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[pmillen]

Here’s a basic brine for pork and poultry.  It's the only one I use.

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.

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 Tblsp 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 12 hours.  I don't notice any difference when they're brined longer.

[Flboy76]

when I first started pellet cooking, I did not fully understand the difference between brine and marinate ?  What I have come to believe is that a brine involves salt and at least 12 or more hours to brine and a marinate is less or no salt and maybe 4-12 hrs to marinate. Is that it in a nut shell ?

[pmillen]

Yes, brines are salt based and add moisture to meat.  They penetrate deep into meat and can also add a bit of flavor.

Marinades are acid based and don't add much moisture but add a lot of flavor.  They don't penetrate very far into meat—probably less than ¼".

I've never done both to the same piece of meat but I think it's possible, but not simultaneously.

[Saddleman]

I’m going to give this a try, thanks for sharing.  Keep smoking Dan

[MikeBsBBQ]

Thanks so much PMillen for the brine info. Just what I have been looking for. Keeping it simple is always best. Going to cook some turkeys in the coming weeks.
Mike B
So. California

[MMike]

This is great info. I needed this!