Pork Updated
Finally, add flavor. Pork adapts wonderfully to a variety of flavors, whether added by a marinade, brine, rub or a combination of these. Marinating and brining both require that the pork rest in liquid for awhile, while a rub is a dry mixture of spices, herbs, and sometimes salt which can be put on the meat ahead of time or just before cooking. Below are some of my favorites.
Marinades and brines work well with all the leaner cuts of pork; I personally favor brines since the salt allows the pork to stay juicy during cooking. Brining increases the amount of liquid that cells can retain while being cooked. The brine can be flavored, or a rub or sauce can then be added right before cooking for additional flavor.
There are a number of brines; following is a basic one from the Food Channel’s Alton Brown. Dissolve 1 ½ cups of Kosher salt in a combination of 2 quarts of water and ½ cup of molasses. For additional flavoring, add 1 tablespoon each of whole juniper berries and peppercorns as well as 10 whole cloves. If using the flavorings and you have time, heat the water, molasses and salt, and add the spices when the brine is still hot. This will allow them to infuse their flavor into the salt water. However, do not add the meat until the brine is cool, (a few ice cubes will help cool it down). Refrigerate the meat in the brine for 4 – 6 hours, although larger roasts can stay in the brine overnight.
Rubs are extremely versatile and cater to all flavors. They can be used by themselves or added to brined meat right before cooking. Simply stir the dry spices together in a small bowl. Rub evenly over the pork. To get you started, the following combinations are courtesy of the National Pork Board, (reduce or eliminate the salt if using on brined pork):
Southwestern Rub: 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon each of brown sugar and ground cumin, ½ teaspoon each of cinnamon, ground red pepper, and salt.
Asian Rub: 1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns, 1 ½ teaspoons crushed anise seeds, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon each of salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and ground cloves.
Cajun Rub: 1 teaspoon each of ground white pepper, onion powder, crushed dried thyme leaves, and ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder, celery seeds, ground red pepper, and
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