Does a brine take the place of marinade?

While both marinades and brines enhance flavour and moisture in foods, they serve different functions.

Marinades

• Primary Purpose: Flavouring the surface of the food.
• Ingredients: Typically consist of acidic liquids (such as vinegar or wine), herbs, spices, and/or seasonings.
• Duration: Marinades generally work their magic within a few minutes or hours, making them ideal for tender cuts of meat or quick-cooking dishes.
• Tenderizing Effect: Marinades have limited tenderizing capabilities. They rely on enzymes in the marinade to break down proteins on the surface of the meat, but they don't penetrate deep into the tissues.
• Best For: Thin steaks, chops, chicken breasts, fish, and vegetables.

Brines

• Primary Purpose: Seasoning and tenderizing the food throughout
• Ingredients: Brines are made with a mixture of water, salt, and sometimes sugar and/or spices.
• Duration: Brining times can vary from a few hours to overnight or even longer for larger or denser meats.
• Tenderizing Effect: Brines are more effective in breaking down proteins and tenderizing the meat because the salt solution penetrates deep into the tissue.
• Best For: Tough cuts of meat like pork shoulder, beef brisket, whole chickens, and turkeys. Also excellent for preserving meats (as in the case of corned beef or pastrami).

So, while both marinades and brines can improve flavour and texture, they have distinct functions and are best suited for specific types of foods and cooking methods. Depending on your goals, you may choose one or both techniques to enhance your culinary creations.