And the jury is in! Wow, I think I found a winner! This experiment went well-beyond expectations, and even got the wife's seal of approval!
First of all, I pulled the loins off at 155, slathered in St Louis sauce and threw on the Weber gasser @ 500. After a quick sear (3-4 minutes per side), I took straight to the cutting board. No wrap and rest, just straight to the knife.
Here's what I found:
1. The brine produced a very flavorful and moist loin (as well as tender).
2. The 1 Tsp. of #1 cure salt I added to the brine produced a "faux" smoke ring! Very nice-looking pink band around the outer edge of the loin! Ha! Now, if I need to impress my BBQ snob friends with a smoke ring, I just need to brine whatever I'm smoking! lol.
3. Adding the #1 cure allowed me to see how far the brine penetrated (the real reason I added it). After 13 hours, the brine penetrated a good 1/2" of the meat. I suspect the salt penetrated deeper, but the pink #1 cure got in 1/2".
4. I am now, officially, a brine believer! I use it on pork butts, pork loins, and poultry. Heck, I may try brining a brisket!
I'd love to have a second-opinion on the brined pork loin....and I'd love feedback (good or bad)!