April 28, 2004

Brined Rosemary Pork Chops

Brined Rosemary Pork Chops

For the brine:

3 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 whole branches fresh rosemary
4 bone-in loin pork chops, about 1 inch thick each
Extra-virgin olive oil

To prepare the brine: In a medium bowl combine the salt and sugar. Pour 1 cup of hot water into the bowl, and whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add 2 cups of cold water along with the remaining brine ingredients.

Place the pork chops in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the brine. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the brine, place the bag in a bowl, and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.

Remove the pork chops from the bag and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Lightly brush or spray both sides of the chops with oil. Allow to stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes before grilling. Sear the pork chops over direct high heat for 6 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Continue grilling over indirect medium heat until the juices run clear, 6 to 8 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes: Came out *very* tender. I was a little shy with the rosemary (since our hearty plant is getting on the huge size and I wasn't sure how long an average branch tended to be). I might put in a bit more the next time. Also - since the weather was being threatening, I went with the indoor grill pan - medium high heat, about 6 minutes per side (turning it at an angle about halfway through each side to get those lovely looking grill marks *g*).

Posted by Jennifer at April 28, 2004 3:51 PM
Comments

These were made again last night, and while they were good, they weren't great. The pork chops weren't as tender as they'd been the first time, which we decided was probably caused by the quality of the chops, and, despite the use of more rosemary, the herb's flavor still wasn't as pronounced as I'd have liked. Of course, that could have been due to the rosemary plant's slow death spiral.

Posted by: Michael at January 29, 2006 2:58 PM
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