Patrick_B said:
I'm really curious how well it works with Pork, and with which cuts?
I have brined pork loin with great results. Salt and either water or a broth are the key ingredients. Depending on how I'm going to prepare the pork loin will determine whether I use water or a broth. Other seasonings can be added based on personal preference.
Osmosis takes place when brining in a salt & water solution. In the initial stage of brining, moisture moves from an area of lower salt concentration (the meat) to an area of higher salt concentration (the brine). Once equilibrium is reached, the liquid flows back and forth between the meat and the brine solution. During this stage, the liquid along with the seasonings are carried into the meat. This is why brining times are longer for larger cuts of meat - it simply takes longer to reach equilibrium. The other role played by the salt is that it denatures and dissolves some proteins. The dissolved salt causes some of the proteins in muscle fibers to unwind and swell. This allows the brine solution to bind directly to these proteins. As a result, water gets trapped between these proteins when the meat cooks and the proteins bind together. This means juicer meat.
The cooking method is the other part of the equation. Continuing to use pork loin as an example, I remove it from the brine, dry the surface thoroughly and let it sit on the counter or in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes, uncovered. Right before seasoning, I pat-dry the surface again. I apply a thin coat of olive oil or clarified butter and then add the desired seasonings. I then sear the surface. This is the reason for eliminating as much water from the surface of the meat. Too much moisture on the surface will result in more steaming and less searing of the surface (oil or clarified butter does not result in this effect). I prefer to sear with the meat cold (some recommend tempering at room temperature for an hour or more). My reasoning is this...when I'm searing, I want to give it that appealing brown crust on the surface, but without cooking the interior of the meat. The cooler the internal part of the meat is, the less likely the layers just below the surface will be cooked. The goal is to minimize or eliminate that gray band between the nicely-browned surface and the juicy pink interior of a properly done pork loin.
Once the searing is done, I slow cook it at a low temperature until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 141-142°F (it will rise another degree or two after removing from the cooking source due to the carry-over effect). This part of the cook can take place on a grill, smoker, an oven, or any combination of these. I usually aim for an oven-grill temperature between 200 and 225°F. This process approximates
sous-vide without all the fancy equipment. This method also helps tenderize the meat. Once the meat's internal temperature is between about 85-122°F (depending on the meat), the meat's enzymes act as natural tenderizers, breaking down any connective tissue. The longer it is held in this temperature range, the more this process will occur - hence the low cooking temperature. Eventually, the internal temperature of the pork will rise above 122° and you need to continue cooking until it reaches at least 140°. Although rare in the US due to vastly-improved pork ranching practices over the past several decades, any trichinosis that may be present are killed when pork reaches 138°F and is held there for just a few minutes.
This process does require accurate temperature devices. I use a
ThermaQ during the cook. Its dual-channel functionality allows simultaneous monitoring of the oven/grill temperature and the internal temperature of the meat. When I remove the meat from the cooking source, I also use a
Thermapen as a double-check of the internal temperature.
:lol:
