Best Pork Loin Brine Recipes

MAPLE-BRINED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Mix water, salt, 1/3 cup maple syrup, garlic, ginger, rosemary, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Place pork loin in brine mixture and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours.
• Remove pork from brine, pat dry, and season all sides with salt and black pepper.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Heat vegetable oil in an oven-proof skillet over high heat. Cook pork, turning to brown each side, about 10 minutes total.
• Transfer skillet to the oven and roast until pork is browned, about 40 minutes.
• Mix 2 tablespoons maple syrup and Dijon mustard together in a small bowl.
• Remove pork roast from the oven and spread maple syrup mixture on all sides. Cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the pork is no longer pink in the center. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

GRILLED BRINED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Warm water in a large pot over high heat. Add salt and stir to dissolve. Stir in brown sugar, orange, lemon, lime, cilantro, garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, fennel, coriander, and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Let brine simmer for 20 minutes.
• Fill a sink with ice water. Remove brine from heat and place pot into the sink. Cool, stirring, until brine reaches room temperature. Pour into a large plastic or glass vessel such as a 12-quart Cambro®. Add pork tenderloin pieces. Cover and let soak 6 hours to overnight.
• Remove loins from brine and rinse. Let rest at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes while you prep the grill. Preheat the grill for indirect heat at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Place loins on cooler side of the grill and cook, rotating every 20 to 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centers read 130 to 135 degrees F (54 to 57 degrees C), 35 to 40 minutes.
• Paint loins with vegetable oil and move over the direct heat side of the grill. Sear until golden brown all over and internal temperature just reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), about 2 minutes per side.
• Remove loins from heat, place on a serving dish, and tent with foil. Let rest for about 5 minutes. Slice into 1/2- to 1-inch-thick medallions.

PORK LOIN BRINE

Steps:

• 1.Combine the brown sugar and salt in the water and bring to a boil. 2.Stir until dissolved and then add the rest of the brine ingredients. 3.Lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. 4.Turn off the heat and allow to cool completely to room temperature. 5.Once the solution has completely cooled (we don't want to start cooking the meat!), add the pork loin roast and brine solution to a Ziplock type bag. Seal and squeeze out as much air as possible. 6.Put the sealed bag with the now brining pork roast into a pot or large bowl, one that can hold all of the liquid in case something happens to the bag (speaking from experience here!). Place the bowl containing the brining meat into a refrigerator for at least 12 hours, up to 24 hours.

BASIC PORK BRINE

Steps:

• Mix water, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl until sugar is dissolved. Stir in garlic and ginger.

BRINED PORK LOIN ROAST

Steps:

• Bring water, salt and sugar to boil.
• Add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and garlic.
• Simmer 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
• Pour over pork roast and marinate a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.
• Drain.
• Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.
• Season meat with salt and pepper.
• Place in a roasting pan with meat side down.
• Drape bacon slices over the roast so the top and sides are covered with the bacon.
• Bake in pre-heated oven until internal temperature of the meat is 140 degrees.
• (Approx. 2 hours+ depending on roast size.) Let roast rest about 20 minutes before slicing.
• I've found it easiest to cut with an electric knife with the meat down and ribs up- slicing between the rib bones.