A meal that can be made entirely on the grill is what summer is all about, don’t you think? Except for the salsa, which comes together in minutes, this delicious meal – which is also satisfying and well-balanced nutritionally – can be cooked on the grill – eliminating all but one pan. The one used for brining – the secret to moist pork chops every time.
I know a lot of people who think they don’t like pork chops because they were subjected to dry, gray, over-cooked chops as a child. If you have ever wondered why pork chops served in restaurants are so moist, juicy and tender, more than likely it’s because they brine them. A brine is a mixture of water, salt, sugar, herbs and spices and soaking your chops for a few hours allows the liquid to act as a tenderizer while the herbs and spices impart a subtle flavor to the meat. Brining pork chops, turns an ordinary chop into a succulent, finger-lickin’ good, gnaw on the bone chop – try this recipe from Chef Louise Mellor and brining will become your new best friend!
You do have to plan in advance since the pork chops should marinate for about 4 hours, but the rest of dinner comes together quickly – only other requirement is the grill master of the house.
- 4 - 1/2 inch thick bone-in pork chops
- 8 cups water*
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- 5 sprigs of rosemary
- ¾ cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup packed fresh Italian flat leaf parsley- chopped
- ¼ cup drained capers- chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flake
- 1 clove of fresh garlic-minced
- Combine all ingredients- mix well. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
-
In a medium sauce pot bring 4 cups of water to a low simmer with remaining ingredients. Remove from heat and add in 4 additional cups of cold water to cool the mixture. *I had only 3 thick sirloin chops so used a 3/3 ratio of water.
-
Submerge pork chops into brining liquid, cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. Prepare the Salsa Verde so that the flavors can meld a few hours, too.
-
Remove pork chops from brining liquid and pat dry with paper towels. Allow the chops to come to room temperature before grilling. Do not season with salt because the chops have absorbed salt from the brining liquid.
-
Preheat grill to medium high heat. Drizzle pork chops with olive oil before grilling. Grill over indirect heat for approximately 6-8 minutes per side.
-
Allow to rest 5 minutes. Serve warm with Salsa Verde drizzled on top. Shown served with grilled Japanese eggplant, zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Drizzled with the salsa verde and then grilled, the vegetables were simply superb!
Here's my no-fuss method of grilling veggies: make a tray using heavy duty aluminum foil with the edges folded to form a rim. Slide the tray onto the grill using a rimless cookie sheet. I have a basket for grilling small items but with this method you have nothing to wash!
whatsfordinneracrossstatelines
Priscilla, Thanks so much for the kind comment. I enjoy reading your recipes, they are easy and so unique. I’m liking you on Facebook, so I don’t miss any of your posts and I can vote for you! Have a great day! DId I mention how much I adore capers!
-Gina-
Priscilla
@Gina – Thank you! I’ll find you on FB, too.
Cristina @ TeenieCakes
Oh! Those roasted vegetables with the pork chops look so good. I can taste it through that edible photo, Priscilla. My pork chops are inconsistent…I’m going to try this! 🙂
.-= Cristina @ TeenieCakes´s last blog ..Banana-Pecan Waffles =-.
Priscilla
@Cristina – You’ll never grill another pork chop without brining it first! A lot of people overcook pork chops, too – remembering our mother’s advice 😉 They cook as quickly as boneless chicken breasts.
RavieNomNoms
Wow this looks so gorgeous and, just wow! Thanks for the tip about cooking the chops! I think I always tend to overcook because I am afraid of uncooked pork. Those roasted veggies look to die for!
Priscilla
@Ravie – We all grew up with warnings of trichinosis in pork. In another post, I noted that trichinosis has been all but eradicated and there is not need to cook pork until its gray and dry as a bone 🙂
Louise Mellor
I’m so flattered… Hope you enjoyed it… my next project brine is going to be maple brined pork chops.
~Chef Louise
.-= Louise Mellor´s last blog ..Summer Fest Caberneti Spaghetti Nests with Crispy Egg and Golden Garlic =-.
Priscilla
@Louise – we enjoyed it immensely – even my daughter, who up until now, never really cared for pork chops. Look forward to the maple brine, Yum!
Pachecopatty
Everything looks so good, love the grilled brined pork chops, veggies and salsa, would order this off the menu tonight, if I could find it!
fooddreamer
We brine a lot of our pork and chicken prior to cooking, it’s a great trick. Although my husband has, on more than one occasion, brined it too long (or with too much salt) and then it’s pretty mouth-puckering.
But love the parsely and caper salsa. I love capers so much, I bet it was a great complement to the meat.
.-= fooddreamer´s last blog ..Turkey Chili Verde =-.
Lisa { AuthenticSuburbanGourmet }
Your recipe looks amazing! Great tips for making pork chops tender – that is always the hardest part. The caper salsa sounds so tasty. I have not had dinner yet, so my mouth is watering over your post. Enjoy your week!!!
Monet
My older sister taught me this tip a few years ago, and It has changed the way I prepare meat! It makes such a difference, and it is such a simple tip. These chops look great, and my caper-loving husband would be very happy with that delicious salsa!
.-= Monet´s last blog ..Edamame Corn Cake =-.
indie.tea
Yum…even though I don’t eat pork (or beef), I’d love to adapt this recipe to something else (chicken or vegetarian, my only options). It looks very good, and the salsa sounds amazing.
.-= indie.tea´s last blog ..Calmness Brown Butter Five Spice Cookies =-.
Priscilla
Patty, fooddreamer, Lisa & Monet – Thank you for your kind comments! The parsley and caper salsa was delicious and the capers certainly added a briny, salty zing – I didn’t realize there were so many caper lovers among us 🙂
Indietea – the salsa would be equally delicious on chicken or fish and it was amazing drizzled on the grilled veggies!
Cookin' Canuck
Now this is the way to treat a pork chop! What a tempting sauce.
Jason's BBQ Adventures
Love the recipe. Brining pork is very good way to help keep the moisture and to even add flavor.
Magic of Spice
Beautiful dish…and I agree with the use of brining really makes a difference 🙂
.-= Magic of Spice´s last blog ..Whats on the side – Scallops with Anise-Lavender chevriére and a Reduction =-.