Are you confused about the difference between marinating and brining?

Osmosis occurs when water flows from a lower concentration of a solution to a higher concentration through a semipermeable membrane.

Here are some questions I hear from folks who write me:

Why can you marinate beef but are advised to not brine it?

What exactly does brining do for flavor and moisture?

Why?

And how the heck does Osmosis work?

Why does my marinade dry the meat out?

There is an excellent online educational resource called ‘The Exploratorium’ with a section called “The Science of Cooking” that has some great information about cooking meat.

I often refer to this site to help me understand something I may know, but don’t know why I know it. (OK – to actually help me learn new stuff too!)

This explanation of Brining & Marinating is one of the best I’ve read. And while you are at it you can read about the Maillard Reaction and even find out about fat, collagen and muscle type – all of which can help you be a better cook and enjoy your grill this summer!

Happy Grilling!