Brined Pork With Cider Glaze Food

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY WITH MAPLE-CIDER GLAZE

Steps:

• For the turkey brine: Heat the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, oranges, shallots, parsley, sage and thyme in a saucepot to dissolve the sugar and salt. Then let the mixture cool completely.
• Divide the turkey pieces between two 2 1/2-gallon resealable plastic bags or containers big enough to hold them. Add equal parts of the brine to the two bags. Let rest for several hours in the fridge, preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. Rub the skin with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Set the turkey on a metal rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet and cook about 15 minutes per pound, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers about 165 degrees F. The temperature will go up 5 to 10 degrees as it rests.
• For the glaze: Place a small saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the apple cider, turkey stock, maple syrup, butter, peppercorns and orange rind. Bring the mixture to a light simmer and reduce by half. Baste the turkey every now and then during the last half of the cooking time.

CIDER-BRINED, MUSTARD-GLAZED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Make the brine:
• Bring salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, thyme, bay leaves, 2 cups apple cider, and 2 cups water to a low boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking, until sugar and salt dissolve, about 4 minutes. Transfer brine to a large bowl and add remaining 2 cups apple cider and 2 cups ice. Let cool to room temperature.
• Place pork and brine in a large resealable plastic bag; turn to coat. Seal and chill at least 8 hours.
• Roast the pork:
• Remove pork from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.
• Place rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400°F.
• Season pork all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear pork, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides (including ends), 10-12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine mustard, brown sugar, syrup, and thyme in a medium bowl.
• Pour apple cider into a large roasting pan or glass baking dish. Transfer pork, fat side up, to pan. Brush all over with mustard mixture. Roast pork, basting every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 140°F, 50-70 minutes.
• Transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.
• Do Ahead
• Pork can be brined up to 24 hours ahead. Keep chilled in plastic bag.

CIDER-GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Cut tenderloin in half to fit skillet; sprinkle with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown pork on all sides. Transfer to a 15x10x1-in. pan. Roast until a thermometer reads 145°, 12-15 minutes., Meanwhile, in same skillet, bring cider, syrup, vinegar and remaining pepper to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Cook, uncovered, until mixture is reduced to a glaze consistency, about 5 minutes., Remove pork from oven; let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with glaze.

CIDER BRINED PORK ROAST

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups cider, 1/3 cup salt, brown sugar, torn bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in 2 cups each water and cider; cool to room temperature.
• Place pork loin in a 2 gallon resealable plastic bag and pour cooled brine mixture over. Allow meat to brine, refrigerated for at least 8 hours or up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Finely chop garlic, 1 sprig rosemary and remaining bay leaf. Add remaining salt and ground pepper; mash into a paste with the flat side of a knife.
• Remove pork from brine (discard liquid), pat dry, and rub with garlic-herb mixture. Place in large roasting pan and scatter apples and onions around it. Break remaining rosemary sprig into 4 pieces, scatter atop apples and onions. Transfer pan to oven and roast meat until internal temperature reaches 160F, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Transfer pork loin to serving platter with all but 4 pieces each apple and onion. Allow meat to rest 15 minutes before serving.
• Meanwhile, place roasting pan with drippings, reserved onions and apples on stove top over medium heat and add remaining 1 cup cider plus 1 cup water. Cook, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan until liquid is hot, about 2 minutes. Strain mixture into bowl, pressing liquid from solids; set aside. Return roasting pan to stove top and melt butter over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk until golden brown. Whisk in reserved cider mixture and continue to whisk until gravy is smooth. Serve hot with pork roast.

CIDER-GLAZED RACK OF PORK

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with 2 quarts water; add 1 1/2 cups salt and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and let brine cool completely.
• Place pork in a large container and cover with brine. Transfer to refrigerator and let marinate for 45 minutes. Remove pork from brine and pat dry with paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack in the center. Fit a roasting pan with a rack and set aside.
• Season pork with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Place pork on rack and transfer to oven; cook until an instant-read thermometer reaches 130 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the pork, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place cider in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced and turns into a dark golden-brown loose syrup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add vinegar; stir to combine. Pour glaze into a small bowl and transfer to refrigerator; let cool.
• In a small bowl, mix together paprika, cumin, remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and chile powder; set spice mixture aside.
• Brush half of the glaze over pork and return to oven for 2 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes; brush with remaining glaze and sprinkle with spice mixture.
• Cut the pork rack into chops by cutting between each set of bones; transfer chops to a large platter. If any glaze remains, add juices from pork to glaze and stir to combine; pour over chops and serve immediately.

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.