Brining is one of the easiest cooking techniques there is. It is so straight forward, it basically does all of the work for you. Kind of like a slow cooker. The meat absorbs the water and salt and makes it all cook faster. The only other brining I have done was a turkey for Thanksgiving and no word of a lie … a 14 pound turkey was completely cooked in 2.5 hours. That’s ridiculous. But awesome. And delicious. This roast only takes 30-45 minutes, making any dinner simple if you think of it the day before.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup Kosher Salt
1/4 cup Brown Sugar – Packed
2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
2 sprigs Rosemary – Fresh
2 sprigs Thyme – Fresh
1 tsp Chili Powder
4 lb Pork Loin Roast or 2 Pork Tenderloin
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
METHOD
– In small saucepan over medium heat, combine salt, sugar, cider, rosemary, thyme and chili powder. Stir just until sugar and salt are dissolved, remove from heat and let cool completely.
– In a large resealable bag, combine pork loin and brine solution. Squeeze out any air and seal bag shut. Place in a bowl in case of any leaks then refrigerate for 24 hours.
– Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a rack into your roasting pan (I didn’t bother because I didn’t have one)
– Drain pork and discard brine solution. Rinse pork with cool water then pat it dry with paper towels. Rub surface of pork with olive oil and place on the rack. Roast for about 45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 68 celcius or 155 F at the centre of the pork. Let sit 15 minutes before slicing.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serves 16 (4oz per serving)
Weight Watchers points per serving – 10
Calories – 370.7
Fat – 28.1g
Fibre – .1g
Sodium – 517.3mg
Carbohydrates – 1.2g
Protein – 26.6g