Pork Chops

[jeff]

Someone asked me to come up with a pork chop recipe so I got the books out, watched tv and surfed the net. This is what I've came up with.

2 thick center cut pork chops with bone in center cut=more tender bone in = more flavor.
1/4 cup pickling salt, or kosher salt.
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup juice of choice, I used cranberry apple.
1 cup ice
1 cup water
1 tsp whole black peppers
1 tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh.
olive oil
salt and pepper

Start off by putting the 1/4 cup of sugar, salt, juice, black pepper and thyme into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave until the sugar and salt dissolves, add the 1 cup ice and 1 cup water to chill the liquid down.

Since I only made one pork chop, I placed the brine in a bowl, and then put the pork chop into the bowl. If I were to do two, I would have placed them into a zip top type bag for better coverage. anymore then 2 I would have doubled the batch of brine.

Place pork chops into the brine and then place the bowl/bag into the bottom of your refrigerator. Let it brine for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

after the brine is done doing it's thing, preheat the over to 350o. Pull the pork chops out of the brine, paper towel dry them, then give them a rub down with olive oil, then a nice dose of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Heat up a skillet or grilling pan to med/high heat (7 on my knob) sear for 4 minutes on each side. remove from the skillet and place either on a oven pan or if you don't want to clean up as much you can use aluminum foil.
Insert a digital cooking thermometer, wrap up the foil and place in the oven till the meat hits 140o remove from heat and let rest.

[taipantoo]

The chops are brining as I write this.
I used pomegranate juice because it was handy.

[taipantoo]

Sorry for not getting back to this in a timely manner.
Some times life just takes over.

Anyway, the chops were moist and nicely flavored with the pomegranate juice.

I'm writing this while another set of chops are resting after taking them off the grill.
I promise to tell you how they are as soon as I get done eating.

Tai

[taipantoo]

These 2 chops weighed 2.25 lbs and were 2" thick.
I followed the brining recipe except I replaced the cup of water with another cup of pomegranate juice and brined them over night and most of the day.

I put my ribbed skillet in the charcoal grill to preheat while I paper toweled the chops dry, coated them with EVOO, and salted and peppered them.
The wife made a garden salad and steamed some corn on the cob.
I would have grilled the corn, but we couldn't find any in the husks this time of year.

I browned the chops 4 minutes on each side, then turned them onto the bone on the other side of the grill - not over the direct heat (about 375*) - and finished cooking them for about 8 or nine more minutes.

As before, the chops were tender and nicely flavored by the pomegranate juice.
I wished I could have taken pictures.
The chops had a white ring around them and a very light pink inside.
I figured the white ring was from the brining, similar to the red ring that smoked meat gets.

There were 2 ears of corn left over.
I can see a batch of corn bread in my future.

Tai