Basic Brine
 
 
This really, really, really simple brine will add a lot of moisture to meats and reduce the cooking time. We use this for most cuts of pork and chicken that are destined for the grill or smoker:
 
1 cup    Kosher salt  
1/2 cup    white sugar  
1/2 cup    brown sugar  
  Several grinds of fresh black pepper  
 
1 Combine all ingredients in a large pot with 1 gallon of water. Bring to a boil to dissolve the salt and sugars. Remove from heat, let mixture come to room temperature, then refrigerate to 40°F.
2 In a large non-reactive container, cover the meat with the brine. Use a heavy weight to keep the meat submerged if necessary. Refrigerate about 1 hour per pound of meat, but not more than overnight. Rinse meat well in cold water and pat dry before cooking.