Apple Juice Pork Brine Recipe
Brining is the secret to tender, juicy meat every single time. This apple juice pork brine has become my go-to for so many of my pork recipes, including my air fryer pork tenderloin and these cast iron pork chops. Once you brine, there's no going back.
Servings: 1 quart (approx.)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb pork tenderloin I'm using pork tenderloin in this recipe as my example. Please review the notes for the amount of liquid for other cuts of pork.
- 4 cups Apple juice
- 2.5 tablespoons Coarse kosher salt
- 1 garlic bulb, cut in half
- 1 orange, halved and juiced
- 1 lemon, halved and juiced
- 2 tablespoon peppercorns
- 1-2 Bay leaves
- 1 handful of fresh herbs I like using the poultry blend or roasting blend that is prepackaged from the grocery store because it has my preferred herbs, like rosemary, thyme, and sage.
Instructions
- Make the brine base: pour 4 cups of apple juice into a saucepan and warm it over medium-low heat. Don’t let it simmer. Once the juice is warm, add the salt to the pan. Now you can bring the liquid to a simmer, stirring often, until the salt dissolves. When the salt has completely dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely. You can speed up this process by adding a handful of ice cubes.
- Brine the pork: pour the brine into your brining vessel, then carefully transfer the pork to the brine. Squeeze the oranges and lemons into the brine, adding the remaining fruit when done. Then add the fresh herbs, peppercorns, and whatever else you might be using. Cover or seal the pork and brine, then transfer to the fridge for the appropriate amount of time (see brining times in the recipe card notes).
- Rinse before cooking: when your brine time is up and you’re ready to cook your pork, carefully remove it from the brine over the sink and rinse the meat to wash off excess salt. Gently pat the pork dry and proceed with your recipe.
Notes
*Nutrition facts are based on a cut of pork tenderloin.
Brining time based on cut of pork:
- Pork Chops (under 1 inch thick): 30 minutes to 1 hour. Thin cuts absorb salt quickly and can turn mushy or overly salty if left too long.
- Pork Chops (1 to 1.5 inches thick): 2 to 4 hours. The extra thickness means the salt needs more time to reach the center.
- Pork Tenderloin: 1 to 4 hours. Lean and thin, so it takes on salt quickly.
- Pork Loin or Roast: 4 to 12 hours. Larger cuts need more time for the brine to reach the middle — just don’t leave them in longer than 24 hours.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 368kcal | Protein: 65g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g
