Maple Brined Pork 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 MAPLE-BRINED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• 1. Mix all of the brine ingredients together in a nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir the brine to ensure that the salt, sugar, and maple syrup have dissolved. Let the brine cool, then put it in a large nonreactive container and add the pork chops. Cover and refrigerate for no more than 12 hours.
• 2. Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry (without rinsing).
• 3. Prepare a grill with hot and medium cooking areas. A grill is hot when you can't hold your hand near the grill surface for longer than 2 seconds without pulling it away; it's medium when you can't hold your hand there for longer than 4 seconds.
• 4. Season the chops with pepper (not salt - remember, the brining solution is salty) and brush with the oil. Sear the chops directly over the hottest part of the open grill for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Then move the chops to the medium area of the grill, cover the grill, and cook to the desired doneness. Use an instant-read digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chops. A reading of 145° to 150°F will give you a pink, moist chop, 160°F is well-done. Serve immediately, accompanied by the chutney, if using.

SMOKEHOUSE MAPLE-BRINED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Whisk together the salt, 1/4 cup of the smoky maple seasoning, 1/4 cup of the sugar and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking, until the salt and sugar dissolve. Pour in 4 cups of cold water and mix thoroughly, then transfer the brine to a large container with a lid and cool to room temperature. Add the pork chops to the brine, cover and refrigerate 8 to 10 hours.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
• Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly rub some oil into the chops, then season all over with 2 tablespoons smoky maple seasoning. Grill until the pork chops are well marked and charred, 7 to 9 minutes. Flip and continue to grill until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers 145 degrees F, 4 to 6 minutes more. Let rest under tented foil while you cook the apples.
• Put a large cast-iron skillet on the grill. Juice one of the lemon halves into a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar to the skillet and stir with a heatproof spatula until the mixture looks like wet sand. Cook with the lid open, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts and deepens to amber, about 8 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Once the foam subsides, add the apples, cover the grill and cook, gently stirring occasionally and coating the apples in the caramel, until the apples are crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and, being careful of splattering, add the remaining lemon juice and a pinch of smoky maple seasoning and stir gently.
• Arrange the pork chops on a platter and top with the apples. Use a fine rasp grater to zest the other lemon half over the dish. Sprinkle with chives if using.

MAPLE-BRINED PORK ROAST WITH APPLES, ONIONS, AND MUSTARD BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• For brine:
• Stir 2 cups water and 1/3 cup coarse salt in medium saucepan over medium heat until salt dissolves. Remove from heat. Add maple syrup, garlic, sage, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add 2 cups ice water; cool brine to room temperature. Place roast in large resealable freezer bag; place bag in large pot. Pour brine into bag with roast; seal bag. Place in refrigerator and brine pork overnight.
• Remove pork from brine; discard brine. Let pork stand 1 hour at room temperature.
• For vegetables and breadcrumbs:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place first 4 ingredients on heavy 18x12x1-inch rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper; toss to coat. Push mixture to sides of sheet, making room for roast in center.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Pat pork dry. Place roast, fat side down, in skillet and cook until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer roast, browned side up, to center of baking sheet with apple-onion mixture.
• Add apple cider to drippings in skillet. Boil cider until reduced to 1 cup, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour reduced cider over apple-onion mixture. Mix maple syrup and 11/2 tablespoons mustard in small bowl for glaze. Brush half of glaze over browned side of pork.
• Roast pork until instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 140°F, brushing every 45 minutes with remaining glaze, about 2 hours total. Transfer pork to work surface and let rest 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir melted butter and remaining 1 tablespoon mustard in medium bowl. Add breadcrumbs; toss to coat. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Spread out on small rimmed baking sheet. Increase oven temperature to 375°F.
• Bake breadcrumbs until golden brown and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Cut pork into scant 1/2-inch-thick slices off bone. Divide among plates. Using slotted spoon, divide apple-onion mixture among plates. Pour juices from baking sheet into small pitcher. Sprinkle mustard breadcrumbs over pork and serve, passing juices alongside.
• What to drink:
• Fruity and spicy En Route 2007 "Les Pommiers" Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($50).

APPLE-MAPLE BRINED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Stir water, cider,maple syrup and salt in large container or stockpot until the salt is dissolved. Add the pork to the brine mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, but no longer than 12.
• Heat coals of gas grill for direct heat. Remove pork from brine mixture and rinse thoroughly under cool running water; pat dry.
• Discard brine. Sprinkle pork with rosemary, pepper, and garlic powder.
• Cover and grill pork 4 to 6 inches from medium heat 20 to 25 minutes, turning occasionally, until pork has a slight blush of pink in center and reads 160°F on a meat thermometer.

FAVORITE BRINE FOR PORK/CIDER MAPLE

Steps:

• Stir the hot water and salt together until the salt is dissolved. Add the apple cider, syrup, sugar and pepper. Cool to below 45 degrees F. in the refrigerator.
• Trim any excess external fat from the meat. Submerge the pork in the brine in a large bowl or small crock; make sure the meat stays under the surface during curing by using a heavy plate to weight it down. Refrigerate the pork in the cure. The chops should take 4-6 hours in the brine; the tenderloin, 6-8 hours; and the loin, 1-2 days. (Bone-in pork can take a day longer in the brine because of the bone, which gives it a larger diameter.) If marinating for a day or longer, stir the brine daily and turn the pork occasionally.
• To test flavor of brined pork, cut a small piece off the meat, pat it dry and pan-fry it. If the meat is sufficiently flavorful, remove it from the brine, let it come to room temperature and grill. If not, leave it in the brine and test again later.
• I usually do a 4-6 lb pork loin and marinate 24 hours. I have cooked in oven, indirect heat on grill and rotisserie. They have all turned out fabulous! This makes a VERY moist piece of meat when brined this way.