I recently smoked a great salmon recipe from this site which involved curing the salmon with a brown sugar/salt (plus other ingredients) rub. I really liked the simplicity of this approach. Now I'm wondering if I might be able use a (perhaps slightly modified) version of this brown sugar rub on boneless/skinless turkey breasts that I like to smoke on the WSM. This approach seems a lot easier than messing with a bucket and liquid brine. Are curing and brining pretty much the same thing?
Curing and Brining..the same thing?
- Thread starter Tom K.
- Start date
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
No, they are not the same.
Though Chris (in his recipe) refers to allowing the salmon to 'cure' 3 hours he does so because the mix he is using is applied dry and not mixed into water (alone or with other liquids) which would then be called a brine.
'Curing' refers to a process by which the item cured is rendered inhospitable to bacteria. Salt cures meat through osmosis; it draws the water from the meat and dehydrate any bacteria killing them. Mostly, though, meats are cured with a combination of salt, sodium nitrite, possibly sodium nitrate and, often, sugar. Meat must be cured for long term storage and it must be cured if it is to be smoked at low temps, usually between 90-160 degrees. There are curing mixes that are applied dry and mixes that are mixed with water first (a brine) for soaking and/or injecting.
You can apply a dry rub to boneless/skinless turkey breast but caveat: the salt in the mix will draw water out of the meat. If allowed to stay on too long your meat will finish dryer.
Though Chris (in his recipe) refers to allowing the salmon to 'cure' 3 hours he does so because the mix he is using is applied dry and not mixed into water (alone or with other liquids) which would then be called a brine.
'Curing' refers to a process by which the item cured is rendered inhospitable to bacteria. Salt cures meat through osmosis; it draws the water from the meat and dehydrate any bacteria killing them. Mostly, though, meats are cured with a combination of salt, sodium nitrite, possibly sodium nitrate and, often, sugar. Meat must be cured for long term storage and it must be cured if it is to be smoked at low temps, usually between 90-160 degrees. There are curing mixes that are applied dry and mixes that are mixed with water first (a brine) for soaking and/or injecting.
You can apply a dry rub to boneless/skinless turkey breast but caveat: the salt in the mix will draw water out of the meat. If allowed to stay on too long your meat will finish dryer.
Jim Minion
TVWBB Emerald Member
Curing can be done wet or dry but a brine is not a cure unless a curing agent is added to it.
The salmon recipe is not a cure in the pure sence, it's job is the denature the protien firming up the flesh and adds flavor.
Poultry is better handled in a wet brine and would suggest you go there.
There are many applications for dry curing larger cuts of pork and beef that are useful such as ham, bacon, pastrami, and bresaola. It takes days to make it work if you were to use on poulry you would end up with jerky.
Jim
The salmon recipe is not a cure in the pure sence, it's job is the denature the protien firming up the flesh and adds flavor.
Poultry is better handled in a wet brine and would suggest you go there.
There are many applications for dry curing larger cuts of pork and beef that are useful such as ham, bacon, pastrami, and bresaola. It takes days to make it work if you were to use on poulry you would end up with jerky.
Jim