Main Dishes Recipe ✓ Savory Brined Pork Chops

If you prefer savory pork chops instead of sweet ones, give this recipe a try. It has a good garlic flavor with just a hint of kick from the chile powder. The marinade is designed to brine and marinate the meat at the same time, producing a more tender result. Don't let the cooking time scare you: these are very easy to make, and require very little attention on your part.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• ¾ cup kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cubes ice cubes
• 2 (8 ounce) boneless pork chops
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground red chile pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Crack about 1/2 of the peppercorns. Add peppercorns, salt, sugar, garlic, and mustard to boiling water. Mix thoroughly until all dry ingredients are dissolved. Slowly add vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice until blended. Pour mixture into a shallow glass or ceramic dish.
2. Add ice if the brine is hotter thank lukewarm. Add pork chops, cover, and marinate at room temperature for 2 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Heat olive oil, garlic, pepper, and chile powder in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Remove pork chops from the brine and add to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes per side. Flip chops, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook, checking for doneness every 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 10 to 15 minutes more.

Nutrition Facts

• calories506.1
• carbohydrateContent18.9 g
• cholesterolContent38.6 mg
• fatContent41.6 g
• fiberContent0.6 g
• proteinContent15.3 g
• saturatedFatContent7.3 g
• sodiumContent17128.3 mg
• sugarContent15.6 g