Recipe Reliably Juicy Pork Chops

[MrsDangermouse]

As an offshoot to the pork discussion, here's my method for cooking pork chops. This works best for thick chops, which can easily end up being too dry when cooked. The secret is to brine them first, even just 30 minutes will make a difference.

Ingredients for a basic brine:
1 cup of hot water
2 cups of cold water
3 tablespoons of salt crystals (or 2.5 of table salt)
Optional flavourings: 2 cloves of garlic (squish them with the side of a knife, no need to peel), 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf

• Make the brine by bringing the hot water to the boil in a pan, add the salt and flavourings and stir to dissolve the salt.
• Remove from the heat and add the cold water to bring down the temperature of the water (you're looking for room temperature or below). If the brine is still too warm leave it to cool for a while longer.
• Place your pork chops in a shallow dish and pour over the brine - the brine should cover the chops. If it doesn't, add more water and salt (about 1 tablespoon of salt per cup of water).
• Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 30 mins, or upto 4 hours.

• When you're ready to cook, turn your oven on to about 200 degrees C and heat an oven-proof frying pan/skillet until its hot.
• Remove the chops from the brine, pat dry, rub with oil (or your preferred cooking fat) and season well with salt and pepper.
• Sear the pork chops in the hot pan until the undersides are a golden colour - usually about 3 minutes
• Flip them over and immediately put the pan in the oven, it should take about 6 to 10 minutes depending on how thick your chops are. You want an internal temperature of just over 60 degrees C.
• Remove the chops from the pan and leave to rest covered in foil for at least 5 minutes.
• Eat and enjoy!

 

[Morning Glory]

Thanks for this - I've tried brining before but not with pork. I will definitely give this recipe a go. Resting is probably very important too.

 

[Altena27]

How many pounds of pork chops are put in the brine?

 

[MrsDangermouse]

How many pounds of pork chops are put in the brine?

That would depend on how hungry you are, what size chops you have and how many you are cooking for......
If you're not sure whether there will be enough brine for however many chops you want to cook, then the best thing to do is pour 3 cups of water into your dish and see if it will cover your chops before you start - then you'll know how much brine you'll need.