A Brine in Time…Saves Dinner
Grrrr! Don’t you hate it when you have this easy, quick dinner of pork chops planned, but then they end up dry as a bone? I’ve totally done this and been so disappointed that I just want to throw the whole meal in the garbage can.
Well, one thing has saved me from a complete meltdown and it’s this: a quick brine. Brining always sounds like a great idea but, seriously, who has the time on a weeknight? Usually, it involves a gazillion ingredients and a minimum of 12 hours in the fridge…sheesh!
Well, this (hopefully) will bring you out of your dinner despair. It’s a quick and easy brine that can be customized to whatever your tastes and time allow.
Here’s the basic recipe:
Quick and Easy Pork Chop Brine Recipe
- 4 cups water
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
Mix salt and water in a bowl and stir well, until salt has dissolved. Cover pork chops completely with brine and let sit for 1 to 2 hours. Remove from brine, pat dry and cook as usual.
What? Where you expecting something more difficult? This is seriously all you need to do to ensure your pork chops are tender. Well, alright, you still can’t cook them to death, but this will help.
I tend to add a few variations to this, depending on:
- My time
- My mood
- My recipe
But here are some suggestions to add:
- Crushed or minced garlic
- Minced onion or shallot
- Chopped herbs – either dry or fresh
- Spices
Also, feel free to mix up the liquid; instead of water, add beer or stock for a little more flavor.
Keep in mind that thinner cuts of pork can sit an hour or so, but for thicker cuts, 2 hours will probably give you better results.
This is a fantastic recipe for the grill too. It won’t save you from extended over-cooking but it’s pretty forgiving if you have a tendency to leave your chops on the heat for a little longer than needed. Try this with chicken too – I think you’ll be amazed at the results.
Happy cooking!
If you’re just finding me now at my old WordPress site, I hope you’ll join me in my latest posts at lolarugula.com
I have been brining chops for years. I’m going to try your recipe since sometimes mine goes over the top on salty. (hard to control) Thanks.
This is definitely a quick brine, hence the heavy ratio of salt to water, but it works great for me!
Thanks
I love simple tips like this. It’s so doable. I will try brining for sure.
I hope you try it and love it! It certainly works for me.
Gonna try it! Thanks sooo much! Love your site!
Thank you so much Keri! I cannot wait to have some time to curl up and catch up on your blog – it looks truly fascinating!
Unless I know I’ve got heritage pork on my hands, I always brine chops before cooking. Otherwise, why bother? Good to let people know it isn’t as hard as they might think. Ken
I totally agree and thanks!
What a fabulous idea. I do not eat pork often any more, but this recipe really has got me tempted 🙂
Thank you! It works like a charm for me!
Difficult to comment or like recipes with meat (vegetarian). Just passing this on so you don’t think I’ve been ignoring you Lola. enjoy the week! Eddie
Oh, you are so kind! You know I always catch up on your posts every month or so, so no worries at all! It’s always nice to hear from you though! Enjoy your week, also!
I am going to have to try this! Recently they are selling a new pork cut at our local groceries: Pork T-bones. They are thick and very tasty and I think that I will try this brine next time I make them! Be well – ^..^
I hope it works for you – those t-bone pork chops are wonderful!
We got some pork loin chops yesterday so I will be making these over the weekend! Looking forward to it!
Awesome! 🙂
OK – I have the brine going! I am going to bake them as I normally would and I am keeping my fingers crossed! I did the brine with garlic and thyme!
Thanks for the update – let me know how they turned out!
Very juicy and tender! I dried them off after taking them out of the brine, then dipped them in flour, then egg, and then Italian bread crumbs and baked them! Yummy! Many thanks for the education on how easy it is to brine food!
So happy it worked great! That’s a wonderful way to make them & healthier than frying!