by Kevin
View
my 13 other recipes »
A&M's Testing Notes:
Expand CollapseKevin's Notes:
Expand
2 cups
dark rum
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
2 cups
apples cider
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
1/3 cup
Kosher salt
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
15
juniper berries - crushed
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
15
peppercorns - crushed
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
3
garlic cloves - smashed
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
2 sprigs
fresh rosemary
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
2 1/2 pounds
boneless pork shoulder
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
2 tablespoons
vegetable oil
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
Combine all ingredients except pork and oil in a medium sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, and cook until salt is dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
Ask the hotline about this step!Put the roast in a gallon zippered plastic bag, add brine, evacuate most of the air, and refrigerate for 18 - 24 hours — turning three or four times while brining to distribute the brine.
Ask the hotline about this step!Allow roast to warm on the counter for 2 to 3 hours before cooking.
Ask the hotline about this step!Heat oven to 250F. Rinse roast and pat dry with a lint-free kitchen towel. Discard brine.
Ask the hotline about this step!Heat oil in a heavy, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add roast and brown well on 3 sides — about 3 minutes per side. When you flip the fourth side down, place the skillet in the center of the oven. If the roast has a fatty side brown it first and end with it on top.
Ask the hotline about this step!For tender, medium-rare meat, cook roast to 145-150 degrees at its center according to an instant-read thermometer, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively, for cooked through, succulent meat, cook to 165-170 degrees (we don't advise going for something in between). Remove from oven, place on a cutting board, and tent with foil.
Ask the hotline about this step!
2 tablespoons
butter
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
1
large apple - peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
3 tablespoons
minced red onion
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
2 teaspoons
finely minced fresh rosemary
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
1/2 cup
dark rum
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
1/2 cup
apple cider
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
salt and pepper to taste
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. (Unfortunately the fond that accumulates in the bottom of the roasting skillet is too salty to use in a sauce, so use another large skillet.) Add butter and swirl to melt.
Ask the hotline about this step!Add apples and rosemary in a single layer and lightly browned - about 5 minutes. Flip and brown other side. Add minced onion and cook 1 minute longer.
Ask the hotline about this step!Add rum and reduce by half. Add cider and reduce by half. Taste and season with salt and pepper (light on the salt).
Ask the hotline about this step!This sounded great and I discussed it with a colleague and I tried it as per the recipe.
Way to much salt. The cooking time and internal temps are not correct for this cut of pork.
I used a couple of slices for dinner that were tough and put the roast back in the oven for another couple of hours hoping it will be good for pulled pork sandwiches for a football party. Disappointed!
This recipe sounded amazing, and smelled like a pork dream going into the oven. However, I found the meat to be too salty, although not offensively so. The flavor of the meat is very intense, but I think the subtle rum/juniper notes are overwhelmed by the salt flavor. I recommend cutting the salt by about 60-70 %. The apple sauce was perfect, shouldn't be changed. Thanks for the recipe!
I'm a little confused. Final temp of 145F? Pork shoulder has a lot of collagen, whichh gives you the mouth feel" that is mentioned in the intro, but collagen break down (I think) at around 155 - 160. I have always targeted 165 on shoulder cuts like Boston Putt or picnics. What am I missing?
Thanks so much for your comment. When we recently re-tested this, we tried it both ways: an internal temp of 145-150 left us with tender, pink meat, as the headnote suggests -- much like a medium rare slab of prime rib (we credit the brining). But thanks to your comment, we brought another roast up to an internal temp of 165-170, which came out cooked through (white) and succulent. We liked it both ways, so we'll leave it up to you to decide which way to go!
I used this marinade on a tied pork tenderloin roast, and reduced the salt to 1/8 cup, marinating the roast for a day and a half--also sprinkled a little cracked black pepper on the roast before browning, wrapped it in bacon and roasted it at 375F., and served it with apple chutney and a white wine Demi-glacé sauce, on a bed of wilted arugula. Yes, in most respects it was a totally different preparation. But this recipe was the starting point and everyone at the dinner enjoyed it. Thank you for a very good idea.
Amanda and Merrill, echoing LND's question of eight months ago regarding the brining time for this pork shoulder, in light of the over-salting problem reported . . . . Would you be so kind as to check your journal or notes or whatever you do to record your procedures, and let us know? I'm considering making this for a party coming up in a few days. . 2/3 cup of salt for 2.5 pounds does sound like quite a lot, even for a shorter brining period. Thank you so much. ;o)
Some pork is already injected with salt water to add moisture to a cheap cut of meat. If you bought a roast that was prepared this method you were just adding more salt . I guess the golden rule is to "Know Thy Butcher". I found out what a difference this can make. Last week when I was having a porkathon I bought two roasts, one at my usual favorite butcher (who answers all my stupid questions) and the other one at S------. The difference was amazing!
Our roast came from Hill Farm via our farmers' market - pure pork, nothing added except what we added to it according to this recipe. I guess we just let it sit for too long!
Amanda and Merrill, can I ask how long you let your pork roast sit in the brine? We made this over the weekend and let it sit for the full 24 hours, and unfortunately we found it was way too salty (using Diamond Crystal Kosher salt). So disappointing because it smelled absolutely heavenly! Thanks.
I agree with Amber Olson: my first thought while reading this recipe was "can you still taste the pork after using strong flavors such as rosemary, dark rum, and juniper?" I have always liked Julia Child's dry rub that consists of salt/pepper/dried thyme/ground bay leaf/smidgen of allspice (or clove). Page 376 of TAOFC, volume 1. Elizabeth David suggests rubbing crushed garlic cloves in crushed coriander before inserting into the meat and also adding minced fennel leaves into the same small cuts.
Okay, the seasonings are spot on, but why would you brine any part of a Berkshire farm-raised pig? The flavor is incredible, as I can testify to since I have a half pig in my freezer. Love your take on things, but save this brine for supermarket pork1
This looks so good. Will definitely try, when apples are in season again. ;o)
Dorie is a food writer and award-winning author of ten cookbooks, her most recent being Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours.
photo 1 of 22
photo 2 of 22
The marinade starts with just a little bit of rum...
photo 3 of 22
The garlic seemed to cause a chemical reaction when we added it to the rum.
photo 4 of 22
Amanda adds the cider.
photo 5 of 22
Plenty of salt is the key to any brine.
photo 6 of 22
Juniper berries and peppercorns -- crushed in the handy-dandy mortar and pestle.
photo 7 of 22
Once all of the ingredients are added, you bring the marinade to a simmer and stir just until the salt dissolves.
photo 8 of 22
Once the marinade is cool, you just put it in a zipper bag with the pork shoulder and refrigerate it for 18 to 24 hours.
photo 9 of 22
We had a pork shoulder that had been brining since the day before, so we rinsed and dried it thoroughly and were ready to go!
photo 10 of 22
Browning the pork shoulder in a bit of oil gives it a nice golden crust.
photo 11 of 22
We transferred the pork to a cast iron pan to roast it. (We needed the other pan for something else!)
photo 12 of 22
While the pork is in the oven, you can start on the apples, which are sautéed with minced red onion...
photo 13 of 22
...and fresh rosemary.
photo 14 of 22
Wonder if Amanda's smile has anything to do with that half-empty bottle of rum nearby...
photo 15 of 22
or with the fact that she's about to pull off this nifty trick.
photo 16 of 22
We cut the apples into chunks rather than thin slices, inspired by Kevin's photo.
photo 17 of 22
They browned perfectly on both sides.
photo 18 of 22
In goes the red onion.
photo 19 of 22
And why not add some more run while we're at it?
photo 20 of 22
A little cider, a quick simmer, and the apples are ready!
photo 21 of 22
The pork was perfectly cooked in an hour and a half.
photo 22 of 22
This is from your friendly editors at Food52.
added about 1 year agoHi everyone -- we're so sorry this recipe has turned out disappointingly for several of you. When we originally tested it last year, we really enjoyed it (the apples balanced the saltiness of the pork nicely), but we also likely brined for the minimum 18 hours, not 24. After re-testing it and letting it brine for the full 24 hours, it is indeed on the salty side, so we're decreasing the salt to 1/3 cup. Thank you all for letting us know -- please feel free to email us at editors@food52.com if problems like this arise in the future.