Brine is a salty solution that infuses moisture and flavor into pork, chicken, and turkey, especially lean cuts like breast and loin that tend toward dryness under high heat. Our basic rule of thumb is 1 cup of kosher salt per gallon of water. When we add sugar to a brine, we use half as much sugar as salt. Turkey can take a little sugar, but we tend to omit it for chicken. Make as much brine as you need to submerge the meat comfortably. The 2-cup amounts below are suitable for 2 pounds of meat. Double the recipe for up to 5 pounds of meat. For large cuts like a whole turkey or a big pork loin, mix the brine in a clean cooler, add the meat, and top with bags of ice to keep it cold. Pork especially takes to sweet-flavored brines just like it does to sweet sauces and rubs. Off-the-shelf sweet liquids like apple cider, lemonade, and sweet tea need just some salt and smoke to turn into easy brines. A plastic bag and an hour in the fridge, and you’ll never think twice about not brining again. Small cuts of meat need less brining. An hour is fine for pork chops and chicken parts, while a whole turkey can go overnight.
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
Among the top tier of sauces is Indonesian satay sauce, because it is the embodiment of joy and life. In fact, this sauce is also trustworthy and highly respectful of whatever it comes into contact with—perhaps it is, in fact, the perfect friend?
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.
Put these out at a gathering, and we guarantee you’ll be hearing rave reviews for a long time.
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.