Girl Hunter Part 40

1/4 cup kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1. Bring all the ingredients to a simmer in a large pot and stir so that the sugar and salt dissolve. Let cool to room temperature. You can speed up this process by dissolving the ingredients in only 2 cups of hot water, then diluting it with the remaining 2 cups of cold.

2. Submerge the duck in the liquid and weight it with a plate or other heavy object so that it stays submerged.

3. Let sit in the brine for 4 to 6 hours.

4. Remove from the brine, pat dry, and let sit in the refrigerator, uncovered, for several hours, even overnight. Discard the brine after one use.

Try with: coot, hog, javelina, pheasant, duck

Hog Brine

Good for 2 to 3 pounds of hog backstrap, chops, or tenderloin 4 cups water

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup kosher salt

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 teaspoons crushed black pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/8 cup white wine vinegar

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool.

2. Add the meat and submerge, using a plate or other weight to keep it under water.

3. The optimum soaking time for portioned chops is 5 hours. Unportioned chops still on a rack can be refrigerated in the brine for 24 hours. The meat should be patted dry and allowed to rest for several hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator before cooking.

Try with: javelina, hog

Turkey Brine

Good for one (10-pound) turkey, or an equivalent amount of meat 8 cups water (add more as needed to cover a larger bird)

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup salt

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons crushed black pepper

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil.

2. Remove from the heat and let cool.

3. Add the meat and submerge, covering with a weight so it stays completely submerged in liquid.

4. For a whole turkey, refrigerate in the brine for 24 hours; for b.r.e.a.s.t.s, refrigerate for 12.

5. Remove the turkey and pat dry. Let rest on a rack for at least 3 and up to 24 hours before cooking.

Try with: hog, javelina, game birds, turkey Dry Rubs Dry rubs are meant to form a coat of flavor on the surface of the meat, as well as a caramelized crust if sugar is added. When using a rub, the dry heat method of cooking is almost always used-grilling, baking, roasting, and broiling, for example. It helps to let the meat sit covered in the rub for a period of time before cooking, to heighten the flavor. Wearing rubber gloves helps you distribute the rub most evenly, particularly with large cuts of haunch or shoulder meat.

Everyday Dry Rub

Makes 1/2 cup 1 teaspoon white peppercorns