This really isn't the brine recipe section, it's for rubs, mops, sauces, gravies and marinades, but I couldn't locate a brine recipe section.
Here’s a basic brine for pork shoulders, butts and poultry. My sincere advice is—don’t get caught up in a complex brine. I have been using brines for 40+ years and I can assure you that for pork, once you get past salt and sugar, you're wasting your time and money on extra ingredients. Many recommended turkey brines cost more than the turkey but bring almost nothing to the flavor of the bird past salt and sugar.
Trying to infuse big pork chunks with subtle flavors thru a brine is neither cost effective nor likely to achieve the desired result. Mix in whatever flavors you want when you pull your pork.
This is a 4½% solution.
INGREDIENTS
1 gallon water.
¾ cup kosher salt
½ cup sugar of choice (brown, white or turbinado)
Palm full of garlic powder
-OR- couple three tablespoons of minced garlic (from a jar is fine)
NOTES
● This can easily be mixed cold.
● Add the garlic powder after you see that the sugar and salt have dissolved.
● Depending on the vessel you use, you may need more brine but keep the proportions the same.
● Brine pork for no more than 12 hours. I don't notice any difference when it’s brined longer.
