Brining means soaking meat in salted water before cooking, or coating it in dry salt and leaving it to rest. Both approaches do the same job: they help the meat retain moisture during cooking so it does not dry out. The science involves osmosis, which is simply the movement of water through a membrane toward a higher concentration of salt.
Sunday morning, a chicken in the fridge
Neville, a retired pharmacist in Perth, started dry-brining his roast chicken the night before. He rubbed salt over the skin and left the bird uncovered in the fridge overnight. By Sunday afternoon, the skin was noticeably drier and the meat, once roasted, stayed juicy through reheating the next day. He arrived at this method after wet brining produced soggy skin he could not crisp properly.
Wet brining works well for lean cuts like pork loin or chicken breast. The ratio is roughly 60 grams of salt per litre of cold water. The meat soaks for two to eight hours depending on thickness. Dry brining suits larger pieces or anything where crisp skin matters. Salt draws moisture out initially, then the meat reabsorbs it along with the salt.
Neither method is complicated. Both require planning ahead, which is the only real obstacle. The improvement in texture is consistent enough that the extra step is worth building into a routine.