Brining meat before cooking helps increase the moisture and in turn, creates a more flavorful, tender and juicy product after cooking. Typically, the longer a meat is brined, the better - we recommend a minimum of 4 hours, but if you plan enough in advance, a meat can be brined for up to 48 hours.
Ingredients:
36 oz hard cider
2 qts cold water
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper
3-5 pounds bone-in pork chops. This brine will also work for chicken and turkey.
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients, except meat, into large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Stir often to make sure salt and brown sugar are fully dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and cool to room temp. Approx. 2 hrs.
4. Add the pork to a separate bowl or large plastic bag.
5. Cover with the cooled brine and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
For cooking, drain the meat fully from the brine and pat dry with paper towels before grilling. Grill over medium-high heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees for pork.
