PICKLE MEAT

Pickle Meat image

Provided by Mary Ann Hanson

Categories Pork

Time 1h10m

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 1/2 lb pork butt, trimmed and cubed in 2 inch pieces
2 c water
1 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c kosher salt
3 Tbsp brown sugar
6 clove garlic, smashed
2 Tbsp hot sauce
3 Tbsp mixed pickling spice
8 oz ice

Steps:

1. Place all ingredients except pork and ice into a nonreative pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes.
2. Turn off heat and add ice. Let mixture cool. The ice simply cools it faster. You can simply add another 2/3 cup of cold water.
3. Place pork into a plastic or glass container that will hold all ingredients. I used a large ziploc bag.
4. Pour cooled brine mixture over pork. If using a bag, squeeze out air and seal. If using another container, make sure pork in submerged in brine.
5. Refrigerate and stir or mix brine and pork or ziploc bag every day for three days. It can go for up to a week.
6. After a week, drain brine and rinse meat of spices. Use or put in a pan and freeze. Place in a bag for future use. I put the pieces of meat on a cookie sheet and froze them. I then put them in a freezer bag.
7. I used this in Donna's Red Beans and Rice and it was a very good flavor. I plan on trying it in baked beans and even fried rice. I diced it and browned in a little bacon fat. This is a whole new seasoning adventure!
8. If you think you would like different seasonings, my research found that this was OK. Just keep the sugar/salt/water/vinegar ratio the same. You can season any way you like! Love recipes like that!