This video with was chef Delfin Jaranilla of Leland Eating and Drinking House was making the rounds a couple weeks ago because of his "hot take" on the phrase "dry brining." ("It's not a thing. It's called a cure.")
We chatted about it, and we transcribed a bit of the conversation for our This Week at ChefSteps newsletter.
Sho: So, is the term “dry brine” “ridiculous and cringey”? (Keep in mind that we use it, as in our brining guide.)
Nick: Yes and no. It really comes down to how you interpret “brining.” Catchy terms come in and out of fashion, and I don’t like being the unc sitting around yapping about it. All I care about is that the process that a term describes helps you make better food and helps you understand what’s happening so you can make your own decisions. (Also for those that hate the name, that’s cool, but know that it’s used and defined by the USDA.)
So, what’s my hangup? Well, my only worry is the association most people have between “brining” and “juiciness.” Brining, to ME, is synonymous with placing food into a solution of liquid and salt, where, through diffusion and osmosis, the food draws in and retains a substantial amount of water, up to roughly 10%.
But that’s not quite the same as what’s happening when you “dry-brine” something, so I can see how it would be confusing. Dry-brining doesn’t increase the amount of water in food before cooking.
I think it’s also important for people to understand that dry-brining isn’t as efficient as brining—you’re limited by the amount of liquid that is drawn out from the food by salting the surface—even if it’s more convenient.
So, do I like the name? No. Do I care? Not really, as long as people understand the processes and what’s happening.
Tim: I agree with a lot of that. At its core, I think the guy in the video is being a little pedantic. The strict definition of a brine requires a solution, that’s correct. But that’s kind of missing the spirit of the idea. You need to actually understand the mechanism of whether it’s salting or brining. And it does actually involve water and salt, and solutes traveling across a membrane. If you really understood that deeply, I don’t think you would take as much issue with the semantics of it.
Sasha: I agree with both of those assessments. I don’t really get too worked up on the terminology ... is it slightly click-bait-y? Maybe. But at least it’s become a term that’s instantly recognizable—for both home cooks and professionals—and people know what you’re talking about.
While we're here, we figured we'd throw up a link to our brining guide, where we use the term (and offer some context). But what do you think about it? Cringe? Is it a legitimate thing?
