Give Your Meat Brines A Zing With These Tart Citrus Peels - Tasting Table

"If you're tired of playing the guessing game as to whether your roasted meat will turn out dry or tender, it's about time to try a meat brine - a salty solution that's proven to boost moisture and flavor. But whether you choose a dry brine with salt and spices or a wet brine, there's one ingredient that can keep things moist and add a tart zing: grapefruit peels."

"The tart and slightly bitter citrus peels not only add brightness and flavor to a variety of meat recipes, from turkey to roast beef, but their acidity also helps in further tenderizing the meat. To give your meat brines a sure-fire zing, simply grate the citrus peels and combine with salt, sugar, and aromatics in a dry brine before applying it to a turkey or cut of beef."

"If you're making a wet brine for a super juicy whole chicken, toss in the peels from a couple of grapefruits into a mixture of water, salt, sugar, and spices like cloves, nutmeg, and peppercorns before simmering it to infuse the citrus and dissolve the sugar before cooling it. Then brine the meat for about 12 to 24 hours, remove it from the liquid, pat it dry, and get roasting."

Grapefruit peels add tart, slightly bitter brightness and acidity to both dry and wet brines, improving flavor, moisture retention, and tenderness in meats from turkey to roast beef. For a dry brine, grate peels and mix with salt, sugar, and aromatics before rubbing onto the meat. For a wet brine, simmer peels with water, salt, sugar, and spices to infuse flavors, cool, and submerge meat. Brine times of about 12 to 24 hours suit larger cuts, while roughly one hour per pound helps avoid oversalting. Grapefruit peels can be frozen for later use and paired with other citrus.

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