Mean Chefs Apple Brine Recipes

MEAN CHEF'S APPLE BRINE

Steps:

• bring apple juice, sugar and salt to a boil over high heat, skim foam, let cool to room temperature.
• Add remaining ingredients.
• Brine turkey for 24 hours.
• Quantity is sufficient for a 14 pound turkey.

MEAN CHEF'S MAPLE BRINE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in large stainless steel pot.
• Bring to simmer, remove from heat and cool completely Remove turkey neck and giblets.
• Rinse turkey well.
• Put turkey in cold brine.
• Use a stainless, plastic or other non-reactive container.
• Add water if brine doesn't cover bird.
• Refrigerate 2- 4 days, turning bird twice a day.
• To cook: remove turkey from brine, pat dry, brush with olive oil.
• Either grill or cook in oven.
• It is also advantageous to leave the dry turkey in the refrigerator for at least 4 hour or overnight, uncovered.
• This completely dries out the skin to insure a crisp finish.
• DO NOT stuff turkey.

APPLE BRINE

Steps:

• Dump all the ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes. Strain the brine into a bowl, cool to room temperature, and then chill completely in the fridge before using.
• Add chops to the brine and let them marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. Pull them out and dry them off before grilling, or using in a recipe.
• Makes enough for 4-6 pounds of pork.

MAPLE-BRINED PORK ROAST WITH APPLES, ONIONS, AND MUSTARD BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• For brine:
• Stir 2 cups water and 1/3 cup coarse salt in medium saucepan over medium heat until salt dissolves. Remove from heat. Add maple syrup, garlic, sage, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add 2 cups ice water; cool brine to room temperature. Place roast in large resealable freezer bag; place bag in large pot. Pour brine into bag with roast; seal bag. Place in refrigerator and brine pork overnight.
• Remove pork from brine; discard brine. Let pork stand 1 hour at room temperature.
• For vegetables and breadcrumbs:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place first 4 ingredients on heavy 18x12x1-inch rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper; toss to coat. Push mixture to sides of sheet, making room for roast in center.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Pat pork dry. Place roast, fat side down, in skillet and cook until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer roast, browned side up, to center of baking sheet with apple-onion mixture.
• Add apple cider to drippings in skillet. Boil cider until reduced to 1 cup, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour reduced cider over apple-onion mixture. Mix maple syrup and 11/2 tablespoons mustard in small bowl for glaze. Brush half of glaze over browned side of pork.
• Roast pork until instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 140°F, brushing every 45 minutes with remaining glaze, about 2 hours total. Transfer pork to work surface and let rest 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir melted butter and remaining 1 tablespoon mustard in medium bowl. Add breadcrumbs; toss to coat. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Spread out on small rimmed baking sheet. Increase oven temperature to 375°F.
• Bake breadcrumbs until golden brown and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Cut pork into scant 1/2-inch-thick slices off bone. Divide among plates. Using slotted spoon, divide apple-onion mixture among plates. Pour juices from baking sheet into small pitcher. Sprinkle mustard breadcrumbs over pork and serve, passing juices alongside.
• What to drink:
• Fruity and spicy En Route 2007 "Les Pommiers" Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($50).

MEAN CHEF'S PERFECT SCRAMBLED EGGS

Steps:

• Crack the eggs into a bowl, add 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and beat thoroughly with the whisk.
• Place a 2-3 qt saucepan with a tablespoon of butter over medium heat, swirling to film the bottom and sides.
• When the butter foams, pour all the eggs into hot pan and immediately being stirring with the whisk, clearing the thickening eggs from the sides and bottom of the pan and breaking up any lumps.
• Be sure to run the whisk around the bottom corners to dislodge any egg that may stick there.
• Cook for a minute or slightly more, steadily whisking, until the eggs are uniformly thickened but still quite soft, with very small and creamy curds.
• Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in another spoon of butter and 1 or 2 tablespoons of cream, and quickly spoon the eggs into a soft mound on a warm plate.
• Serve immediately with a garnish of your choice.

APPLE-BRINE

Steps:

• Dump all the ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes. Strain the brine into a bowl, cool to room temperature, and then chill completely in the refrigerator before using.
• Add chops to the brine and let them marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. Pull them out and dry them off before using in a recipe.
• Brining Pork Chop
• The new leaner style pork is missing something-fat. That great old conveyor of flavor and succulence has been bred right out of the loin meat of my favorite critter. Lean meat may be healthier, but I found that eating a pork chop was just not worth tiring my jaws out. That changed when I got turned on to brining. During the process the protein strands in the meat unwind and then get tangled up with other unwound strands, allowing them to trap moisture inside these new little webs. This results in juicier meat with better texture after cooking. Things get even better if you add some sugar to the brine, which boosts the caramelized flavorof the grilled surface of the meat. Give it a try and see for yourself how adding a brining step to your pork prep will have you lickin' your chops again.