Friday Night Home Date - Brined Pork Chops with Italian Spices

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Spicing-up the brine

Harold McGee describes, in great detail, the miracle of brining in On Food and Cooking. All I know is that brined pork chops are the best thing going, and enjoying them on a Friday night is even better.

My recipe is a variation of one from Cook’s Illustrated, and I love it because it’s neat and relatively quick. What makes this a “quick” brine is the ratio of sugar, salt and water. It’s more concentrated than other brining formulas, so the chops get the full benefit of the soak in just one hour, and you don’t need a giant bucket or stockpot.

When salt invades the muscle tissues of a piece of meat, the cells expand and become receptive to all sorts of aroma molecules that seep out of herbs and spices. So I took cook’s license and dolled up my brine with my favorite Italian flavors.

Trust me, once you taste a brined pork chop, you’ll never go back!

Here are some other tasty-looking chops from some fellow food bloggers:

Matt Bites Vanilla Brine

Cooking up a Storm's Maple-Brined Pork Chops

Brined Pork Chops with Italian Spices
makes four servings

4 thick cut (1 1/2-inches) pork chops, preferably rib chops
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt or 1/4 cup table salt
6 crushed garlic cloves
4 bay leaves, crumbled
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds
1 or 2 dried chile de arbol, crumbled or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Zest from 1 lemon, peeled with a vegetable peeler


1. Place pork chops in a gallon size freezer zip-top bag, and place the bag in a large bowl.

2. Whisk the sugar and salt in a large glass bowl with 6 cups water until dissolved. Add the garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, fennel, chile and zest. Pour the brine over pork chops. Seal bag and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a shallow roasting pan on center oven rack to heat. Remove chops from brine; discard brine. Pat the chops dry with paper towels. Place a large heavy skillet over medium high heat; add the oil and heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Add chops to skillet and cook about 3 minutes, or until nicely browned. Turn the chops and cook the other side an additional 3 minutes.

4. Transfer the chops to the heated roasting pan in oven. Roast 5 minutes; turn the chops and roast 5 more minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Loosely cover the chops with foil and rest for 5 minutes. The chops will continue to cook while resting, and should reach about 145 degrees.

Copyright (c) 2007 FamilyStyle Food

Paean for Pig

Sweet & Spicy Ribs

Yesterday, we decided to prepare a small feast to kick off 2007 Chinese New Year, the Year of the Pig, mostly because T and I had a hankering for a little side o’ pork. I’m pretty sure baby back ribs aren’t one of the traditional symbolic good luck foods associated with Chinese New Year. If we’ve trashed our shot at happiness and prosperity this year, we have only our pork passion to blame.

My daughter A has a thing for pigs; specifically a whimsical creature called the Flying Pig. I’m not sure how she developed this attraction. All I know is that her collection of winged, fluffy pink pig iconography seems to be growing by the day, along with, I might add, a growing sensitivity toward the eating of pigs or any other cute farm animal. I’m afraid we have a budding vegetarian in our midst. Which is interesting, considering how my kids lust after meat.

She didn’t have any problem inhaling these ribs though. The recipe comes from Steven Raichlen’s book Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs. I’ve made a few things from it, and I have to conclude that the man is a genius. The sauce is perfectly salty-sweet and tangy.

To round out the meal, I stir-fried some mushrooms and Chinese broccoli, otherwise known as gai lan. It’s one of my favorite greens, which I’ll tell you more about later.

Chinatown Ribs

Adapted from Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs by Steven Raichlen
Feeds four to six

5 pounds baby back pork ribs (2 racks should do it)
1 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup Chinese rice wine, dry sherry, sake or white wine
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
5 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a heavy knife
5 thin slices peeled ginger, smashed with the side of a heavy knife
3 green onions, white and light green parts thinly sliced

Arrange the ribs in a large pan or baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.
Set aside a scant 1/2 cup of the mixture; pour the rest over the ribs, turning them to coat evenly.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours, the longer the better.
Set up a charcoal or gas grill for indirect grilling, or heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place on the grill rack (or a shallow baking sheet if cooking in the oven), bone side down. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, or until the ribs are dark brown, crisp, and the meat is tender enough to pull off the bone with your fingers.

Place the reserved marinade in a small saucepan and simmer for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to serve alongside the ribs.

Copyright (c) 2007 FamilyStyle Food