Pork Chop Brine Recipe
This simple-to-prepare pork chop brine recipe comes together in minutes and is the perfect technique for elevating your dish's taste.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coarse salt
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 8 fresh thyme sprigs
- ½ peeled roughly chopped yellow onion
- 4 smashed garlic cloves
- 2 cups water
- 3 cups ice
Instructions
- Add the salt, sugar, pepper, thyme, garlic, onion, and water to a medium-sized sauce pot.
- Place the pot over high heat, bring it to a boil, and cook until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
- Stir in the ice until it is melted.
- Transfer the brine to a container and chill until it is ready to be used. Brine pork chops in submerged in the mixture for 12 to 48 hours. Be sure to rinse the pork chops after removing them from the brine and before cooking them.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 2 days ahead for freshness.
How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze it covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before using.
Other herbs you could use are parsley stems, bay leaves, sage, or rosemary.
Over-brining can cause the protein to break down to mush and be overly salty.
Nutrition
Calories: 25kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 1761mgPotassium: 56mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 99IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg