The Magic of Brining

This past week I introduced myself to the wonderful world of brining, and as a result made some wonderful stuff!

Like bacon. Yes, I made my own bacon. It's surprisingly easy. Pork belly soaked in a brine for about 2-3 days, then smoked. For a brine I used water, salt, brown sugar and black peppercorns. What I do is mix about 2.5 oz by weight of salt for each quart of water. Then I just sprinkle in a liberal amount of brown sugar and a small handful of whole black peppercorns. Bring the solution up to barely a boil and whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from heat. Let it cool down some, and while still warm, pour it into the plastic container you placed the pork belly in. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Remove it from the brine and smoke. Ideally you want to cold smoke bacon, but most folks have warm smokers at home. Usually in the form of some modified barbecue equipment. This is okay. Smoke the bacon for about an hour. Cool it, slice it, cook it and enjoy!

You can use this brining technique for anything. Meat, poultry, fish. Smaller pieces only need to brine for a few hours. I did pork chops this way and boy were they good! Tender and juicy off the grill. And that's what brining does. Not only does it add flavor but it keeps meats that may usually dry out while cooking tender and juicy.

Give it a try next time you're looking for something different. You can also add different herbs and spices to the mix to change the flavor profile.