INGREDIENTS

  • 2 quarts water
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 3/4 cup kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons black peppercorns , cracked
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 cups honey
  • 1 1/2 cups maple syrup , pure is best
  • 2 lbs pork loin roast, with ribs attached, one rib per person
  • 1/4 cup calvados
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 golden delicious apples or red delicious apples , peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges
  • 1/2 lb mushrooms , trimmed, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives , finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

  1. Combine the water, bay leaves, salt, crushed peppercorns, cloves and ginger in a Dutch oven; heat to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer; stir in the honey and maple syrup. Remove from heat; set aside to cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Add the pork to the brine; place a clean, heavy container or kitchen weight on the pork to keep it submerged. Cover the pan; refrigerate 5-8 hours.
  2. Heat the oven to 450 degrees; transfer the roast from the brine to a roasting rack in a roasting pan; roast until cooked through but still slightly pink inside or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast reads 150 degrees, 50-60 minutes. Transfer the roast to a carving board; cover with foil to keep it warm.
  3. Remove the rack from the pan; pour off excess fat. Place the pan over medium heat. Add the Calvados; cook, stirring and scraping, 1 minute. Stir in the broth; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in the cream. Raise heat to medium-high; heat to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour through a fine-meshed strainer into a bowl. Cover; keep warm.
  4. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet; add the apple wedges. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 7-10 minutes; remove to a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet; add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir the mushrooms into the strained sauce; adjust the seasonings, if needed.
  5. Slice the roast into 1/2-inch thick pieces; spoon the sauce onto serving plates. Arrange the meat slices, overlapping, on top of the sauce; garnish with apples. Sprinkle with chives.
  6. Notes:
  7. Brining time: 5-8 hours.
  8. Cooking time: 1 hour or until ideal temperature is reached. See above.
  9. I would suggest periodically adding water to the bottom of the roasting pan. With the high oven temperature, the drippings tend to burn & set off the smoke detector. If the drippings burn, it’s tougher to make the gravy.
  10. This recipe can easily be made for more people. I would suggest doubling the gravy ingredients if you are serving 6 or more people. One "rib / chop" per person.