Most people have never pickled meat. In many Amish communities, preserving cheap cuts of pork without refrigeration was simply how things worked.
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder, hocks, or trotters
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar (240ml)
- 2 cups water (480ml)
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1 bay leaf, a few peppercorns, red pepper flakes, optional
Method
- Combine vinegar, water, salt, and seasonings in a pot. Bring to a boil, then cool completely.
- Pour the brine over the pork, fully submerging it.
- Refrigerate at least 48 hours, up to a week.
Tender, tangy, deeply seasoned meat that works in beans, greens, or stews — a way of turning inexpensive, overlooked cuts into something worth making.
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