're doing something like chicken fried steak I'm not sure why you'd need to? Surely the whole point with steak is drying out the surface as much as possible so you get a good maillard reaction?

This.

I put the steaks on a rack in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking them. Dry aged, innit?

Chicken fried steak doesn't need it. Just pound it out & batter it.

I do brine chicken wings & other pieces if butting them on the bbq.

[21TonyK]

After a lot of reading I'm trying a straight 5% salt wet brine for 12 hours on some bavette.

[Mobile Chicane]

21TonyK said:

After a lot of reading I'm trying a straight 5% salt wet brine for 12 hours on some bavette.

Do report back.

If there's any cut of steak I would brine it would be that. In aromats. Rosemary, garlic etc.

Or maybe onglet to minimise the 'livery' taste.

[rdjohn]

Always buy your steak from a butcher who slices it in front of you, never in a cling-filmed tray. It should not need much drying. Salt both sides 2-hours before use to allow it to permeate.

You then need to really screw-up to serve a bad steak from that point.

[21TonyK]

Mobile Chicane said:

21TonyK said:

After a lot of reading I'm trying a straight 5% salt wet brine for 12 hours on some bavette.

Do report back.

If there's any cut of steak I would brine it would be that. In aromats. Rosemary, garlic etc.

Or maybe onglet to minimise the 'livery' taste.

Interesting result, not quite what I expected. I'll stick up a couple of pics later. Basically the brined piece did not colour as well as the unbrined and it was brined for too long as you could taste salt as opposed to improved flavour. But the texture changed a lot, still had a bit of bite but not chewy in any way. Mrs21 preferred it to unbrined and I think with a reduced time (maybe 8 hours) and using beef stock not just salt water you could get something better than plain bavette. I will experiment further.


Steaks after 12 hours in the fridge (brined bit obvious, this has 12 hours in 5% solution before the fridge drying)


Brined and unbrined pieces cooked together, paler piece is the brined steak.


And sliced, near indentical but texture of the brined piece (right hand) much softer.

Edited by 21TonyK on Wednesday 27th July 07:10

[Mobile Chicane]

Looks interesting.

[21TonyK]

Mobile Chicane said:

Looks interesting.

Next time I'll try brining with MSG for 8 hours and see what that does, the salt flavour was not off putting but togther with "normal" levels of seasoning it would be over the top for anyone who isn't used to heavily seasoned food. Be interesting to see what adding a small % of shio koji does half way through the brine as well, don;t want to change the flavour but it would solve the browning issue and might give it more of an aged flavour.

[Mobile Chicane]

21TonyK said:

Mobile Chicane said:

Looks interesting.

Next time I'll try brining with MSG for 8 hours and see what that does, the salt flavour was not off putting but togther with "normal" levels of seasoning it would be over the top for anyone who isn't used to heavily seasoned food. Be interesting to see what adding a small % of shio koji does half way through the brine as well, don;t want to change the flavour but it would solve the browning issue and might give it more of an aged flavour.

I wonder whether [spit] vegan aminos might add umami but without the saltiness.

[21TonyK]

Mobile Chicane said:

21TonyK said:

Mobile Chicane said:

Looks interesting.

Next time I'll try brining with MSG for 8 hours and see what that does, the salt flavour was not off putting but togther with "normal" levels of seasoning it would be over the top for anyone who isn't used to heavily seasoned food. Be interesting to see what adding a small % of shio koji does half way through the brine as well, don;t want to change the flavour but it would solve the browning issue and might give it more of an aged flavour.

I wonder whether [spit] vegan aminos might add umami but without the saltiness.

It's an idea, I'll give the MSG a go (just because I have piles of it) but worth playing around, I have a vegan boss now....

[Mobile Chicane]

I’m going to experiment. If it isn’t nice, the cats can eat it.

[21TonyK]

MSG experiment... 5% MSG brine + 2.5% shio koji added after 12 hours for a further 4, total 16 hours. Rinse and fridge dry for 8 hours.

Original steak.



Pre-brining weight.



Post brine... softer texture, stretchy!



Weight.



Post cook.



Final test.



Very little in it but brined piece softer texture, unseasoned little taste difference but once seasoned brined piece definite flavour change more pronounced meaty flavour. Not huge but say 25% increase.

Next time same MSG but longer brine, maybe 16 then shio koji for a further 8.

[Mobile Chicane]

Bump!

OP - have you experimented further?

I have some bavette steak and fancy a bit of science over the weekend.