Need an apple pork shoulder brine.

We had a double cut pork chop on the menu that used this brine.

10ea apples
20ea bay leaves
1c garlic
1c thyme
3T cinnamon
20ea cloves
8c sugar
5c salt
4c brandy, alcohol cooked off
4gal hot water
3g ice

Peel apples and cut into 1" pieces - Put everything except hot water and ice into a heat proof, non reactive container - Heat water to a boil and pour over ingredients - Stir until salt and sugar dissolve then cover and let set 10-30 minutes - Add ice and allow to melt - Check that temp is @or below 70°F - Add pork and place container in refrigerator to brine for 12-24 hours.

Alternatively you could use an A10 can of apple sauce instead of fresh apples. Just try to get no sugar added applesauce or you'll have to adjust the sugar in the brine.

That's probably because you've never cooked in a classical French brasserie.

Edit: I say that to mean, the recipe was originally developed to use an A10 can of apple sauce but, the chef wanted fresh apples in the brine instead. He was uncompromising.

Here's the recipe converted down

1ea 24oz can apple sauce
5ea bay leaves
.25c garlic, sliced
.25c thyme (small bunch)
.75T cinnamon (or 2 sticks)
5ea cloves
2c sugar
1.25c salt
1c brandy, alcohol cooked off
1g hot water
.75g ice

Didn't think about that with the sauce

quote:

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Apple sauce is a great idea for apple flavor. Does it blend well with water to form a brine?

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Applesauce is pureed apples, which are probably 75-85% water, making applesauce an aqueous liquid solution. So yeah, it blends well with brine.

Brining depends on the thickness of the meat. Depends on whether you want the brine to flavor just a little layer on the outside or if you want it to flavor the entire inside all the way to the core.

Think of it like this… brine has to work its way into the meat. It does this little by little. A 1-inch steak may need 4 hours for the brine to get to the middle. A 2-inch steak may need 8 hours.

A pork chop may take 24 hours. But If you want a Boston butt to get brine in the core (without injecting), it may take a week.


Now, you don’t have to get it to the core. If you’re marinating, you’re just trying to add flavor and the outside layer works. If you’re brining or curing, you’re generally wanting the brine in the meat so the meat is juicier and to add the flavor.