"Brining" Pork Chops in Apple Cider

[Shel_B]

Has anyone here ever "brined" pork chops or pork loin in apple cider?  Any though, ts on the best way to do that ... add sugar or salt?  Maybe honey or maple syrup?  For how long a time?  Over night?  Would using heritage-style pork instead of commercial, very lean, pork effect the timing?

 

It seems that, since apples go well with pork, and there are lots of recipes for apple cider/vinegar pan sauces, soaking some chops or loin in apple cider might be interesting.  Any comments pro or con?

Edited December 12, 2014 by Shel_B (log)

[weinoo]

Brines generally contain salt.

[Mjx]

Wouldn't this simply be 'marinading'? Whatever you call it, It would probably just make the outer portion of the meat (the only part it would penetrate) kind of mushy; if you want the cider flavour in the meat, you'd be better off using the cider as [part of] a braising liquid.

[CatPoet]

I have marinated pork in  apple cider and it turned out yummy. I have  also brined it salt and sugar and it turned out lovely.

[Shel_B]

Wouldn't this simply be 'marinading'? Whatever you call it, It would probably just make the outer portion of the meat (the only part it would penetrate) kind of mushy; if you want the cider flavour in the meat, you'd be better off using the cider as [part of] a braising liquid.

 

Not from what I understand, but that's one of the reasons I asked the question.

 

Using the cider as part of the braising liquid doesn't work if the result is for grilled or pan seared pork.

[jmacnaughtan]

By definition, a brine contains salt.  If you want to get the cider flavour into a chop, you could reduce some cider and inject it.

 

I'd probably just cook it normally and make a cider sauce.  Much less effort, and the cider flavour will almost certainly be more pronounced than just soaking the raw chop in it.

[AlaMoi]

cider, and most fruit juices, are acidic.

 

acids "chemically cook" proteins.  spritz lermon juice on salmon and watch it turn white - just like when it starts to cook by heat....

 

an overdone (time wise) acid marinade can be very un-good in terms of 'tender' - and imho pork is probably the most sensitive to that issue.

[ChrisTaylor]

Wouldn't this simply be 'marinading'? Whatever you call it, It would probably just make the outer portion of the meat (the only part it would penetrate) kind of mushy; if you want the cider flavour in the meat, you'd be better off using the cider as [part of] a braising liquid.

 

Or make an apple cider/apple vider vin reduction to serve with the chops.

[ElainaA]

Not a brine but a marinade. I do not remember where I got this recipe (here?) but ir really is wonderful.

 For pork tenderloin or pork chops
 

Combine: 

2 cup apple cider

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup bourbon

3T dijon mustard

1T minced fresh ginger

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

 

Marinate the pork at least 6 hours. (I usually marinate it overnight). Pat dry. Grill or roast pork. Boil marinade down to 1 cup - use as sauce. 

 

I roasted 4 tenderloins with this marinade for a holiday party last year,sliced thin with the sauce as a dipping sauce- they disappeared amazingly fast.

Elaina

[Norm Matthews]

ElainaA, That sounds wonderful. I have copied it and plan to try it sometime.  I am tempted to try it with hard cider and no bourbon though. (hate to have bourbon and not drink it)

[weinoo]

Brine the chops in a standard brine.  If the chops are allegedly that good, who needs sauce?

 

And then, just drink the damn cider.

[ElsieD]

Not a brine but a marinade. I do not remember where I got this recipe (here?) but ir really is wonderful.

 For pork tenderloin or pork chops

 

Combine: 

2 cup apple cider

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup bourbon

3T dijon mustard

1T minced fresh ginger

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

 

Marinate the pork at least 6 hours. (I usually marinate it overnight). Pat dry. Grill or roast pork. Boil marinade down to 1 cup - use as sauce. 

 

I roasted 4 tenderloins with this marinade for a holiday party last year,sliced thin with the sauce as a dipping sauce- they disappeared amazingly fast.

Elaina

I bought the stuff I need to make this yesterday and will use it to brine pork chops which I will then cook sous vide. However, I balked at buying bourbon as we don't drink it and I did not feel like paying $28 for something I may never use again. So I am wondering - can I use Calvados? I do have a lot of other booze, such as cognac, brandy, rum, ice wine, etc. if something would work better than Calvados.

[weinoo]

Sure, use calvados. But remember, you're marinating, not brining.

[rotuts]

the EtOH you use is going to denature the meat some, although its diluted.

 

can you drink the Cavados or is it on the 'rough' side ?

 

Id make a sauce and put it in that.

[ElainaA]

I keep a very small bottle of bourbon primarily for this recipe. I can taste the bourbon in the sauce made from the cooked down marinade. Calvados would be different - but, in my opinion, very good.

Elaina

[ElsieD]

Thanks, everybody. I did use calvados and they are now marinating. Rotuts, the calavados I am using is made in the Pays d'Auge region of Normandy if that means anything. It sells for about $50 a bottle so I would guess it is drinkable although I use it mainly for cooking. Since I plan on cooking my chops sous vide I'll post my sous vide question over there.

[AlaMoi]

Canada (I hope!) has more sensible "rules/laws" than (every USA state is different) we do.

 

for odd ball booze needs, I buy the miniatures - like you get on airlines.  per ml cost is higher - but if a 'whole bottle' is just going to sit there for the next four decades, it's a good approach.

[ElsieD]

Canada (I hope!) has more sensible "rules/laws" than (every USA state is different) we do.

for odd ball booze needs, I buy the miniatures - like you get on airlines. per ml cost is higher - but if a 'whole bottle' is just going to sit there for the next four decades, it's a good approach.

Don't want to hijack this thread, but.......I will, just a little.

HaHaHaHaHa! Where I live, in the province of Ontario, we have what is called the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. It belongs to the Ontario government. That is the only place we can buy booze, beer but no more than a 6 pack and wine. Then we have something called The Beer Store which sells only beer, (they get to sell 12 packs and 24s), they pay a sum of money to the government of Ontario every year and is owned by foreign breweries. Our craft breweries, and there are a fair number of them, have a hard time getting The Beer Store to list their beer. There are a few wine stores that sell wines produced in Ontario. Each province is different. For example, next door to my city lies the province of Quebec. I can go to Costco there and buy beer or wine, neither of which I can buy at the Costco in the city in which I live. Very stoopid.

I did look for a miniature bottle of bourbon but alas, found none. They did have a fair assortment but bourbon wasn't among them.

Edited to add: I'm pretty sure I won't be around for another 4 decades.

Edited December 15, 2014 by ElsieD (log)

[Norm Matthews]

I bought the stuff I need to make this yesterday and will use it to brine pork chops which I will then cook sous vide. However, I balked at buying bourbon as we don't drink it and I did not feel like paying $28 for something I may never use again. So I am wondering - can I use Calvados? I do have a lot of other booze, such as cognac, brandy, rum, ice wine, etc. if something would work better than Calvados.

See the dinner thread where I made this yesterday. I used a half pint of inexpensive brandy. It turned out very well. Calvados would be a good choice too  but not cheap.  After marinating, I reduced the marinade to 1/2 C. then used the reduction to deglaze the pan after browning the chops.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Norm Matthews (log)

[ElsieD]

The pork chops were a bust as they were very dry, but I can't say enough good things about the sauce. It was delicious. Thank you ElainaA for posting the recipe.

[ElainaA]

I'm glad you liked the sauce.  While the recipe said either tenderloin or chops, I have only done it with tenderloin - either grilling it or roasting it. I prefer grilling but that gets difficult when there are two feet of snow on top of the grill and it is about 10 degrees or less.

Elaina

[Dave W]

Pish posh start the grill up and the snow will fall right off! Sauce sounds amazing Elaina I must try this.