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Maple Syrup and Apple Cider Brine for Pork 

Brining infuses the flavors of apple and maple syrup in pork chops or
pork loin. It also helps tenderize as well as adds moisture. Depending
on the cut, you will need to let the pork sit in the brine anywhere
from 4 hours to 2 days, so plan ahead.
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
7 cups hot water
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
6 (1-1/4-inch to 1-1/2-inch thick) center-cut loin pork chops OR see
Note below
Preparation:
Stir the hot water and salt together until the salt is dissolved. Add
the apple cider, maple syrup, and peppercorns. 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. 

Yield: 6 servings 

Note: You may substitute 4 pork tenderloins (1 to 1-1/4 pounds each)
or 1 (4- to 6-pound) piece of boneless pork loin. 



On Sat, 6 Feb 2010 19:22:54 -0600, Sqwertz <swertz@cluemail.compost>
wrote:

>On Fri, 5 Feb 2010 17:12:25 -0600, Thos wrote:
>
>> Am making my first attempt curing and smoking pork belly to make bacon.
>> Anyone have any apple or pear wood I could use for smoking after it's cured?
>> Thanks in advance
>
>Hickory or pecan will work just fine for your first try.  And to 
>answer your question, I have both.  But you can find sawdust online 
>cheaper then the aggravation and shipping costs of having me send it 
>to you, and you turning it into sawdust.
>
>-sw