Brining Pork

PapaJoe8 said:

In a recent thread GrillDad mentioned brining his pork butt before the smoke.  I am still a beginner and I mentioned that I had read a bunch about brining my birds.  The result with my chicken was fantastic.  I haven't read much about brining pork.  I believe pork butts are generally fatty enough to keep the meat moist and tender, so is this just done for flavor as a substitute for an overnight rub?  What are people's opinions/experience with this?  Sounds like a fun way to alter the flavor and maybe get a new result.

-Joe

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• Whole Pork Loin cut in half
• 1 1/2 cups kosher salt per gallon
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons garlic
• 1 tablespoon Oregeno
• 3 whole Carrots,
• 1 large Onion
• 6 Bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 4 sprigs of Thyme
• 2 sprigs of Rosemary

• Brine for 48 hours

• Fat is trimmed then seasoned with my Philly style rub and Montreal steak seasoning
• Fat is cubed and added to the drip pan with a half quart of brine, a quart of fresh water, and the strained brine ingredients.
• Fat can be trimmed prior to brine, just leave a little of the fat on especially if slicing thin for sandwiches.

• Placed on the pit at 225° - 250°

• Probed after the first hour.

• Smoked at 240° until an internal of 137° - 140° (pork is safe at 145°) carry over heat always brings my loins up to safe temps.
  The first loin comes off after 2 hours and is foiled and wrapped in a towel.

• The second loin comes off a half hour later and is foiled and wrapped in towels... this is why I half the loins, one end always cooks quicker than the other end.

• Both Loins are Foiled toweled and rested about half an hour.

• Drippings are strained then run through a sieve. this will sit in the refrigerator until the next day.

• The towel is removed from the loin and is placed inside a baking dish then placed into the refrigerator.

• Meanwhile the gravy is defatted then put on very low heat.

• The next day the pork loin is removed from the refrigerator and taking to the slicer
• The loins are unwrapped

• The loins are sliced paper thin

• I tested a slice every inch or so while slicing to check for brine penetration, I was pleasantly surprised the flavor was throughout.

• Slices are bunched up during slicing. (This will be used for Hot Pork Sandwiches)

ps0303 said:

I've always rubbed down my pork butts the night before.  It does create a gooey type of exterior as the sugars and salts create it from the natural juices of the meat.  Does it make a difference, I don't think so. 

I'm beginning to look at smoking from the eyes of these smoke house restaurants.  I have yet to find one that ever rubs their meats down 24 hours before a smoke.  Nor do I find any of them that does a brine on their meats, including chickens.  So I am beginning to figure that if professionals do it a certain way, it must be good or at least the proper way of doing things. Now granted some of it is probably personal taste, but heck, these places are making some darn good eats.

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