September 26, 2022
If you’ve never salted meat before, I suggest you give it a try. Brining consists of placing meat in a bath of salty, flavored liquid, allowing the solution to penetrate the meat to even out the salt levels. This ensures that your meat has a higher liquid content before it even goes into the heat – so when you cook it, you create a juicier end product. I love to salt pork before grilling because it makes sure the pork is always tender and very moist. Leaner cuts of meat are usually salted because they have less fat, which helps to ensure that the meat becomes moist and flavorful. Poultry breasts, pork chops, shrimp, and ribs are all excellent choices for brining. I recently bought some thick cut pork chops from a local grocery store and knew I wanted to grill them.
Although after grilling the chops were moist and very tender, I decided to serve them with a light herb ribbon sauce called salsa verde. This sauce is wonderful on almost any type of grilled meat or vegetable. You must allow at least two hours and up to four hours for brining before the chops are ready to grill. I served my chops with oven roasted potatoes and a large mixed salad. When grilling pork, it’s best to use a meat thermometer because the internal temperature should be 140 degrees F. to be safe.
Have a nice meal!
Deborah Mele 2022 Free Mp3 Download
Ingredients
For The Brine:
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3 tablespoons kosher salt
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3 tbsp brown sugar
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2 bay leaves
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Coarsely ground black pepper
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2 tbsp brandy or whiskey (optional)
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4 pork chops that are at least 1 inch thick
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3 tablespoons of olive oil
Green Sauce:
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2 cups fresh parsley
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2 garlic cloves, peeled
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2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed
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3 tbsp lemon juice
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1/2 cup olive oil
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Salt pepper
Instructions
- Dissolve the salt and sugar in a cup of warm water in a large shallow container.
- Add bay leaf, pepper and whiskey if using and mix.
- Add enough ice cubes to make 1 quart of brine.
- Add the pork chops to the brine and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, turning the chops halfway through.
- While the chops are cooking, make the salsa verde.
- Place the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor and blend until combined.
- Place the salsa verde in a small bowl.
- Heat grill to high heat and oil lightly.
- Rub the olive oil into the chops, then grill for 4 1/2 minutes per side, or until the chops reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
- Transfer the chops to a plate, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve the chops on a plate together with the salsa verde.
