Ingredients

• Pork: Boston Butt, Shank, loin, chop, or steak
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions

Brining

1. In a container that will hold your pork selection and allow for enough water to cover the meat, add salt, sugar, and brown sugar.
2. Half fill the container with water and stir to  dissolve the salt / sugar mixture.
3. Add the pork to the brine solution.
4. Add enough water to cover the pork.
5. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator.
6. Allow the pork to soak in the brine according to the chart below:

Brine Soak Times

• Pork Butt, Shank, Whole loin, or meat 5 pounds or more – 4 days
• Pork chops or steaks – 4 to 6 hours
• Pork Belly – 2 days

Smoking

1. Bring smoker up to a  temperature of 200 – 225 degrees using Apple, Cherry, or Hickory wood.
2. Place the Pork in the smoker directly on the grill. 
3. Allow pork to smoke according to the smoke times below.
4. Once the smoke time has been reached, wrap the pork in aluminum foil and place back in the smoker and allow to cook for a time equal to the smoke time.  Example: you smoke a pork chop for 1 hour, then you cook in foil for 1 hour.  This does not apply to pork belly.  Once pork belly has reached its’ smoke time, then wrap in foil and allow to cool.

Smoke Times

• Pork Butt, Shank, Whole loin, or meat 5 pounds or more – 4  hours.
• Pork chops or steaks – 1 to 2 hours depending on the thickness and weight of the chops or steaks.
• Pork Belly (Bacon) – 4 to 6 hours at a temperature of 175 to 200 degrees.  Unlike pork roasts, chops, and steaks, one does not want to cook the pork belly to table temperature; but rather, once the pork belly is smoked, it can be sliced into bacon and fried or baked.

Notes:

1. Brine and Smoke times are approximate and can be adjusted to personal preference. 
2. The most important step in smoking meats besides a constant temperature is that you always want equal smoke time and foil time.