I brined a boneless pork chop in
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup Kosher Salt
- 1/4 cup Sugar
for 18 hours. When I pulled the meat out there were some spots that looked slightly off color and grey. I was wondering if this is common and if not what might be the problem causing the off color spots.
Best Answer
Yes, that's normal. You just left it WAY too long in the brine. The salt denatures (unwinds) the proteins, which is the same process that happens when the proteins are exposed to heat or acid. Over brining will cause the exterior of the meat to become gray and mushy.
But you don't have to take my word for it: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5804-brining-meat
The relevant references are: