HELP - need pork brine recipe

[kimmyp]

Sorry if I am posting this in the wrong place- I am NEW.

I need a brine recipe for a pork butt roast. Prefer a 2-3 day brine. With complete instructions on what I am to do.
Thank you!!!

[jayt90]

Why do you need to brine 2-3 days? A really good pork shoulder roast just needs seasoning before roasting. You wouldn't want oversalted drippings when you make a pan sauce.
Simpler is better. Add your complex flavorings to the sauce.

[drlee_susquespine]

this time of year i'll throw some sliced apples in

[aekbooth]

I don't know if it is "proper" to brine a pork butt roast, but I always have for pulled pork sandwiches. In fact, I am brining some right now. I usually only brine it up to a day in advance so I'm not sure how long it can brine for. My recipe is a combination of a brining method on one site and a Bon Appetit (I think) rub recipe.

In the slow cooker pot if I'm doing it in there, I will put my pork butt. I mix 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup kosher salt and 4 cups warm but not hot water. To this I will add 2T garlic powder (typically Tastefully Simple's Garlic Garlic instead), 2t kosher salt, 1T chile powder (typically I use chipotle powder and halve the amount), 1/2t ground allspice, 1t coarsely ground pepper and 2 teaspoons cumin.

When I am ready to cook I drain the brine and rinse the pork. I pat it dry and put a second batch of the rub on it and let it cook in the slow cooker on high until falling apart. Occasionally, I add liquid smoke but not typically. When it is close to done, I drain the excess fat and add a bottle of my favorite locally-made barbecue sauce and cook it on low.

Hope this helps.

[Phurstluv]

You add four cups of water to your slow cooker?! That sounds like a lot - I only use a 1/4 cup of cider vinegar for the liquid for pulled pork. The meat throws off a lot of moisture as it is.

[Zeldog]

You sure you want to brine a butt roast? It's going to be plenty moist without brining. Brining might make a loin roast more moist, but mostly what it will do to butt/shoulder is make it more salty. A dry rub like what Phurstluv suggests will add more flavor. Most of the flavors in spices are not soluble in water, so adding garlic, juniper berries, and such to a brine will add very little flavor, especially with a thick, fatty piece of meat.

If you check out the recommended links by luniz and others, they all call for loin, chops or other lean cuts, not shoulder.

[ChristinaMason]

I agree with you. But maybe that's because I have had too many oversalted brined pork meals. I find that tenderloin, for example, almost always absorbs too much salt. Even chops risk being too salty.

[Phurstluv]

You can dry brine it with a rub, and let it sit over a rack on a sheet pan in your fridge, until you want to cook it. Not sure how you're cooking it, roasting or braising? Anyway, here's what I rub mine with:

Brown sugar
kosher salt & pepper
smoked paprika
cumin
garlic powder
either dried oregano or thyme

Depending on the size of the roast, the top of the list is the most quantity (about 1/2 c. or more brown sugar) to a few teaspoons of the dry herbs.

[epabella]

nice! i too prefer a dry rub as brining takes more time to properly develop flavors in the meat and works well in either roasting or braising.

[danhole]

Here is a general guide for brining pork:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Pork/B...

[Jaymes]

I've used this one several times to rave reviews. It's a keeper!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[luniz]

I used this "recipe" from Cook's Illustrated this weekend.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&so...