Cider Brined Pork Chops With Creamed Leeks And Apples Recipes

GRILLED APPLE BRINED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 cup of water, apple juice, pepper, salt, sugar and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer making sure to stir occasionally to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from heat and add to a large bowl with 2 cups of ice.
• Once the brined has cooled add pork chops. Brine for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
• Remove pork from brine, rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Heat grill or grill pan over medium heat. Sprinkle 1 side of the pork chops with 1/2 the grill seasoning. Place chops on hot oiled grill, seasoned side down. Sprinkle the topside with remaining grill seasoning. Grill chops for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

CIDER-BRINED PORK CHOPS WITH PERFECT PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• For the brine: combine the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, coriander, mustard seeds, allspice berries, bay leaves, thyme and 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and pour in the cold cider. Let the brine cool to room temperature.
• Put the pork chops in a large resealable plastic bag and pour in the brine. Press out excess air and seal tightly. Put the bag in a shallow container so it can lay flat and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Drain the chops, rinse and pat dry. Discard the brine.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chops (work in batches if necessary; do not crowd the pan) and cook, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown and cooked through, 13 to 14 minutes. (If the chops are browning too quickly or the pan drippings start to burn, lower the heat.) Remove to a plate.
• For the sauce: Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and place over medium heat. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and cook until sizzling, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to make a paste. Whisk in the cider and bring to a simmer.
• Simmer until very thick, about 1 minute. Add the stock, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the cream and simmer to bring the sauce together, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, vinegar and parsley. Season to taste with salt. Add the chops to the pan and simmer, turning occasionally, until just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs.

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.

BRINED PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES

Steps:

• For brine:
• Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Add pork chops to brine. Top with plate to submerge pork. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
• For pork:
• Drain brine from pork chops. Pat pork dry. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add pork and cook until brown but not cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer pork to plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add pork onion to same skillet. Cover and cook until onion is soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add apples and sauté until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in broth and cider, then Calvados, raisins and ginger, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add cream and mustard. Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add pork. Cover; cook 3 minutes. Turn pork over and cook until thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 150°F, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer pork to plates.
• Simmer sauce until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes longer. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over pork and serve.

PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES AND CIDER

Steps:

• Make the spice salt: Put peppercorns, cloves, allspice and sage in a spice mill or mortar and grind to a powder. Remove to a bowl and stir in salt. Season pork chops on both sides with salt mixture. (There will be some salt mixture remaining; use it to season the sauce, Step 4.) Cover and leave chops at room temperature to absorb seasonings for at least 30 minutes.
• Peel, quarter and core apples, then cut each apple into 12 wedges. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a wide skillet and raise heat to medium-high. Add apple wedges in one layer and brown gently on one side, about 2 minutes. Brown on the other side and cook for 2 minutes more, or until apples are cooked through but still firm. Remove apples from pan and keep warm.
• Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan and swirl to melt. Dust pork chops with flour, and place in pan and brown gently for about 4 minutes per side. Adjust heat if necessary to keep pork from cooking too quickly. Remove chops and keep warm on a platter in a low oven. Discard remaining butter.
• Add ½ cup cider to pan, raise heat to high and cook down to a syrup. Add mustard and chicken broth, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add potato starch and stir with a wire whisk as the sauce thickens. Stir in crème fraîche. Season to taste with remaining spiced salt. Add 2 tablespoons cider and the Calvados, if using. Cook for 1 minute more.
• Spoon sauce over the chops, then spoon the apples around the platter. Sprinkle with chives and parsley.

CIDER-BRINED PORK CHOPS WITH CREAMED LEEKS AND APPLES

Steps:

• Bring 4 cups cider, salt, allspice, and bay leaf to boil in large saucepan, stirring to dissolve salt. Cool completely. Place pork in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour brine over. Cover; refrigerate overnight.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks; sauté until tender, about 7 minutes. Add cream and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Creamed leeks can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add apples and sauté 10 minutes. Add sugar and sauté until apples are golden, about 6 minutes longer. Add stock, then Calvados and remaining 1/4 cup cider. Simmer until liquid thickens slightly and apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Prepare barbecue (medium heat) or preheat broiler. Drain pork. Rinse under cold water; pat dry. Brush pork with oil. Grill or broil to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium.
• Meanwhile, rewarm leeks, thinning with 1 to 3 tablespoons water if necessary. Bring apples to simmer. Spoon leeks onto plates. Top with pork, then apples.