Pork Chop Brine Recipe

In its simplest form, brines are a concentration of salt and water. They’re commonly used as a simple way to melt ice on roadways and for deicing planes… whaaattt???

What does a brine do in cooking?

In cooking, brines are used for many things, including house-made pickles and kimchi, and they’re a chef’s secret weapon for making flavorful, tender meats, poultry and seafood. 

I regularly use brine solutions in everything from grilled chicken to roast turkey, pork roasts and even for beef briskets (for homemade corned beef). 

1. Improves the texture of meat and poultry.
2. It makes the meat more flavorful – because the diffusion of the salt brine enters the cell membranes and augments the flavors.
3. Enhances moisture. Salt attracts liquid, the same reason salty chips and cold drinks go so well together. You eat the chips, then feel thirsty, so you take a drink. In meats, once they’ve been brined, the salt has attracted more moisture into the cell walls. Voila – juicy meat.

I use this simple brine technique (and the variations) for seasoning, tenderizing and moisture retention in everything from boneless skinless chicken breasts to turkey legs and pork tenderloins.

Ingredients:

• Kosher Salt – Unlike table salt containing iodine, kosher salt is made from pure sodium chloride. The flakes are less dense than table salt and, therefore, can’t be used in a 1:1 swap. I like diamond crystal kosher salt because it’s flakier and has less sodium by volume than Morton’s. If you use Morton’s kosher salt
• Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar.
• Hot Water – You need hot water to dissolve the salt and brown sugar.  Use your hottest tap water or microwave the water for a minute until hot.
• Whole Peppercorns – Don’t use ground pepper for this; whole spices will help season the brine without overpowering it.
• Allspice Berries – Use the whole spice, not the ground version.
• Whole Cloves – Cloves are potent, so you’ll only need a few.
• Ice – Using ice for the quick pork chop brine cools the hot liquids down rapidly so you can start to soak the meat.
• Cool Water – More cool water dilutes the solution for the optimum ratio of salt and sugar to water.
• Bourbon – You don’t need much, about two tablespoons (and it doesn’t have to be the good stuff). You can also skip the alcohol if you want to.
• Onion – You can use yellow, white or even red onion, just a few slices; it’s another aromatic that will enhance the flavors of the pork chop brine.

How to make:

1. Combine the kosher salt, brown sugar, spices and hot water in a large bowl and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve thoroughly.
2. Add the ice and stir until the ice melts and the mixture cools.
3. Stir in the bourbon, onion and cool water.

Brining pork chops:

1. To brine the chops, cover the meat with the wet brine and refrigerate.

If you’re only making a pound or so of meat, you can brine your pork chops in the bowl (make sure they’re covered with the brine solution). 

Place the chops in a zip-top storage bag for over one pound of meat and pour the brine over them. Squeeze out any excess air and seal the bag. Refrigerate the pork chops in brine for 1-4 hours, depending on the size of your chops.

How long to soak pork chops in brine

The length of brining time is really dependent on the size of your pork chops. Typically the ratio is one hour of brining time for each pound of meat, but when you’re dealing with cuts like a chop, you also need to consider how large they are and whether they’re boneless chops or not.

• If you have thin, boneless chops (less than one-inch thick), 30 minutes to one hour is sufficient, though you can go as long as two hours.
• For one inch or greater, bone in chops, I recommend at least 2 hours and up to four.

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Swap out white sugar, maple syrup, honey or agave instead of brown sugar.
• Including herbs like fresh thyme or rosemary, bay leaves, or other whole spices like juniper berries and cinnamon sticks is another way to enhance the pork chop brine. Avoid oregano, as it tends to be a little too strong.
• Adding fruit, like apple slices with peels, to the brine mixture adds flavor to your protein, though it’s subtle.
• Replace some water with fruit juice like apple cider or white grape juice. Avoid citrus juices.
• Roughly chop two garlic cloves (not minced) and add to the brining liquid.

FAQ’s

How to cook brined pork chops on the grill.

One of my favorite ways to cook brined pork chops is on the grill. The char and grill marks sear in the meat’s natural flavors, and the brine ensures the flesh is tender, juicy and very flavorful. 

I recommend using bone-in pork chops that are about 1” thick. (Whenever meat has a bone, it adds so much flavor, and we love to gnaw it to get the most flavorful bits).

1. Heat the grill to medium-high heat (around 450°). 
2. Blot the pork chops with a paper towel to soak up any excess brining liquid.
3. Place the chops on the grill and cook for 5-7 minutes(depending on thickness) with the lid covering the meat.
4. Flip the chops and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the juices run clear and the internal temperature of the pork is 160°. 
5. Transfer the brined pork chops to a cutting board and let them rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. (Note: the safe internal temperature for pork is 165°F, but I take the chops off the grill a little early because the residual cooking should bring them up to temperature while resting).

Sometimes we add wood chips (like apple, cherry or oak) to add a kiss of smoked flavor to the meat. (So flipping good.)

Also Try these Grilled Favorites:

• Brined Smoked BBQ Chicken
• Tandoori Pork Tenderloin
• Grilled Smoked Artichokes
• Grilled Herb Crusted Lamb Kebabs
• Tequila Marinated Pork Tenderloin
• Spatchcock Grilled Chicken