Plate with cooked meat topped with gravy, mixed roasted vegetables including potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions, and green beans.

Brined pork roast

From The Flavour Principle by Lucy Waverman and Beppi Crosariol (with adaptions)

Brine:

  • 16 cups water

  • 1 cup kosher salt

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

  • 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise

  • 2 tsp peppercorns

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup orange juice

  • 2 cups chicken stock

  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Pork:

  • pork roast (any size as long as it sits submerged in the brine)

  • 1 tbsp chopped sage

  • 1 tbsp cracked fennel seeds

  • 1 tsp cracked coriander seeds

  • 1 tbsp cracked pepper

  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

  • 1 tsp grated orange zest

  • salt

  1. Place 4 cups of water in a large pot. Add salt, sugar, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and rosemary and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add remaining 12 cups of water and cool completely. Add pork to brine and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

  2. Remove pork from brine, rinse and pat dry. Refrigerate for 2 hours to dry off, then bring back to room temperature.

  3. Preheat oven to 450F. Place pork on a rack in a roasting pan. combine sage, fennel, coriander, pepper, ginger, orange zest and salt and rub all over pork. Roast for 15 min. Reduce heat to 325F and roast till a thermometer reads 150-170F. Let sit for 15 min while making sauce.

  4. Drain fat from roasting pan and add orange juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring up all the little bits from the bottom of the pan. Add stock and bring to a boil. stir in balsamic vinegar. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.

  5. Slice pork and serve with sauce.