Caught a show this afternoon, where the host "brined" pork chops, with a bit of explanation, that I appreciated, and thought to share with anyone who's interested...
Anyways, he went though the pork loin "structure" and that the "rib chops" work best, as those with "tenderloin" in them cook differently, so choose the "single muscle" cut...
For the brine...
1 cup of salt,
1 cup DARK brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon peppercorns
2 cups very hot applecider vinegar
Mix well, and let "flower" in taste mixing for 10 minutes...
Add 2 cups frozen water, mixing until the ice is almost completely melted...
(he was using icecubes, but I couldn't count how many, and the quantity seems germane)
Immerse your chops (he used four) and store in the fridge for 2 hours...
He then placed each chop into a bagel slicer block, and stuck in the boning knife in each direction, carefully punching down to the bone, and cutting "upwards" to form a pocket with a small mouth...
He then ran up a "stuffing" of bread crumbs, dried cherries etc (check www.foodtv.ca it'll probably be recorded there)...
Grilled it on a PROPANE BBQ, full blast heat to bring up the grill temp, then 2 minutes to sear in some scorch marks, shift 45 degrees to get a crisscross pattern, and 2 minutes more, then "flip" (using tongs, not a fork!) and repeat...check with meat probe, and he was at 140 degrees plus...if this is too "juicy" for any of you, he advises to remove the chop(s) from the grill and leave them "bake" on the raised wire rack at the back, reducing your front burners and extinguishing the back burner...
Can't say I've done this myself, but I surely think it would work well, maybe a couple of you have tried it and could offer further guidance?
Noted too his excellent explanation of "brining"...
Meat is composed of proteins, but the cells have twice the water content as they have salt content (If not more, in my opinion!)
By submersing in a salty watery solution like a brine, the cells attempt to reach "equilibrium" in salt content, and in so doing also bring in the flavours of the herbs and sweeteners...he said that 2 hours was enough for a pork chop, whereas turkey, as we've all discussed at length, takes 6-16 hours (which agrees with the opinions on this List!)...
Anyways, its neat to hear this from a "pro", as that had been my theory, (while I, as usual, didn't phrase it so well!) that the meat weas trying to pull in the salts, and the hebs and sugars were somehow able to follow along...
Anyways, a though for those that would like to brine pork and get it that bit more juicy, or give it a new twist!
Lifter
Anyways, he went though the pork loin "structure" and that the "rib chops" work best, as those with "tenderloin" in them cook differently, so choose the "single muscle" cut...
For the brine...
1 cup of salt,
1 cup DARK brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon peppercorns
2 cups very hot applecider vinegar
Mix well, and let "flower" in taste mixing for 10 minutes...
Add 2 cups frozen water, mixing until the ice is almost completely melted...
(he was using icecubes, but I couldn't count how many, and the quantity seems germane)
Immerse your chops (he used four) and store in the fridge for 2 hours...
He then placed each chop into a bagel slicer block, and stuck in the boning knife in each direction, carefully punching down to the bone, and cutting "upwards" to form a pocket with a small mouth...
He then ran up a "stuffing" of bread crumbs, dried cherries etc (check www.foodtv.ca it'll probably be recorded there)...
Grilled it on a PROPANE BBQ, full blast heat to bring up the grill temp, then 2 minutes to sear in some scorch marks, shift 45 degrees to get a crisscross pattern, and 2 minutes more, then "flip" (using tongs, not a fork!) and repeat...check with meat probe, and he was at 140 degrees plus...if this is too "juicy" for any of you, he advises to remove the chop(s) from the grill and leave them "bake" on the raised wire rack at the back, reducing your front burners and extinguishing the back burner...
Can't say I've done this myself, but I surely think it would work well, maybe a couple of you have tried it and could offer further guidance?
Noted too his excellent explanation of "brining"...
Meat is composed of proteins, but the cells have twice the water content as they have salt content (If not more, in my opinion!)
By submersing in a salty watery solution like a brine, the cells attempt to reach "equilibrium" in salt content, and in so doing also bring in the flavours of the herbs and sweeteners...he said that 2 hours was enough for a pork chop, whereas turkey, as we've all discussed at length, takes 6-16 hours (which agrees with the opinions on this List!)...
Anyways, its neat to hear this from a "pro", as that had been my theory, (while I, as usual, didn't phrase it so well!) that the meat weas trying to pull in the salts, and the hebs and sugars were somehow able to follow along...
Anyways, a though for those that would like to brine pork and get it that bit more juicy, or give it a new twist!
Lifter
