Maple Brined Pork Loin Food

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).

ROAST MAPLE PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Season the pork loin with 1 tablespoon of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Chop the garlic and sage together to make a coarse rub for the pork. Rub it into the pork loin. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for a few hours, preferably overnight. Remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you're going to cook. (Note: Please allow 8 hours for overnight marinating.)
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Set a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon to the pan, and fry until crisp and fully rendered. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Return the pan to the heat.
• Add the orange juice, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and chili powder to the sauté pan with the rendered bacon fat. Simmer the glaze until it thickens and becomes syrupy, about 2-3 minutes. Once the glaze has thickened, drizzle in a tablespoon of olive oil, for added body and glossiness. Set aside.
• Trim, clean, and halve the Brussels sprouts. Spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
• Peel and cut the butternut squash into quarter-moon shapes, ¼-inch thick. Spread out on a second rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the rested pork loin, and discard. Brush the sage/garlic mixture off and place the loin, fat side up, on the third rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle half of the cooled glaze over the pork loin, smearing it in with your hands. Coat the vegetables in the remaining olive oil, scatter a few sprigs of thyme on the trays, and season with salt. Toss with the remaining glaze. Place the trays in the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.
• Check the vegetables after 10 minutes; remove from the oven once they're golden brown and slightly soft in the middle. Drop the oven's temperature to 375 F and continue roasting the pork loin until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest end reads 140 degrees F, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest.
• Spread the roasted vegetables on a large serving platter. Slice half of the pork loin, and arrange on top of the vegetables. Garnish with the cooked bacon and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

APPLE-MAPLE BRINED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Stir water, cider,maple syrup and salt in large container or stockpot until the salt is dissolved. Add the pork to the brine mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, but no longer than 12.
• Heat coals of gas grill for direct heat. Remove pork from brine mixture and rinse thoroughly under cool running water; pat dry.
• Discard brine. Sprinkle pork with rosemary, pepper, and garlic powder.
• Cover and grill pork 4 to 6 inches from medium heat 20 to 25 minutes, turning occasionally, until pork has a slight blush of pink in center and reads 160°F on a meat thermometer.

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.