Before refrigerators were invented, people used to soak food in brine to preserve it. This led to the discovery of a nice side effect: if you put meat in a salt or salt/sugar brine, it makes it juicier, more tender and also tastier. And the meat also browns more beautifully when roasted or braised. Poultry and pork in particular benefit from this method. We can still utilise this ancient kitchen knowledge today. It's very simple: dissolve 1 part salt/sugar in 10 parts lukewarm water in a container and place the meat in it. Store the container and its contents in the fridge. The basic rule is: For every ½ kilo of meat, leave to soak in the brine for one hour. Before roasting, remove the meat from the brine and pat dry.