Brined Pork Chops

What do you think of when I say pork chops? One of two things I bet:

1) A horrible, hockey puck-like piece of grey leather that you used to eat when you were a kid

2) A totally wonderful, amazing, soft and juicy piece of meat that you wish you could have every day

The memory of Option 1 is hard to erase. I am here to tell you it is possible (and easy!) to achieve Option 2 results. The key is using a brine, and using a meat thermometer.

Let's clear something up straight away. Pork SHOULD be pink. It's OK. Now, you wouldn't want to cook it rare, but more of a medium rare (around 140-145F) is fine. In fact, it's perfect. Anything above that, and you're getting into hockey puck land. So get a thermometer and pay attention to the temp for consistent results.

Here's another thing. Vanessa is getting bolder in the kitchen about tackling new things to cook. I didn't touch these. She made these all by herself. And they were amazing. Just a little science and some brine are all that's keeping you from having consistently spectacular pork chops every time.

8 cups water
¼ cup coarse salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 garlic clove, smashed
4 loin pork chops (each about 1 1/2 inches thick)
¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
Mix together the water, coarse salt and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and garlic. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

When mixture is at room temperature, strain it over the pork chops (they must be completely immersed in the brine). Marinate chops in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook. remove chops from brine and dry them with a towel. Place oil in a
heavy saute pan that's large enough to hold the chops in a single layer without crowding; place the pan over moderate heat. Add the chops. After a minute or so, using tongs, shift them slightly in the pan to make sure they're not sticking. Cook until well browned on the first side, about 8 minutes. Turn over and brown on the other side. Cook further, turning occasionally, until the chops reach an internal temperature of 137F. (NOTE: You'll want to let these rest on a plate for 5 minutes or so, as they will continue cooking a bit. The resting helps the juices redistribute and the meat relax so that is REABSORBS the juices). Remove from pan, season and serve immediately.