Rosemary Cider Brined Pork Loin Recipes

CIDER-BRINED PORK LOIN ROAST

Steps:

• In nonreactive 6- to 8-quart stockpot, stir together 1 quart of the water, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup salt, the crushed garlic and rosemary sprigs. Heat to boiling, stirring until brown sugar and salt are dissolved. Stir in cider and remaining 1 quart water; cool to room temperature. Add pork. Cover; refrigerate at least 12 hours or up to 48 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray broiler pan with cooking spray. Remove pork from brine; discard brine. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Place pork on broiler pan; spray pork with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the pepper and 1 teaspoon of the chopped rosemary.
• Bake uncovered 40 to 50 minutes or until thermometer inserted into center of pork reads 145°F. Cover with foil; let stand at least 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, mix applesauce, wine, raisins, the chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary. Cook over medium heat 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until raisins are plump and sauce is thickened. Serve sauce with pork.

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-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.

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.

ROAST PORK LOIN WITH GARLIC, ROSEMARY & THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Line 13 x 9 x 2" roasting pan with foil.
• Mix first 5 ingredients in bowl. Rub garlic mixture all over pork.
• Place pork, fat side down, in prepared roasting pan.
• Roast pork 30 minutes.
• Turn roast fat side up.
• Roast until thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 155°F., about 25 minutes longer. (some brands have a handy dandy pop-up timer-Life is Good!
• Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.
• Pour any juices from roasting pan into small saucepan; set over low heat to keep warm.
• Cut pork crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices.
• Arrange pork slices on platter.
• Pour pan juices over.
• Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.