Considerations for brining bone-in pork roast

[crankin]

I'm making a bone-in pork rib roast and am considering brining. I have some questions:

1. How much will brining add? I am planning for a 4-5 pound, bone-in, pork rib loin roast.

2. If I do brine, can anyone offer a good recipe for this size/type of roast? The recipe I was planning to follow is this:

- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup kosher salt
- Garlic (about 1 head of garlic cloves, crushed)
- Bay leaves
- Thyme and rosemary sprigs
- Black peppercorns
- 1 gallon of water

And then brine for maybe 3-4 hours? I'm wondering if those amounts are appropriate ... if there should be less salt ... and if the time sounds correct for this size roast.

I'm also planning to put a mixture of fresh rosemary/thyme/garlic/pepper on the pork before roasting. And serving it with roasted apples and onions.

Lastly and not brine related... at what temperature would you remove the pork from the oven? I was thinking 135° ... would that give a final rested (10-15 minutes) of around 145?

 

[Andy M.]

I'd double the salt and sugar to 2 cups each for a gallon of water. Put the ingredients into a pot with half the water (2 quarts) and bring it to a boil to release the flavors of the seasonings then turn off the burner. Add a little over 4 pounds of ice to the pot and stir until all the ice is melted and the liquid is cool. The ice will cool the hot brine solution down so it's safe for the meat. Brine for 6-8 hours and rinse off the pork when done. Pat dry before roasting. 135ºF to 140ºF is a good range to pull the roast. The meat closest to the bones will cook last. Cover and rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

 

[crankin]

I'd double the salt and sugar to 2 cups each for a gallon of water. Put the ingredients into a pot with half the water (2 quarts) and bring it to a boil to release the flavors of the seasonings then turn off the burner. Add a little over 4 pounds of ice to the pot and stir until all the ice is melted and the liquid is cool. The ice will cool the hot brine solution down so it's safe for the meat. Brine for 6-8 hours and rinse off the pork when done. Pat dry before roasting. 135ºF to 140ºF is a good range to pull the roast. The meat closest to the bones will cook last. Cover and rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Thanks. Also I was curious, I'd say about half the pork loin recipes I've looked for call for brining while the others call for rubbing the meat with a mixture of salt/spices, covering with plastic wrap and refridgerating for 12-24 hours. Have you tried both methods or have an opinion on which works better?

 

[GB]

The second process is called dry brining. I have never used it with a pork loin, but that is how I make my steaks now. The salt draws out moisture initially, but then dissolves the salt and gets drawn back into the meat given enough time. It adds flavor without changing the texture of the meat. Both wet and dry brining work very well when done right. You will need to try each to see which you like more.