Brined Pork Chops

This past Monday I ventured into a store that I have passed every day since we moved to amish country.  Its sign reads: "Meat Market-Liquor-Beer-Tobacco".  You can see the reason I haven't gone to the alcohol prostitution store.  WELL, When I saw someone coming out this past monday with lots of pretty white packages wrapped in twine I thought "Wait a minute Ashley, maybe this isn't just a place for drunk hookers. Maybe, just maybe....they actually sell MEAT.  (To continue click the read more link...that is my newest addition to my blog. Fancy, eh?)



When I went inside I was pleasantly surprised....there was an entire wall of every kind of meat and seafood imaginable.  The best part?  A majority of the meat was local.  It smelled pretty nasty inside (think bloody dead animals...)  but I was in heaven.  {RANT: The local Wal-Mart carries only pre-packaged meat in a 5 foot freezer bin.  It stinks.  They don't even have fresh herbs. Or bok choy. Or fennel bulbs. Or kale. Or pomegranates. Or non-rotted avocados. I kind of hate Wal-Mart if you can't tell.}   Thanks for letting me get that off my chest, back to the meat:  I opted for two 2 inch thick bone-in pork chops from a local farm.  The nice butcher packaged my chops, tied it with some kitchen string and pointed me to the wine section.  (Past the hookers and left at the tobacco).  I grabbed some Bel Lago wine (this winery is right up the road from Lake Leelanau in Traverse City).  After picking up some asparagus and red potatoes (farmer's market....I need you in my life!)  I headed home.

Then I searched for a way to keep my chops juicy while cooking them.  I usually have notoriously dry pork chops and was determined to find a way to FIX that.  Well, guess what guys?  I DID. I found the secret to a perfectly juicy pork chop. And I am going to share it with you because it turned out fabulously. The secret is to soak the chops in a brine for about 8 hours.

All the juicy goodness worked its way into the meat that literally burst out onto the plate when taking a bite.  Here is what you'll need:

Brine Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp plus 2 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leave
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
4 whole coves
1/8 tsp red chili flakes

To make the brine, combine the sugar and salt with 4 cups cold water in a stockpot or a large bowl and stir to dissolve.  Add the thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves and chili flakes.

Place the pork chops in brine. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally for at least 8 hours (but no  more than 2 days or it will get nasty.)

When you are ready to coo, lift chops from brine and pat dry with paper towel. Heat about 2 tbsp olive oil on stovetop.  Add chops and cook over medium high heat until brown on one side (about 8 minutes), flip and cook about 4 minutes on the other side.  Press the center of the chop, if it still gives a little you will have perfectly medium-rare chops.  Let them rest for a minute or two before serving (this lets the juices redistribute before you cut into it). DIG IN!

Note: If you can't get thick bone-in chops, reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.

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