MAKES 2 GALLONS
Brining a pig helps keep it moist during the long roasting period and also seasons the pig from the inside out. There are two ways to brine: You can soak the pig in the brine, or inject it with the brine. The second option is less messy, and can be done the day of cooking, whereas soaking requires two days for a whole pig (one for a leg of pork) and you’re more likely to make a mess by splashing brine somewhere in the vicinity of where the brining takes place. Despite the potential for mess, I prefer the soaking method. If you choose to soak the pig or pork, you’ll need a vessel large enough to submerge it. For a whole pig, you can use a very large cooler, or invest in what’s called a Pig Bag (see Sources), which amounts to a tightly sealed body bag for whole animals. The pig sits in the brine for two days; it will be fine from the point of view of spoilage as long as you make sure there is ice on the pig bag or cooler at all times.
This recipe makes enough brine for large cuts of pork such as a bone-in leg. For a whole pig, multiply the listed ingredient amounts (except ice) by seven; double the water and make up for the difference with ice to get 14 gallons.
1 cup KOSHER SALT
1/2 cup granulated SUGAR
1/2 cup packed light or dark BROWN SUGAR
12 GARLIC CLOVES, smashed
6 BAY LEAVES
2 tablespoons CORIANDER SEEDS
2 tablespoons BLACK PEPPERCORNS
2 tablespoons JUNIPER BERRIES
2 teaspoons RED PEPPER FLAKES
1/2 teaspoon WHOLE CLOVES
4 quarts ICE
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil and turn off the heat. Add the salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, garlic cloves, bay leaves, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, juniper berries, red pepper flakes, and cloves and stir to dissolve the salt and sugars. Add 2 quarts cold water and the ice. The brine is now ready to use. If you are injecting the brine into the pig, strain the spices before loading the brine into the injector.