Wet and Dry Brining Work Differently
Wet brining (soaking meat in a salt-water solution) works through osmosis and diffusion: the meat absorbs some of the salty liquid, which helps it hold onto more moisture during cooking, but it also dilutes flavor slightly and can leave a spongier texture if left too long. Dry brining (salting meat directly and letting it sit, often overnight, uncovered in the fridge) draws moisture out first, which then dissolves the salt and gets reabsorbed along with it, seasoning the meat more deeply while also drying the skin for better browning — no added water to dilute anything.
Sources & methodology: These tips draw on established food-science references —
Harold McGee's food-science writing, America's Test Kitchen /
Cook's Illustrated testing, Serious Eats'
technique reporting, USDA food safety guidance,
and peer-reviewed food-safety research (including UC Davis
cutting-board studies) — not reworded recipe-blog consensus.