Moist Tender ChickenWhenever I cook chicken, I marinate in a brine, usually overnight. A brine is a liquid, mainly water, and can contain all kinds of spices, oil, vinegar, and even fruit. There are many available in the stores but I like to make my own. In this case here is my brine.2 quarts of water, 1/4 cup salt, teaspoon black pepper, 1/8th cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and then I took an whole orange, cut it up and ground it all, including the skin, in a food processor. Then I added it to the brine. Stir the brine.Before I add the chicken, I take a large fork and punch holes in the chicken so that the flavors will seep through.Then into the fridge to marinate in the brine overnight.The next day take the chicken out and let it sit, in the brine, for about half an hour to come up to room temperature.Then I heat a pan over fairly high heat, melt a cup of butter in it and add the chicken once the butter begins to boil. I cook the chicken for about 5-8 minutes, turning it over once. I try to brown both sides of the chicken. But I usually don’t let it cook for more than 8 minutes or so.Then I sprinkle a little salt over the pieces, and I add a cup and a half of the brine. just enough to cover them about half way up.I cover the pan and transfer it to the oven and bake it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.Every time, it comes out moist and tender. The chicken literally falls off the bone.I use a Dutch oven to cook the chicken on the stove and transfer it to the oven, like these below.
Pulled Pork.There is a great BBQ restaurant near where I live that makes delicious pulled pork. But it came to me I could make my own so here is how I do it. I go to my local food store, it’s called Publix here in Miami, and I buy about a 10 pound pork picnic. The reason I buy 10 pounds is that it is cheaper per pound than buying smalled cuts of meat. I often buy these 10 pounds for around $10-$12 dollars, total! The one I just bought cost me $13 but that comes out to a little over $1 a pound. Hard to beat.Yes, there are about a pound of bones, but they easily come out after you cook the pork. By the way, I save the bones and used them in other soups that I make. Then I unwrap the pork at home, wash it off. I fill a slow cooker half way up with beef stock. Then I cut up some onions and garlic and add them to the water, I also add salt and pepper. Before I place the pork in the water, I cover it with a layer of brown sugar and salt, all over the pork. Then I place it in the pot and let it cook for 8 hours, over night, I’ve let it cook up to 12 hours as sometimes I’ll go to sleep early and when I wake up around 6am, I turn off the slow cooker and let the meat cool down a bit. It’s very hot and so it the liquid, so I give it a while to cool down, so I don’t burn myself. then I take the meat out onto a large platter or pan, it will fall apart very easily. I take out the bones and then with two forks, I just start pulling the meat apart. It takes about ten minutes or so, but you get a whole lot of delicious pulled pork I use in sandwiches and soups and anything else I can think of. Here’s a slow cooker I use below.
