On Food and Cooking

6% salt by weight for anywhere from a few
hours to two days (depending on thickness)
before being cooked as usual. They come out
noticeably juicier.
Brining has two initial effects. First, salt
disrupts the structure of the muscle filaments.
A 3% salt solution (2 tablespoons per quart/30
gm per liter) dissolves parts of the protein
structure that supports the contracting
filaments, and a 5.5% solution (4 tablespoons
per quart/60 gm per liter) partly dissolves the
filaments themselves. Second, the interactions
of salt and proteins result in a greater water-
holding capacity in the muscle cells, which
then absorb water from the brine. (The inward
movement of salt and water and disruptions of
the muscle filaments into the meat also
increase its absorption of aromatic molecules
from any herbs and spices in the brine.) The
meat’s weight increases by 10% or more.
When cooked, the meat still loses around 20%
of its weight in moisture, but this loss is