Recipe: Pork with Vanilla Brine

PORK WITH VANILLA BRINE

9 cups hot water
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
6 (1 1/4-inch to 1 1/2-inch thick) center-cut loin pork chops; or 4 pork tenderloins (1 to 1 1/4 pounds each); or 1 (4- to 6-pound) piece of boneless pork loin

Stir the hot water, vanilla, sugar and salt together until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the black pepper. Cool to below 45 degrees F in the refrigerator.

Trim any excess external fat from the meat. Submerge the pork in the brine in a large bowl or small crock; make sure the meat stays under the surface during curing by using a heavy plate to weight it down. Refrigerate the pork in the cure. The chops should take 4-6 hours in the brine; the tenderloin, 6-8 hours; and the loin, 1-2 days. (Bone-in pork can take a day longer in the brine because of the bone, which gives it a larger diameter.) If marinating for a day or longer, stir the brine daily and turn the pork occasionally.

To test flavor of brined pork, cut a small piece off the meat, pat it dry and pan-fry it. If the meat is sufficiently flavorful, remove it from the brine, let it come to room temperature and grill. If not, leave it in the brine and test again later.

Makes 6-8 servings
Adapted from source: The Complete Meat Cookbook by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly