An Inspired Cook

If you like a tender pork chop that isn’t dry, try brining.  All it takes is a zip lock bag filled with water, salt and sugar.  You can add fresh herbs, maybe citrus such as lemon, lime or orange, or garlic and onion, whatever you like, just throw it into the bag along with the pork chops.  The longer they brine, the more juicy and tender they will be.  I was in a simple mood so I made 4 chops covered in water with 1 T Sugar and 1 T Salt.  I would have liked them to soak longer, but 4 hours was all I had.  I wanted a sauce to go along with the pork and searched the pantry to see what fruit jam I had.  I found the raspberry jam and knew I had something I could work with.

Season with salt, pepper and thyme.

4 minutes on each side.

Let them rest a few minutes.  Let’s make a raspberry sauce to go with them.

I made a raspberry sauce of raspberry jam, orange juice, raspberry balsamic vinegar, and orange peel.  If you have an orange to juice and zest that would be preferable.

Whisk all the sauce ingredients together.

Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat.  Continue to whisk 2 – 3 minutes while the sauce thickens.





Brined Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce

4 bone in Pork Chops
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Thyme
Olive Oil

Brine

2 cups Water
1 tablespoon Salt
1 tablespoon Sugar
Ziplock bag

Raspberry Sauce

1/4 cup Raspberry Jam
Juice of 1 Orange or 2 tablespoons Orange Juice
2 tablespoons Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar
Zest of 1 Orange or 1/2 teaspoon dried “Orange Peel”

Fill a ziplock bag with 2 cups water, 1 T salt and 1 T sugar, add pork chops and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Remove pork chops from brine, pat dry and season with salt, pepper, and thyme.  Drizzle with olive oil and place on a hot grill, 4 minutes on each side.  Remove from grill and let chops rest.

Mix raspberry jam, raspberry balsamic vinegar, orange juice and orange peel together with a wire whisk.  Cook over medium heat in a saucepan for 2 – 3 minutes until sauce begins to thicken.  Serve with the grilled pork chops.