Cider Brined Pork Loin Roast Food

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-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-ROASTED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Combine the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves.
• Remove from heat; cool.
• Pour brine into a 2 gallon zip-loc plastic bag.
• Add pork; seal.
• Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Cook until cider has thickened slightly and reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15-20 minutes).
• Set aside.
• Remove pork from bag; discard brine.
• Place pork on rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
• Lightly coat pork with cooking spray.
• Combine rosemary, sage, and black pepper; sprinkle evenly over pork.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until thermometer registers 155 degrees, basting twice with cider reduction during final 20 minutes of cooking.
• Remove from oven; baste with remaining cider reduction.
• Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

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).

BRINED PORK LOIN ROAST

Steps:

• Bring water, salt and sugar to boil.
• Add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and garlic.
• Simmer 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
• Pour over pork roast and marinate a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.
• Drain.
• Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.
• Season meat with salt and pepper.
• Place in a roasting pan with meat side down.
• Drape bacon slices over the roast so the top and sides are covered with the bacon.
• Bake in pre-heated oven until internal temperature of the meat is 140 degrees.
• (Approx. 2 hours+ depending on roast size.) Let roast rest about 20 minutes before slicing.
• I've found it easiest to cut with an electric knife with the meat down and ribs up- slicing between the rib bones.