I am talking about meats, fowl, fish and some soy products along with salt.
Brining
I generally will not buy meat (or turkey) that has been pre-injected with brine. No telling what was put into the meat.
The whole intent of brining is to force the cells to accept as much water as they can hold and loose as little water as it can during the cooking process. The process of soaking the meat in a brine solution will result in a meat that is juicy, but not necessarily more flavorful.
This is why meat that tends to dry out, like chicken and turkey, are often soaked in a brine solution before cooking. Also, the way this brine replaces the natural fowl juices, is why they tend to lose natural flavor and taste sort of bland.
Ratio of salt to water for a brine: 4T:4C salt to water.
Equipment: Container large enough with a lid
Process: Completely submerge meat in brine + refrigerate
TIme: Turkey ~12 hours, small cuts of meat ~30min
Marinating
I do not wrap meat in plastic after a wet or dry rub. I just wrap it lightly in parchment paper so it can breathe a bit and put it in a sealed container in the fridge.
Most of the meats do not soak up much of marinades, so for calorie counts I assume 1-2T absorption per serving of meat. In fact, some folks say stick to dry rubs as only a bit of the outside of meats receive flavor while the meat deeper inside is not affected.
The intent of a wet rub is to change the texture and flavor of the meat. The process of soaking meat in a flavor liquid in the fridge is marinating, resulting in a flavorful final dish. The acid (wine, citris, vinegar) in marinades break down the meat and allows the flavor of the other ingredients in the marinade to seep in. But it is possible to marinate too long and to break the meat down too much; you will be left with a mushy mess.
Ratio of salt to water for a marinade: 3:1:1 acid to oil to water plus herbs + spices (avoid mixing too many salts)
Equipment: Container large enough with a lid
Process: Start with cool (not frozen) meat, completely submerge meat in marinade, keep in refrigerator, once done toss out the marinade that had raw meat sitting in it. If you want to baste the meat, or have a dipping sauce, make a larger batch of the marinade and set some of it aside.
Time: Thinner cuts of meat marinate faster so follow the recipe. Larger cuts can sit for 12-24 hours, smaller cuts ~1 hour max.
Dry Rub
A dry marinate has no liquid and is usually a combination of certain spices, sugars, and salts that are rubbed all over the meat prior to cooking. A dry rub can also be added and the meat “marinate” for ~1 hour.
Dry rubs work on tempeh as well as meat to impart flavor.
Ratio typical dry spice rib rub is 8:3:1:1 of sugar: salt: red spice: anything you want.
Equipment: Container large enough with a lid
Process: Start with patted dry meat, cover it in the marinade (or spice rub) all over, put in a sealed container and refrigerate.
Time: Add the spice rub at least an hour before you want to cook.
Curing
Packing meat in salt is a way to extend the life of the food. This process draws out the liquid, preventing spoilage, and preserves the meat. I have heard this called a dry-brine since there is no liquid used in this process.
Chefs will cure meats (ham, bacon, smoked chicken), home cooks will generally brine. Cured meat is raw meat that has been packed with salt and is thus edible.
CAUTION: Do not try curing on your own the first tie, get someone you trust to teach you so that you follow all the steps and not make yourself (or others) sick with improperly prepared meats.
Ratio: 2:1:10% mix of non-iodized salt to sugar (brown or white), to 10% by weight curing salt (sodium nitrite). Example: 100 g salt, 50 g sugar and 10 g curing salt.
Equipment: Large airtight container
Process: (Rough outline of the process, which I have never done.) Weigh the meat, and place in a large bowl. Add 33g of cure for each kilogram of meat and any other spices. Coat the meat and store in the fridge (1day for each 1″ of meat). Turn each day, and once cured, smoke it.