Brined Pork Roast

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water or apple juice
• 1/3 cup kosher salt (coarse grain)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 whole cloves
• 10 juniper berries, crushed (optional)
• 1 teaspoon anise seed
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
• 1 pork roast, any size

Directions

1. 1

   Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.

2. 2

   Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Cool to room temperature.

4. 4

   Immerse pork roast of your choice in the cooled brine mixture, and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight (up to 24 hours) turning occasionally if necessary for even brining.

5. 5

   Remove roast from brine, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels, and roast (on a rack or grill pan) according to your favorite recipe until a thermometer, inserted in the center of the roast, reads 155 degrees.

6. 6

   Allow the roast to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

7. 7

   (Roast may be coated with mustard, breadcrumbs or glaze of your choice before or during roasting, if desired.) NOTE: Smaller cuts of pork, such as pork tenderloins, may also be brined in this way- but should be immersed in the brine solution for proportionately less time, to avoid over-salting.