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5 from 1 vote

Grilled Brined Pork Loin (adaptation of Sage-Garlic Brined Pork Chops from Ruhlman’s Twenty)

The key to juicy, tender pork is brining.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Brining and Resting Time8 hours
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 287kcal

Ingredients

Brine

  • 1 quart (32 ounces) cold water
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons (50 grams, 1.75 ounces) Kosher salt (do not use table salt)
  • 10 cloves garlic peeled and smashed with the flat side of a knife
  • 1 lemon cut in half
  • 1 packed Tablespoon fresh sage leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon black peppercorns cracked in Ziploc bag with meat pounder, a mortar with a pestle
  • 1 shallot sliced optional
  • 2 bay leaves optional
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon Emeril’s Essence

Pork

  • 1 ¼ pounds (4 half-inch, 5 ounce pieces) pork loin, trimmed

Instructions

Brine

  • In a large saucepan over high heat, combine water, salt, garlic, lemon, sage and peppercorns; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow the brine to come to room temperature. Refrigerate uncovered until cold.
  • Submerge the pork in the brine; refrigerate 6 to 8 hours.

Basting Sauce

  • Combine all basting sauce ingredients in container. Mix well. Set aside.

Pork

  • Remove pork from the brine, discarding the brine. Rinse the pork well; pat dry with paper towels. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
  • Brush both sides of pork with vegetable oil. Grill over hot coals on both sides, basting often, until an internal temperature of 160° F, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill; cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 618mg | Potassium: 670mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Vitamin C: 16.7mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1.7mg