Maple Brined Pork Chops Recipes

SMOKEHOUSE MAPLE-BRINED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Whisk together the salt, 1/4 cup of the smoky maple seasoning, 1/4 cup of the sugar and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking, until the salt and sugar dissolve. Pour in 4 cups of cold water and mix thoroughly, then transfer the brine to a large container with a lid and cool to room temperature. Add the pork chops to the brine, cover and refrigerate 8 to 10 hours.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
• Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly rub some oil into the chops, then season all over with 2 tablespoons smoky maple seasoning. Grill until the pork chops are well marked and charred, 7 to 9 minutes. Flip and continue to grill until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers 145 degrees F, 4 to 6 minutes more. Let rest under tented foil while you cook the apples.
• Put a large cast-iron skillet on the grill. Juice one of the lemon halves into a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar to the skillet and stir with a heatproof spatula until the mixture looks like wet sand. Cook with the lid open, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts and deepens to amber, about 8 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Once the foam subsides, add the apples, cover the grill and cook, gently stirring occasionally and coating the apples in the caramel, until the apples are crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and, being careful of splattering, add the remaining lemon juice and a pinch of smoky maple seasoning and stir gently.
• Arrange the pork chops on a platter and top with the apples. Use a fine rasp grater to zest the other lemon half over the dish. Sprinkle with chives if using.

MAPLE-BRINED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Mix water, salt, 1/3 cup maple syrup, garlic, ginger, rosemary, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Place pork loin in brine mixture and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours.
• Remove pork from brine, pat dry, and season all sides with salt and black pepper.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Heat vegetable oil in an oven-proof skillet over high heat. Cook pork, turning to brown each side, about 10 minutes total.
• Transfer skillet to the oven and roast until pork is browned, about 40 minutes.
• Mix 2 tablespoons maple syrup and Dijon mustard together in a small bowl.
• Remove pork roast from the oven and spread maple syrup mixture on all sides. Cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the pork is no longer pink in the center. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

MAPLE-BRINED GRILLED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• To make brine, put first 10 ingredients in a non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Let cool. Put pork chops in a glass baking dish or non-reactive container that is just big enough to hold the pork chops. Pour brine over pork chops and cover. Refrigerate for three hours. Brine may be made in advance and held until three hours before it is time to grill.
• Prepare a grill with hot and medium grilling areas. Cooking time will depend on thickness of pork chops. Sear the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side over the hot side of the grill. Finish grilling on medium heat until the internal heat is about 145 degrees. Take pork chops off heat and let them rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
• Or alternatively, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Sear the pork chops in a grill pan or cast iron skillet on the stove, over high heat, about 1 - 2 minutes for each side. Transfer to the oven and cook until internal heat is 145 degrees, about 8 minutes. Let rest 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

GRILLED AND MAPLE-BRINED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• For the maple brine, in a medium pot, combine the Water (6 cup), Kosher Salt (1/4 cup), Grade B Maple Syrup (1/4 cup), Granulated Sugar (2 tablespoon), Dried Thyme (2 tablespoon), Black Peppercorns (1 tablespoon), Bay Leaf (2), and Garlic (1 head). Bring to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes; strain. Let cool completely before using.
• Arrange the Bone-In Pork Loin Chop (4) in a baking dish, plastic storage container, or 1-gallon plastic bag so that they fit snugly; pour the maple brine over them to cover completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and ideally up to 48 hours.
• Remove pork chops from the brine and discard the brine. Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Rub or brush the pork chops with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (2 tablespoon) and season with Kosher Salt (to taste) and Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste), being sure to season the bones as well.
• Cook on the grill, undisturbed, just long enough for the pork to pick up some color and grill marks, 4 to 5 minutes for medium doneness.
• Flip and repeat on the other flat side. Shift the pork chops to a cooler portion of the grill.
• Turn each onto its rounded, fatty edge, either propping the chops against each other to cook them all together or taking turns holding them up with tongs. Cook until the fatty edge is golden and crispy, about 3 minutes.
• Remove and let rest for 4 to 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle lightly with Grade B Maple Syrup (to taste), if desired.

GRILLED MAPLE-BRINED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• 1. Mix all of the brine ingredients together in a nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir the brine to ensure that the salt, sugar, and maple syrup have dissolved. Let the brine cool, then put it in a large nonreactive container and add the pork chops. Cover and refrigerate for no more than 12 hours.
• 2. Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry (without rinsing).
• 3. Prepare a grill with hot and medium cooking areas. A grill is hot when you can't hold your hand near the grill surface for longer than 2 seconds without pulling it away; it's medium when you can't hold your hand there for longer than 4 seconds.
• 4. Season the chops with pepper (not salt - remember, the brining solution is salty) and brush with the oil. Sear the chops directly over the hottest part of the open grill for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Then move the chops to the medium area of the grill, cover the grill, and cook to the desired doneness. Use an instant-read digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chops. A reading of 145° to 150°F will give you a pink, moist chop, 160°F is well-done. Serve immediately, accompanied by the chutney, if using.

MAPLE SYRUP AND APPLE CIDER BRINE FOR PORK RECIPE

Steps:

• Stir the hot water and salt together until the salt is dissolved. Add the apple cider, maple syrup, and peppercorns. Cool to below 45 F. in the refrigerator.
• Trim any excess external fat from the meat. Submerge the pork in the brine in a large bowl or small crock; make sure the meat stays under the surface during curing by using a heavy plate to weight it down. Refrigerate the pork in the cure.
• The chops should take 4 to 6 hours in the brine; the tenderloin, 6 to 8 hours; and the loin, 1 to 2 days. (Bone-in pork can take a day longer in the brine because of the bone, which gives it a larger diameter.) If marinating for a day or longer, stir the brine daily and turn the pork occasionally. Recipe Source: by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly (Houghton Mifflin) Reprinted with permission.

GRILLED MAPLE PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk syrup, vinegar, salt and pepper until blended. Pour 1/2 cup marinade into a shallow bowl. Add pork chops; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Reserve remaining marinade for basting., Drain pork chops, discarding marinade. On an oiled grill, cook pork chops, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat 13-17 minutes or until a thermometer reads 145°, turning occasionally and basting with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.