Grilled Meat Brine

Proportions for: 4 (6-to-8 ounce) pieces of meat Whisk water, fish sauce, honey, salt and pepper together in bowl. Add meat to 1-gallon ziploc. Add meat, press out air, seal bag, and turn bag so contents evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: The perfect grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts are juicy, savory, and well browned and can be served as is or added to salads or sandwiches. We started by pounding them to a ½-inch thickness so that they cooked through evenly. Soaking the chicken for 30 minutes in a potent “brinerade” seasoned it and added moisture that helped keep it juicy during cooking; we spiked the salt water with just enough umami-rich fish sauce to add savory depth without any trace of fishiness, as well as honey that encouraged browning and balanced the salt. Coating the chicken in a little oil before grilling kept it from sticking to the grate, and cooking it over a hot fire ensured that it browned deeply. Grilled Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts INGREDIENTS 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed ? cup water 3 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon table salt ? teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil *BEFORE YOU BEGIN Serve this chicken with a sauce (see “Maximize the Fire”), pair it with a vegetable, use it in sandwiches or tacos, or slice it and add it to a salad. This recipe can easily be doubled. 1 INSTRUCTIONS Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound gently with meat pounder until ½ inch thick. Whisk water, fish sauce, honey, salt, and pepper together in bowl. Transfer mixture to 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Add chicken, press out air, seal bag, and turn bag so contents are evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 2B. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high. 3 Remove chicken from brine, letting excess drip off (do not pat dry), then toss with oil in second bowl until evenly coated. 4 Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken, skinned side down, on grill and cook (covered if using gas) until chicken develops dark grill marks, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently release chicken from cooking grate, flip, and continue to cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.