Smoked Pork Loin (or Belly)
This pork is great cut into thin slices and served with a salad of (thinly sliced and pan-fried) black pudding, ( thinly sliced and pan-fried) paua, rocket and shaved nectarine. Finish with a red wine or sherry vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 3 litres cold water
- 1 cup maple syrup or 2/3 cup brown sugar 150gms salt
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 2kg pork loin or belly
- 100gms coarse cornmeal
Method
Make a brine by placing all ingredients (except for pork loin and cornmeal) into a non corrosive pot and bringing to the boil.
Allow brine to cool and transfer to a non corrosive container ( ie plastic, stainless steel or porcelain). Place in the fridge and allow to cool. When the brine is cool, add the pork loin and submerge. Place a plate on top of the pork to make sure the pork is submerged.
Cover and leave in the fridge to cure for 4 days.
After 4 days remove pork from brine and pat dry. Leave pork uncovered in fridge overnight to form a nice sticky surface. You can now either roll the pork in cornmeal, slice thinly and pan fry OR smoke the pork over a hot smoker, until it reaches an internal temperature of 65 C.
