With two sons playing summer baseball, and each boy on a house team as well as a travel one, my husband and I feared we would be challenged with one of our favorite warm-weather pastimes (after watching our sons play baseball, of course): outdoor grilling. Thankfully there are an increasing number of fish, meat and poultry options that I would consider to be “grill ready.” Not only are these center-of-plate proteins trimmed and portioned, processors pamper them in such a way that even inexperienced grillers have a chance to serve a main course they can be proud of.
Many processors pamper proteins with a brine, which is a concentrated salt and water solution that the raw protein soaks in prior to cooking. Through a process called osmosis, the proteins absorb the brine solution, which helps them remain moist during cooking, even if slightly overcooked. The latter often happens when the “griller” gets distracted by a whining child or chatty neighbor.