Brined Pork Chops

My favorite dish on Flavor Bistro's Wednesday Night Dinner is brined pork chops. This is my attempt. It's a recipe from Sandra Lee.

Apple Brined Pork Chops

2 cups apple juice

1 Tbs coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup Kosher salt

1/4 cup light brown sugar

5 rib end pork chops, about 1 1/2 pounds

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 cup of water, apple juice, pepper, salt and sugar. 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 brine 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. Place chops on hot oiled grill. Grill chops for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

My pork chops were thin so they were too salty. I also like a sweeter flavor. Next time, I'll modify the recipe by omitting the water and using 3 cups of apple juice. I'll also skip the ice and just wait for the brine to cool before adding the pork chops. Or, I may just add more brown sugar. Oh, and I'll use thicker pork chops.

Otherwise, the pork chops were amazingly juicy and delicious! Almost as good as Flavor's.

2015 03 31