Home-Brined Pork

This is not exactly your most popular store-bought item, but we feel it has a place here as a substitute for the often synthetically flavored, water-filled hams and shoulders that one encounters too frequently in today’s markets.

This time-honored method of pickling meat makes a new animal of the pig. It acquires a totally different flavor and texture from fresh pork—as different as Canadian bacon is from fresh pork loin. As with the other recipes for meats cured in brine, there is