BRINING MEATS FOR THE GRILL

"American style" covers a vast amount of different production methods, from simple drying to smoke drying, sugar brining, "toasting" etc etc. Bacon is like saying "seafood", there are many styles. The southern salt cure is probably the style the English are used to. But even the southern US folks use these cuts like ham hocks, to boil and use as a meat flavoring for stuff like collards.

Nitrites are an issue like many other additives and preservatives(Flavors and fragrnces as the entire industry got to be known)

We dont have to be "stuck with em" Im sure many canadian meats and meat products use nitrates and nitrites. You just have to wisely shop if you wish to avoid em.

we should NEVER grille or bbq a meat with added nitrate salts. The heating process of direct flame or searing creates a couple of truly carcinogenic organic salts (NDMA one of the best known but theres several dozen others).

Im even concerned with brining with some added vinegar (Thats why I wont ue a cider in a brine). The acetates created , if in solution with certain kinds of sea salt, (sea salts often have flourides) These can create a chemical similar to Sodium fluoroacetate, a very effective coyote killer in larger doses.

I was looking and found some "language" cures that are used in all countries to inform us whether processed meats contain certain chemicals (like xNO2/xNO3 compunds)

Look for the words "uncured, natural or organic" for freedom from chemical based nitrates

but it gets interesting because many "Organic" processed meats contain celery seed powder, which is a natural source of nitrates and nitrites,
SO being organic doesnt mean celery seed free, whereas Uncured and natural does.

So, in my neighborhood we have several baloney makers like (dietz and Watson, Boars head, Deitzler, Kunzler, Hebrew National ). There are several others Im sure .

For stuff like hot dogs, I believe we have to carefully read the labels

I'm sorry that language has become a barrier, not too dry, like not bad means not dry and good. We tend to understate things.

I would suggest the 200+ food additives deemed illegal over here but acceptable for human consumption in America, like bleach in chicken, might have something to do with your culinary challenges.

So does that mean when you leave the EU, the UK will abandon its "precautionary principle" for flavors, additives, and fragrances?

Youre confusing precautionary measures with superior flavor. Noone has ever insulted the Brits by saying their food was flavorful.


Im gonna keep from inviting a "full-on- Frankie" discussion with you as I see youre getting a bit defensive about British breakfasts.

I didn't realise you already knew the results of the referendum, and here was me thinking I had a vote.

Going to try these again to see that it wasnt a fluke. This time Im going to dispense with the parboil and just put the brined chops on the grill using an "Indirect and direct fire" grilling.

Yesterday I got some bone-in at Safeway in Delaware (We went to see Jungle Book).
I brine them this AM and will do em for supper with asparagus and baked sweet tater.

Anyone interested , Ill post the results

over 2 hrs in the brine an the weight increase of each chop is about 10% (patted dry )
I assume this is all moisture that has rolled around by osmosis and achieved an equil.