Homemade deli meat: Easy recipe for flavorful pork loin

Delicate yet not overly dry, tender, and full of flavor – that's exactly what homemade deli meat from this recipe is like. You'll need very little: a solid piece of meat, a few spices, and a large pot.

It's hard to find deli meat with a clean ingredient list. Even if it contains a lot of meat, even 95-98 percent, you'll always find some unwanted additive on the label. Making homemade deli meat is a piece of cake. You don't need any specialized equipment for this. Everything you'll need is surely hidden in your kitchen cabinet.

Pork loin is an excellent cut for making homemade deli meat. It’s not too fatty nor overly lean. It will make an excellent ingredient for sandwiches and a proud element of the holiday table. If, however, you are worried that the pork loin might come out too dry, be sure to try the 5-minute boiling method. With this method, the meat won't turn into a dry chip.

Slightly marinated with garlic, the pork loin should be cooked in well-seasoned brine for 5 minutes. After this time, let the deli meat rest in the warm pot until it cools down, simultaneously absorbing the taste and aroma of the spices present in the brine. Additionally, the pork loin will not dry out because it remains submerged in the water. Next, repeat the process once or even twice if the meat is not yet fully cooked inside.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 quarts of water
• 2.2 pounds of boneless pork loin
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons of salt
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of dried marjoram
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 allspice berries
• 5 whole black peppercorns

Preparation:

1. Rub the pork loin with the garlic pressed through a garlic press.
2. In a tall pot, bring the water to a boil with the salt, sugar, marjoram, bay leaves, allspice, and black peppercorns.
3. Place the pork loin in the boiling water. Bring it back to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes.
4. After this time, remove the pot from the heat, cover, and set it aside for 12 hours.
5. Once the pot’s contents have cooled, bring it to a boil again. From the moment it starts boiling, cook the meat for another 5 minutes.
6. Set aside to cool once more.
7. Then, take out the pork loin, cut a slice, and check if the meat is cooked in the center. If not, you can repeat the 5-minute boiling process and let the meat cool down again.
8. Remove any remaining spices from the cooked pork loin, dry it, and wrap the meat in plastic wrap.
9. Store it in the refrigerator. Serve on sandwiches or as a snack.