Drink: Sweet Tea Pork Loin

Ingredients

2 quarts sweet tea
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
12 black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
One 6-pound boneless pork loin
Barbecue rub such as Big Duane's Butt Rub, for coating the pork

Instructions

For the pork: Combine the sweet tea, salt, Worcestershire sauce, peppercorns, garlic, thyme and bay leaf in a large bowl or stock pot and stir to dissolve the salt. Submerge the pork loin in the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. Before cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the pork loin from the brine and rub with barbecue rub. Cut the loin into eight 10-ounce portions. Sear the pieces on both sides in a large skillet, then transfer them to the oven and roast to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. For the grits: Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the butter and slowly stir in the grits. Cook, stirring, until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. When the grits are fully cooked, mix in the pimento cheese. For the green beans: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and saute for 2 minutes. Mix together the sorghum syrup and Worcestershire sauce, add to the beans and cook until reduced to a glaze. For the jus: Combine the bourbon, apple cider, cider vinegar, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, orange peel and star anise in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced by two-thirds. Add the pork stock and reduce until thickened, 20 minutes. To plate: Spoon 1/3 cup of the cheese grits onto a plate, top with a slice of pork loin and add some green beans on the side. Drizzle bourbon jus over all.
This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and may have been scaled down from a bulk recipe. The Food Network Kitchens have not tested it for home use and therefore cannot make any representation as to the results.