Pork chops and I have an adversarial history. I wasn’t able to cook them properly until I discovered brining. Voilá! Perfect pork chops every time! Baked, broiled or pan-seared, pork chops remain juicy and full of flavor if they’re brined before cooking.
Apple cider vinegar glaze is a sweet-tart compliment to the saltiness of brined pork. I make it with xylitol and coconut sugar to cut down on the glycemic index. It’s hard to completely eliminate refined sugar from my family’s diet, but I reduce the sugar content as much as I can.
Four hours of brining is all pork chops need, although you can brine them overnight too. Don’t overdo it or you’ll end up with very salty pork (yes, I know this from experience). I like breaded pork chops, but I don’t always have time to bread them, so pan-searing is a quick alternative.
My children don’t share my wariness of pork chops (they’ve never experienced eating shoe leather either) so they often ask for pork chops or slip them into my shopping cart when I’m not paying attention. If I unexpectedly find pork chops in my fridge, I quell my pork chop anxiety by reaching for this no-fail recipe my family loves.
It’s fast and delicious. Make the glaze first, rinse and pat dry the pork chops, sprinkle them with pepper (don’t add any more salt!), then sear them in a very hot pan for about 5 minutes. Turn them over and sear the other side for a minute, take the pork chops out of the pan, pour in the glaze (it will bubble and steam), then cook the pork chops for a few more minutes in the bubbly sweet-sour apple cider vinegar glaze. Pour any extra glaze over the pork chops, and serve!
Brined Pork Chops with Apple Cider Vinegar Glaze
A sweet-tart apple cider vinegar glaze compliments the salty, juicy flavor of brined pork chops in this easy-to-prepare recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 boneless, 1" thick pork chops
- Salt for brining
- Filtered water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup xylitol or erythritol
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon coconut nectar
- 1/8 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions
Wash the pork chops and place them in a glass container.
Add 2-4 tablespoons of salt, cover the pork chops with filtered water, and stir until the salt is dissolved.
Cover the container and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. (Don't brine for more than 24 hours or you'll end up with very salty pork.)
When ready to cook, make the glaze by combining apple cider vinegar, xylitol or erythritol, coconut sugar, coconut nectar, salt, bay leaf and thyme in a small saucepan.
Bring the glaze to a boil, stirring, then turn off the heat, and set aside.
Rinse the pork chops, and dry with paper towels.
Dust the pork chops on both sides with freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the coconut oil on high heat (you can substitute bacon fat, but it will be very smoky) until it crinkles at the edges of the pan.
Place the pork chops in the pan in one layer.
Cook for 4-6 minutes. Turn them over, and cook for 1 additional minute.
Remove pork chops to a plate, and keep warm.
Pour off any extra grease from the pan.
Turn the heat down slightly, and pour the glaze into the pan. It will bubble and steam.
Return the pork chops (on the second side) to the pan and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes per side. Do not overcook! If your pork chops are thinner, cook only until they reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
Place the pork chops on a serving dish, and drizzle glaze on top.
If there's extra glaze, pour it into a small pitcher and serve with the pork chops.
Brine the pork chops for at least 4 hours. When ready to cook, make the glaze using fresh thyme, a bay leaf, apple cider vinegar, xylitol, coconut sugar and coconut nectar, plus a little salt. Bring the glaze to a boil, stirring. Turn off the heat, and set aside.
Rinse the brined pork chops and allow to drain on paper towels.
Use paper towels to blot up any extra liquid so the pork chops are dry on all sides.
Sprinkle the dried pork chops with fresh ground pepper. Don’t add any more salt!
Cook the pork chops in a single layer in a very hot pan. I use coconut oil, but you could use bacon fat or another vegetable oil, such as avocado oil, suitable for high heat cooking.
Sear the pork chops for 4-6 minutes on the first side, then flip them over and cook for 1 more minute.
Place the pork chops on a dish and keep them warm.
I use a tent of aluminum foil to keep the heat and moisture in the pork chops.
Pour the apple cider vinegar glaze into the hot pan. It will bubble and steam.
Add the pork chops and any juice that’s accumulated on the plate, and cook them in the glaze for 1-2 more minutes on each side.
Don’t overcook! If your pork chops are thin, stop cooking when the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F.
Serve the pork chops drizzled with apple cider vinegar glaze.
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