Mar 23 2016
It is always a little in doubt around here when we will have our family Easter meal. Our son and wife do not plan very far ahead! Sometimes we have just gone out to eat. The daughter in law does like to go to her parents too.
I think I have it covered! I just put a pork loin in to brine for a Kassler German Pork Loin. I will be able to smoke it Saturday or Sunday. This is an old German recipe and Kassler ham is still popular in Germany and available at most meat markets.
It is a little like Canadian bacon or pea meal bacon but has more spices added to the brine. I love it sliced thin of thick. Sliced thicker it makes great sandwiches.
I used my injector from Grillbeast for the first time. It is a nice one. I mixed up the brine with just the water, salt, sugar and pink salt, (cure #1) then injected the loin. I added the loin and the rest of the spices to the brine, stirred the spices in, added a plate to keep the loin under the brine and then in the fridge.
Smokin Don
Recipe:
Kasseler German pork loin
Ingredients
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"Brine"
4 liters (1 gallon) water
1 ½ cups kosher salt (1 cup)
1 ¼ cups sugar (¾ cup)
2 ¾ TBS pink salt
Fresh or dried sage leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 T. juniper berries
1 tsp. coriander
garlic cloves
"Meat"
1 pork loin without back ribs, 4 - 5 pounds
"Equipment"
Alder or beech wood chips
Smoker or grill
Meat thermometer
How to make it
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Stir together the ingredients for the brine and heat to a simmer to dissolve all the salt and sugar. Refrigerate until completely cold.
Prepare the loin by removing all but a thin layer of fat. I recommend a loin, not a rib roast. Inject the loin with the brine. Place the loin in the brine and weight it down with a plate or other object to keep it submerged.
Refrigerate for 48 to 72 hours.
Remove the loin from the brine. Discard brine; wash off the pork with cold water and pat dry. You may dry it in the refrigerator for up to a day (do not cover with any wrap).
Prepare your smoker: Smoker temp at 250F; cook to 150 deg. IT. Double wrap in plastic wrap and double foil. Place in a cooler to rest for an hour. I preheat my oven to 200 deg. then turn off and let rest there. Remove and when cool enough place in the fridge for two days before using.
I cut back on the salt and sugar. Noted in parenthesis and added 3 bay leaves. Otherwise I followed the recipe.
Above is the original recipe.
I first found a recipe from Bubba at a Homemade Sausage Making forum. All other recipes I have found looks like a copy of his ingredients.
There was concern on that forum about the short brining time and all agreed injecting with the brine was a must. I injected mine with the brine and it set for 60 hours in the brine. I rinsed it well and air dried in the fridge for 2 ½ hours before smoking.
I did mine on smoke mode for an hour then went to 225 deg. on my Traeger pellet smoker for the rest of the cook. I was using Traeger oak pellets and added some additional smoke with Amazn tube smoker filled with Smokin Bros. 100% apple wood pellets. With the Traeger set at 225 deg. it will run about 245 deg. at grill level. It was up to an IT of 150 deg. for a total cook time of 3 ¼ hours. I pulled and covered with foil for a half hour rest then let cool about another hour. I wrapped in plastic wrap and the foil; placed in the fridge for two days before slicing and reheating.
I thought it turned out great, a good ham taste but less salty than most ham and a little sweeter with a slight smoke taste. It was tender but had good texture. I thought I got good penetration from the cure and brine, when I sliced it; it was a uniform color all through.
If I do over I will probably go with injecting and brine 3 days then air dry overnight in the fridge.
