Wet Brine — Equilibrium Brining (Precise Salt Percentage)

Ingredients

• 1000 g protein (chicken breast, pork chop, turkey breast, or fish fillet)
• 60 g fine sea salt (6% by weight of protein)
• 500 ml cold water
• 30 g granulated sugar (optional, for balance)
• 5 g pink curing salt (sodium nitrite 0.5%—optional, for color and safety)
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 juniper berries, crushed
• 1 tsp Tellicherry black pepper, cracked
• 1 tsp fresh thyme

Method

1. 1
   Calculate salt percentage: divide target salt weight (60 g) by protein weight (1000 g) to verify 6% concentration—this is equilibrium brining sweet point for most proteins.
2. 2
   Dissolve fine sea salt in 500 ml cold water by stirring vigorously for 60 seconds; add sugar, bay leaves, juniper, pepper, and thyme; stir for 30 more seconds until completely dissolved; verify no salt crystals remain.
3. 3
   Pat protein dry with paper towels; place in non-reactive container (glass, food-grade plastic, or ceramic); pour brine completely to cover protein; submerge with weight if necessary to keep fully submerged.
4. 4
   Cover container; refrigerate at 4°C for exactly 24 hours—equilibrium brining reaches maximum moisture and salt distribution at this point without over-salting interior (longer brining does not improve results).
5. 5
   Remove protein from brine; rinse under cold running water for 10 seconds to remove surface brine; pat dry with paper towels; protein is now ready to cook via any dry-heat method (grill, pan-sear, roast).
6. 6
   Store brined but uncooked protein loosely covered in refrigerator up to 2 days; for longer storage, wrap tightly in vacuum-sealed bags and freeze up to 3 months.