Do you brine your pork?

[acerbicacid]

I have been reading the merits of brining pork, chops and joints. Most of the reviews I have read have really rated it. Have you tried it and is it worth it please?

Sorry if this has been asked or mentioned before, I have looked for it but couldn't see anything about it.

[CraigC]

I love beer brined chops om the grill. The brine keeps them juicy and imparts a great flavor.

[jennyema]

Yes. It makes them moist and flavorful.

[Snip 13]

I usually cut the fat off and make crackling then marinade the chops and grill them till just cooked through. I can't stand dry over cooked meat or floppy fat, this way I get the best of both worlds.

[cjs]

Nowadays the pork produced can be very dry and tough. Brining results in a wonderful tender and moist meat.

Here is a very basic brine that you can add any seasoning/herbs that you desire - most of the time, I just use the basic and the seasonings and flavors are added in the dish I make.

Place the pork you are working with in a deep container; add cold water to cover the meat. Remove the meat to a plate and eyeball the amount of water left in the container.

If you have approx. 1 qt. of water, add 1/4 cup kosher salt + 2 T. granulated sugar and 2 T. brown sugar. Whisk until dissolved (don't worry if there are a few small lumps left) Put the meat back in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. Remove from brine and rinse the meat well (this is important so you don't have an overly salted product).

Proceed with your dish using the pork.

Note: if it looks like you only need 2 cups of water to cover the pork, just half the salt and sugars and proceed.

The above has become the easiest method I have found for brining pork, chicken or whatever you want. A lot of methods used to call for starting with hot water and whisking the salt and sugars and wasting time by allowing the hot brine to cool before adding the meat. This step is really not necessary.

Good luck and I think you will see a very big difference in your pork dishes if you try brining. :)

[Steve Kroll]

I only eat pork chops maybe twice a year, but I only brine them if I know the source of the pork. If you buy Hormel pork (and maybe other brands also) in the supermarket, check the packaging. Some of them are already injected with a proprietary brine solution.

[taxlady]

How important is the sugar in the brine? I'm not a big fan of sweet with my savoury.

[Alix]

I always brine my pork chops. They don't need long. An hour or so in the brine will do the trick. I just toss a couple tbsp each of brown sugar and coarse salt in a big ziploc, fill with warm water and swish til dissolved then put in the meat.

[cjs]

Taxlady, I have never detected sweetness in the end product using the sugars in the brine. I think they just balance out the salt.

[Alix]

Originally Posted by taxlady

How important is the sugar in the brine? I'm not a big fan of sweet with my savoury.

Me neither! Never understood the fruit and meat thing either. The sugar and the salt are just chemistry, its about osmosis and getting the liquid into the meat. The flavor is really not affected.

[acerbicacid]

Thank you for your recipe cjs, I'll definitely try brining now.

Thanks also Alix.

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I brine my pork in a mixture of 1 cup soy sauce (instead of salt) and 1 cup all natural sugar for each gallon of water. Considering I usually cook for one or two, it's more like 1/4 cup soy sauce and sugar in 1 quart of water.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by taxlady

How important is the sugar in the brine? I'm not a big fan of sweet with my savoury.

The sugar tempers the salt and highlights the savory flavor. It doesn't make them taste sweet.

[annethoma]

My son Justin just LOVES it when I brine the pork the dogs love the leftovers to.

[Andy M.]

Lean cuts like those from the loin (roasts and chops) benefit from brining. Other cuts such as the butt and shoulder don't need brining.