overcooking and drying out). While the brined breast was
slightly juicier, flavorwise and texturewise, I’d take the
salted chicken over the brined any day.
What About Flavored Brines?
First off, don’t try to brine your turkey or chicken in cider
(or any other acidic marinade, for that matter). Just don’t.
The acid in the cider will begin the denaturization process of
the meat, effectively “cooking” it without heat. The results?
Ultradry meat with a wrinkled, completely desiccated
exterior, like this:
Cider-brined chicken breast.More interesting were the results of the broth brined
chicken. It seems like the ultimate solution, right? If brining
forces bland water into your meat, why not replace that
water with flavorful broth?
Unfortunately, physics is a fickle mistress who refuses to
be reined in. In tasting the broth-brined chicken next to the
plain brined chicken, there was barely a noticeable