Ingredients

makes enough for 4 to 6 pounds of pork

　　1 quart water

　　1 quart apple juice

　　1/2 cup kosher salt

　　1 cup maple syrup

　　1 1/2 teaspoons thyme

　　1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns

　　3 bay leaves

　　3 cloves garlic, crushed

　　1 jalapeño pepper, sliced in half and seeded

　　2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

　　

Step 1

Dump all the ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes. Strain the brine into a bowl, cool to room temperature, and then chill completely in the refrigerator before using.

　　

Step 2

Add chops to the brine and let them marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. Pull them out and dry them off before using in a recipe.

　　

Brining Pork Chop

Step 3

The new leaner style pork is missing something—fat. That great old conveyor of flavor and succulence has been bred right out of the loin meat of my favorite critter. Lean meat may be healthier, but I found that eating a pork chop was just not worth tiring my jaws out. That changed when I got turned on to brining. During the process the protein strands in the meat unwind and then get tangled up with other unwound strands, allowing them to trap moisture inside these new little webs. This results in juicier meat with better texture after cooking. Things get even better if you add some sugar to the brine, which boosts the caramelized flavorof the grilled surface of the meat. Give it a try and see for yourself how adding a brining step to your pork prep will have you lickin’ your chops again.

　　Dinosaur Bar-B-QueTen Speed Press