Beer & bay brine

Öl och lagerblad

Dark beer, for shoulder and for sausage

You need
  • 1 L dark beer, flat
  • 1 L cold water
  • 100 g coarse salt
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 msk mustard seed
  • 1 msk black peppercorns

Let it go flat first. Carbonation is acidic and it foams over the moment the salt goes in. Open the bottles an hour ahead, or stir until it stops fizzing.

Twelve hours on a pork shoulder. On thick fresh sausages, two, since a casing is not much of a barrier and they take salt quickly.

A hoppy beer turns bitter over that long. Choose something dark and malty, and if in doubt use the cheaper bottle.

In the fridge at 4 °C or below. The brine is thrown away, not reduced into a sauce.Livsmedelsverket