Quickly grilled chicken breasts or pork chops are great for weeknight meals - except when they turn out as dry and flavorless as shoe leather. Brining has become our saving grace! And unlike turkey and corned beef that need to soak for days, these thin cuts will brine in about the time it takes you to make a side salad!

Our standard brining solution is 1/4 cup of kosher salt dissolved in 1 quart (4 cups) of warm water. We combine the salt and water in a shallow baking dish and stir it gently until the salt is dissolved before adding the meat. This is enough to brine 4 chicken breasts or pork chops, about 1.5 pounds of meat.

Then you can just let the brining meat sit while you prepare the rest of the meal! Ideal brining time is about a half an hour, but we've found that even a 15 minute brine makes a difference. The meat cooks up juicier and more flavorful than it does without the brine. You can also brine for longer, but after about 2 hours, the meat can start to get a bit mushy.

Cook the meat any way you like. Brining works equally well for meat destined for the grill or for the stove top!

You can also add some of whatever aromatics you're using in the rest of the dish to the brine. Have fun with fresh herbs, spices like star anise and cumin seeds, orange and lemon peel, ginger, lemongrass, black pepper, or garlic. These seasonings will infuse into the meat and add more flavor to the finished dish.

What are your favorite brines?

Related: Good Product: The George Foreman Grill

(Image: Flickr member meddygarnet licensed under Creative Commons)