Brine Cured Pork Chops Recipes

BRINE-CURED PORK

Steps:

• Put 2 1/2 gallons cold water in a large, nonreactive container that will hold the meat and brine. Stir in the salt and sugar. Slightly crush and add the bay leaves, peppercorns, clove, allspice, and chili peppers. Add the garlic and thyme. Add the pork and put a plate on top to keep the meat submerged. Refrigerate for 5 days or more.
• Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry. Roast pork loin for about 1 hour, grill over a medium fire, or slice into very thin chops and brown them in a cast-iron pan. They will cook very quickly, about 1 minute per side. Finish with a good fistful of chopped parsley and garlic if you wish. A brined shoulder is good boiled or braised, and is delicious to add to cooked beans.

BRINE-CURED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• To make the brine, dissolve the salt and sugar in 1 gallon of warm water in a large bowl. In a mortar, slightly crush juniper and allspice berries and the peppercorns along with the bay leaves and herbs; add to the brine. When the brine is cool, add pork chops and completely submerge, putting weights on top of a plate if necessary. Refrigerate for at least 2 days and up to 3 days.
• To prepare the chops, remove from the brine about 2 hours before cooking and dry with paper towels. Rub them with a bit of olive oil and pepper. (You may also perfume the meat at this point with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, placed on top of and beneath the chops). Allow the chops to come to room temperature.
• Grill the chops (partly covered if possible to control flaming) over medium-hot coals about 5 to 7 minutes a side, or fry 3 at a time in 2 preheated heavy-bottomed skillets over medium-high heat. Place them on a warm platter and cover loosely with foil. Allow them to rest about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt if needed.

BRINE-CURED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients except the water, pork chops and olive oil in a large glass, ceramic or plastic container. Add the boiling water and stir to completely dissolve the sugar and salt. Stir in the cold water to cool the brine.
• Lay the chops out in 1 layer in a large nonreactive pan and completely cover them with the brine. If a chop floats to the surface, weigh it down with a plate. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, depending on how much flavor you want the meat to acquire. (If the chops must be stacked, change their positions in the brine often.)
• Heat a grill or broiler. Drain the pork chops, discarding the brine, and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the chops with the oil and grill or broil for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Put the chops on a rack in a pan to catch the drippings and loosely cover with foil. Set aside in a warm place for 6 to 8 minutes and serve.

HOW TO "DRY-BRINE" PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Mix kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl to make the dry brine. Generously apply mixture to both sides of pork chops. Transfer chops to a rack on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered 18 to 24 hours.
• Preheat grill to medium or medium-high heat. Brush pork chops on each side with a few drops of vegetable oil.
• Grill chops until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F (60 degrees C), turning to evenly brown on each side. Transfer to platter and allow to rest 5 minutes.

BASIC PORK BRINE

Steps:

• Mix water, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl until sugar is dissolved. Stir in garlic and ginger.

CIDER-CURED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• To make the brine, dissolve the salt in 1/2 gallon of warm water in a large bowl. Add the pepper, pour in the apple cider and mix. Drop the pork chops into the brine and add enough additional apple cider so that the chops lurk in the liquid like frogs in a pond. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 72.
• To prepare the chops, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chops from brine and dry with paper towels. Rub them with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season well with salt and black pepper.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in two oven-safe skillets and brown the chops, three to a pan, for 4 minutes a side. Place skillets in oven for 6 to 8 minutes and then remove chops to a warm platter. Cover loosely with foil and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes.
• Serve with caramelized onions and apples, and drizzle with mock Bordelaise sauce.