BETTER LIVING WITH PICKLE BRINE

Don’t throw out the juice from the pickle jar. It’s a terrific marinade. Want proof? Before you try any of these recipes, put boneless skinless chicken breasts or thin-cut center-cut boneless pork loin chops in the leftover brine from a jar of just about any pickle, cover, and refrigerate for an hour. If you use relatively small chicken breasts or pork loin chops, they’ll fit right in the jar without having to dirty a bowl. You won’t believe the flavor when you grill them up.

These recipes, however, move beyond that—and around the world, too, from Southeast Asia to South America to North American delicatessens. That jar has all the flavor you need to make some fantastic suppers. That said, these recipes were designed specifically for certain types of brines: bread-and-butter pickles, dill pickles, etc. You can mix-and-match with those simple grilled chicken breasts or pork chops. But for the recipes below, follow the type of brine specifically for the right set of flavors.

Finally, you can freeze leftover pickle brine in a sealed container until you’re ready to use it. (But don’t reuse it once you’ve put meat or other matter in it for these recipes.)