Brining questions

[crankin]

I have two brine-related questions for pork:

1. I have a brine recipe that I use for 4 pork chops, and I'd like to adapt the recipe for a pork loin roast. Would I just multiply the ingredients to keep the proportion of brine to pounds of pork the same? Or would it be different because there is less surface area on a roast versus individual chops? And, the individual chop brine calls for just 1 hour - how much would I increase for a roast (say, 5 lb.)?

2. How long is too long for a pork loin (~ 5 lb.) brine? I have seen some recipes call for 2-3 hours, and others that call for 24 hours...? Would the concentration of the brine just be different in those two or why would there be such a large difference in time?

 

[Andy M.]

Keep the same concentration of salt. Just increase the volume. I'd allow 2-3 hours for the loin.

I brine my Thanksgiving turkey overnight. I put it in the brine around 11:00PM then roast it the following day. You need a lot less time for smaller meats.

I think Alton Brown recommends 6-8 hours for a turkey. Overnight as I do it is probably near the upper limit. Pork loins and chops need a lot less. Certainly not overnight.

 

[jennyema]

Exactly what Andy said.

And brining pork is a great idea!