Chipotle Brine recipe


 
I marinated some chicken in a chipotle marinate I bought in the store and it was very good. I was wondering how a chicken would taste if it was brined in a chipotle brine? Has anyone tried this and if so what was the result? Does anyone have recipe for a chipotle brine?

Bones
 
I found this and although I haven't tried it, I certainly would love to try it. It lists epazote. Hmmm, it's described as

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Definition: A Mexican herb that has a very strong taste and sometimes has a gasoline or perfumey type odor. It has been used in Mexican cuisine for thousands of years dating back to the Aztecs who used it for cooking as well as for medicinal purposes. Although epazote is poisonous in large quantities, it has been used in moderation to help relieve abdominal discomfort (gassiness) that can come from eating beans. It has become a distinct flavor in Mexican cuisine and is now used to season a variety of dishes including beans, soups, salads and quesadillas. The older leaves have a stronger flavor and should be used sparingly. Younger leaves have a milder, yet richer flavor.

Epazote grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates and will reach a height of over 2 feet. It grows in the wild in Mexico and America and you may even have it growing in your own backyard. It is hearty and sometimes is referred to as a weed. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I bolded the "gasoline" part. Tasty
icon_biggrin.gif


Anyways, most chipotle brine recipes just add the chipotle (and sometimes the adobe sauce it comes canned in) to the brine mix.

Here's the recipe. Although this recipe shows it being grilled, it can easily be done on the smoker with the usual setup:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Chipotle Brined Grilled Butterflied Turkey

For the Brine:
1 quart boiling hot water
2 cups salt
1/2 cup sugar
7 quarts cold water
1 can chipotle in adobo, pureed
1/4 cup ground cumin
2 tbsp dried epazote (can omit if unable to find)
2 tbsp chile powder
1 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tbsp mexican oregano
3 tbsp paprika

1 approximately 11-14lb turkey
oil
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 aluminum roasting pan.

melted butter, for basting

Add the salt and sugar to the boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Place the seasoned water into an extra large stock pot. The pot needs to be big enough to hold 8 quarts of water plus the turkey. Add the rest of the ingredients for the brine to the pot. Mix well. Allow the brine to come to room temperature. Depending on how cold your water was you may not need to wait at all.

Remove the neck and internal organs from the cavity of the turkey. Discard or save for another use. Using sharp poultry shears cut out the back-bone of the turkey. Once the backbone has been removed flip the bird over, breast-side up. On a solid surface, press down firmly on the bird to crack the breast bone and allow the turkey to lay flat. If necessary, you can use poultry shears to assist in breaking the breast bone. (Here's the video for this process once again.)

Completely submerge the butterflied turkey into the room temperature brine. Put a lid on the pot or cover with plastic wrap then place entire pot into the refrigerator. Allow the turkey to sit in the brine, refrigerated, for 12-18 hours.

1 hour before cooking, remove the turkey from the brine and place on a wire rack over a sheet pan at room temperature. Allow the bird to drip dry and come to room temperature. After 50 minutes, pat the bird dry with paper towels. Coat all surfaces of the turkey with oil then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

While the bird is resting at room temperature, prepare the grill. Prepare 1/2 of the grill for cooking over high heat and leave 1/2 of the grill for indirect cooking. If desired, you can use soaked wood chips in a smoker box or aluminum packet to add an extra smokey flavor.

Place the aluminum roasting pan on the side of the grill without heat (for indirect grilling).

Once the grill is hot place the seasoned butterflied turkey skin-side down on the HOT sided of the grill. Grill the turkey over high heat for about 6-8 minutes until the skin starts to crisp and nice grill marks have been seared in. Using two sets of tongs or your hands inside of rubber cooking mits, flip the bird. Allow the flesh side to cook over the high heat for another 6-8 minutes until it too has nice grill marks.

After the bird has been marked on both sides, carefully place it skin-side up into the aluminum pan off of the direct heat. Place an internal digital thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh, not touching any bones. If your thermometer has an alarm set it for 168 degrees. Shut the lid to the grill. Try to maintain a temperature inside the dome of the grill of about 350-375 degrees.

Allow the turkey to roast on the grill over indirect heat until an internal temperature of about 168 has been reached, basting with melted butter and rotating the aluminum pan 180 degrees every 20 minutes. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the bird so USE A THERMOMETER! Once the desired internal temperature has been reached, remove the pan with the bird from the grill. Loosely cover the turkey with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes so that the juices can be redistributed throughout the meat. To slice first remove the drumstick and thigh in order to better access the breast meat. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

http://www.whatwereeating.com/...-butterflied-turkey/
 
Welcome Steven,

I've never used a chipotle brine. My thoughts on this are that the flavor would be negligible for 2 reasons. 1) Poultry can be brined quickly; a couple to 12 hours. 2) a flavor brine takes much longer to infuse the flavor into the meat. In other words, the brining aspect (adding moisture in this case) will be accomplished well before very much flavor is absorbed. I recommend a 2 step process; brine and then use a saltless rub or paste.

Paul
 

 

Back
Top