German Smoked Pork - Kasseler Ripchen

Prep Time: 72 hours (for brining or wet curing)
Cook Time: 3 hours (smoking time)
Total Time: 75 hours

This is salt-cured pork loin or pork chop which is smoked with either beech wood or alder wood.  I used hickory and it worked just fine.  Germans use "Kasseler" as a tasty addition to kale and cabbage recipes.  Once smoked it is baked like American Virginia Ham. Most people buy "Kasseler" ready to cook, but it is difficult to find here in the U.S.  The smoke imparts much of the flavor in the meat - Germans most often use alder, here in the US we use either maple or hickory smoke.

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon of water (I used filtered)
1 1/2 cups Kosher Salt (do not use regular table salt - the iodine will impart a metallic taste)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbls curing/pink salt (not Hymallian pink salt - I purchased mine from Williams and Sonoma)
Fresh or dried sage leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 Tble Juniper berries (NOT an option)
1 tsp coriander
2 garlic cloves smashed
3 bay leaves
1 Tbl whole black peppercorns

4 cups ice cubes

4-5 lb pork loin- ribs removed

Alder, Beech, Maple or Hickory Chips soaked for an hour before smoking

Meat Thermometer (to make sure the roast has reached the proper temp)

Directions:
Combine the water through garlic and heat in sauce pan until salt and sugar are dissolved.
Add ice to cool brine.  Cool brine completely

Place pork in a non metallic container and pour brine over pork.  Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 days.

To Cook:

Remove roast from brine and rinse. Discard brine.  Dry roast with paper towel and let rest covered with paper towels for about 30 minutes to bring to room temp and assure the roast is dry.  The roast can be dried in fridge uncovered for 24 hours prior to smoking.

Gas Grill: Start your grill leaving one side cold and the other side heated.  Bring the grill temp to about 250 deg.  Place your wood chips in a smoke box or wrapped in aluminum foil (left open at the top) and place in the hottest part of your grill.  If you are using a charcoal grill, start your fire in the bottom of the smoker an hour before you want to smoke your meat.

Place the roast on the cold side of the grill and close the lid.  Make sure the temp does not go above 250 deg and add most soaked chips as needed.  Once the roast reaches 135 degrees, you can spray with apple juice or brush an apricot preserve/apple juice mixture over the top.

Once the roast reaches 145 degrees, remove from grill and let rest about 10 minutes. Slice into 1/2 inch slices and enjoy.


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