Be honest: When you read the word “brined,” did your heart sink to your stomach and your skin become red and itchy? Did you begin to panic, wondering why a simple, café-style food blog would be posting a recipe about brining? Relax, friend! We are here to show you – no, convince you – that it is so easy (and worth it) to brine pork chops. We don’t think the red and itchy skin is related, though. It sounds serious. Maybe you should call your doctor.
A “brine” is a glorified bath for meat made with water, salt, sugar and spices. Its work is two-fold: imparting flavor and juiciness. The sugar and salt are crucial to the brine, allowing water to seep into the meat, keeping it moist as it cooks. The spices are there for the flavor. If you want to read an approachable article on the science behind brining, here is a good one from Food52.
Bottom line: We brine pork chops to guarantee they come out just as juicy and delicious as they do at your favorite restaurant or café (yes, brining is their secret, too).
So here it goes! Get out a pot and add apple cider (think: pork chops and applesauce… but fancy!) along with cloves, allspice and brown sugar (to reinforce the flavor of the cider), bay leaves, peppercorns and salt (for a savory component). Stir together over high heat until the salt and sugar dissolve, then remove from heat and add ice to cool it down quickly. The brine has to be cool before adding the chops so they don’t start cooking. Then, simply pour the cooled brine over the chops and let them hang out in their tasty bath in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, rinse them off, pat them dry, and sear them in a hot skillet. There’s no need to add salt or pepper – they have enough flavor from the brine. The results? Magic. The pork chops develop a deep, caramelized crust as they sizzle away on the stove thanks to the sugar from the brine. And the meat is so tender and flavorful that you’ll wonder why you didn’t try this brining thing sooner.
- 4 ¼ cups apple cider, divided
- ½ cup kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 6 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. whole allspice berries
- 1 tsp. whole peppercorns
- 4 cups ice cubes
- 4 bone-in center-cut pork chops, about 10 oz. each
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 medium apple, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- In medium pot over high heat, bring to simmer 4 cups apple cider, salt, brown sugar, cloves, bay leaves, allspice and peppercorns. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in ice cubes. Cool completely.
- Place pork chops in 9”x13” glass baking dish. Cover with brine; cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Drain pork chops, discarding brine. Run pork chops under cool water and pat dry. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp. oil; heat until oil shimmers but does not smoke. Add 2 pork chops. Cook, flipping once, until dark golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side for medium. Transfer pork chops to plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and pork chops. Add apple and onions to skillet; season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apple and onions are very soft, about 7-10 minutes. Add remaining apple cider and any juice accumulated on plate with pork chops. Cook, stirring up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until cider is almost completely evaporated.
- To serve, spoon apple-onion mixture on serving dish; top with pork chop.