I Brined a Pork Loin and I Liked It

Oh, this was good. I adapted it from a site I recently stumbled across, Leite's Culinaria. The LC staff included  cumin and other spices I wasn't in the mood for. Plus, even though I've marinated plenty, this was my first foray into brining. I wanted to really get a sense of how the brine would change a regular pork loin and determine if it was worth the extra step without being thrown off by all that cumin. I wasn't disappointed. Pork loin is lean, and easy to ruin. This recipe, which results in a beautiful, moist and flavorful roast, will definitely be repeated.

Brined, glazed and grilled boneless pork loin sounds like more trouble than it is. The biggest effort is making the brine and soaking the pork loin the day before you plan to eat it. In this case, I brined on Saturday and we dined on Sunday. It made for a classic Sunday dinner and didn't require much of my Sunday to put it on the table.

And how about that board dressing (see the end of the recipe)! Another first...

Brined, Glazed and Grilled Pork Loin
Print recipe only here

INGREDIENTS

for the brine:
1 cups water
2 T kosher salt
2 T brown sugar
salt and pepper
1-2 T rosemary ( I used dried since i had it)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, smashed

For the glaze:
1/3 cup apricot or peach preserves
2 t country style dijon mustard
2 t soy or tamari
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 t cider vinegar
salt and pepper

METHOD
Combine all ingredients in a bag or bowl. Score pork loin in a criss-cross pattern (about 1/4-inch deep and about 3/4-inch wide cuts). Cover and marinate 6-24 hours. 24 is better.

When ready to cook, preheat grill on low setting.

Remove pork loin from the brine and dry with paper towels. Coat with 1 T canola oil.

Grill 45 min, turning once.

Combine the glaze in a medium sized bowl or dish:

Remove pork from grill and toss to coat in the glaze. Return to grill for another 45 min or until it registers 160 on a thermometer. Remove from the grill and let it rest ten minutes.

Meanwhile prepare a board dressing on a serving plate:
2 T olive oil
2 T chopped parlsey
salt and pepper

Slice pork loin and coat with board dressing. Serve.