Maple Brined Pork Recipes

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).

SMOKEHOUSE MAPLE-BRINED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Whisk together the salt, 1/4 cup of the smoky maple seasoning, 1/4 cup of the sugar and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking, until the salt and sugar dissolve. Pour in 4 cups of cold water and mix thoroughly, then transfer the brine to a large container with a lid and cool to room temperature. Add the pork chops to the brine, cover and refrigerate 8 to 10 hours.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
• Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly rub some oil into the chops, then season all over with 2 tablespoons smoky maple seasoning. Grill until the pork chops are well marked and charred, 7 to 9 minutes. Flip and continue to grill until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers 145 degrees F, 4 to 6 minutes more. Let rest under tented foil while you cook the apples.
• Put a large cast-iron skillet on the grill. Juice one of the lemon halves into a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar to the skillet and stir with a heatproof spatula until the mixture looks like wet sand. Cook with the lid open, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts and deepens to amber, about 8 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Once the foam subsides, add the apples, cover the grill and cook, gently stirring occasionally and coating the apples in the caramel, until the apples are crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and, being careful of splattering, add the remaining lemon juice and a pinch of smoky maple seasoning and stir gently.
• Arrange the pork chops on a platter and top with the apples. Use a fine rasp grater to zest the other lemon half over the dish. Sprinkle with chives if using.

GRILLED MAPLE-BRINED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• 1. Mix all of the brine ingredients together in a nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir the brine to ensure that the salt, sugar, and maple syrup have dissolved. Let the brine cool, then put it in a large nonreactive container and add the pork chops. Cover and refrigerate for no more than 12 hours.
• 2. Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry (without rinsing).
• 3. Prepare a grill with hot and medium cooking areas. A grill is hot when you can't hold your hand near the grill surface for longer than 2 seconds without pulling it away; it's medium when you can't hold your hand there for longer than 4 seconds.
• 4. Season the chops with pepper (not salt - remember, the brining solution is salty) and brush with the oil. Sear the chops directly over the hottest part of the open grill for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Then move the chops to the medium area of the grill, cover the grill, and cook to the desired doneness. Use an instant-read digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chops. A reading of 145° to 150°F will give you a pink, moist chop, 160°F is well-done. Serve immediately, accompanied by the chutney, if using.