Pork chop brine recipe calls for 16 hours...

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crankin

Senior Cook
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Mar 31, 2007
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I found a recipe I wanted to try for pork chops and noticed the brining instructions call for 16 hours. Everything I've read says a few hours max for pork chops... so 16 hours sounds way too long for me. Unless this recipe is formulated to be less concentrated to allow a longer brine? The brine recipe is at the bottom of this recipe; can anyone take a look and let me know if this seems to be a less than usual concentration of salt?

Double Thick-Cut Pork Chops Recipe | MyRecipes.com
 
You are right to question this. The brine is a reasonable formula. Sixteen hours is much too long. Because of the shape of chops, there is a lot of surface area exposed to the brine. A couple of hours is all you need. 2-4 hours max.
 
The brine recipe doesn't seem to be there. It says "Basic brine" see below, but I don't see it. 2-1/2" thick is pretty thick and depending on the brine, may require that amount of time.

Ok, I guess I'm blind. I went back and saw the brine recipe. Andy is right way too long for the amount of salt to liquid ratio.
 
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The brine recipe doesn't seem to be there. It says "Basic brine" see below, but I don't see it. 2-1/2" thick is pretty thick and depending on the brine, may require that amount of time.

It's at the very end of the recipe (after the part about resting and slicing the pork).
 
Maybe because the chops are so thick, it's thought they need more brine time.
The recipe doesn't grab me since a lot of the flavor for a pork chop, at least at our house, is the crispy outside and around the bone. This seems more like a two piece roast. Let us know how it turns out.
 
I've used a different brine for thick chops, but still didn't leave them in it longer than about 6-8 hours. The weather didn't cooperate to grill them when they were ready so I drained the excess brine from the container and left them in there wet, then used them a day or two later. I'm afraid that if you leave the chops in the brine too long it will turn the meat from tender to mush. Good luck and let us know how they turn out.
 
IMO brining porck chops for 16 hours will ruin them.

I dont even brine 20 pound turkeys for that long

I wouldnt go over 4 hours. I usually only brine pork chops for 2 hours
 
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I've used a different brine for thick chops, but still didn't leave them in it longer than about 6-8 hours. The weather didn't cooperate to grill them when they were ready so I drained the excess brine from the container and left them in there wet, then used them a day or two later. I'm afraid that if you leave the chops in the brine too long it will turn the meat from tender to mush. Good luck and let us know how they turn out.
I don't think it would turn to mush. I think it would dry out the meat, unless there is a fair amount of fat. I make a Danish cold cut, with pork: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/rullep-lse-danish-spiced-meat-roll-69389.html#post955198 that gets brined for 2-10 days.
 
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The one time I left them in for 8 hours (usually no more that 4, but once I forgot about them...:ermm: ) they seemed softer than usual. Could have been the particular package of chops I had bought that time too. Never thought that brining would dry them out - figured you would have to salt and dry some special way, or smoke, to get it dry. Ya larn sumpin' every day! :LOL:
 

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