brined pork chop with filipino vinegar sauce

added by
2 servings
ingredients
all
3 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup hot water
1 cup ice
2 cloves garlic
pressed
2 tbsp onions
diced fine
salt and pepper
to taste
white vinegar
just enough to cover sauce contents
1 tbsp avocado oil
2 whole pork chops
bone-on, about 1" thick
steamed rice
optional
Whenever the pork chops are on sale at Whole Foods, this is how we prepare them. This recipe simply combines my mom's pork chop dipping sauce with a basic brine. It's nothing fancy but it's delicious!
1
Kick off the rice cooker if serving the pork chops with rice.
2
In a resealable glass container large enough to hold the brine and the pork chops, dissolve the salt and brown sugar with the hot water.
3
Add the ice to the brine and stir until the ice dissolves. Submerge the pork chops in the brine and cover. Add more water if needed to fully cover the meat. Brine the pork in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
4
Prepare the vinegar sauce while the pork chops brine. Combine the garlic, onions, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Cover with just enough white vinegar to fully submerge the sauce components. Reserve.
5
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Preheat the cast iron skillet over low heat.
6
Discard excess brine and pat the pork chops dry. Dry them out in the fridge for 15 minutes, then dry them at room temp for another 15 minutes.
7
Warm the oil in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, brown and sear the pork chops on one side for about 3 minutes. Brown the fatty edges with tongs then flip the pork chop and transfer the skillet into the oven.
8
Roast for 5-7 minutes until internal temp reaches 145°F. If the pork chops are sliced thin, reduce the time.
9
Rest the meat, tented, for about 10 minutes prior to serving.
10
At serving time, use the vinegar mixture as a dipping sauce. Serve with rice or whichever sides you and your family enjoy.
notes
In looking up internal temps for pork, we stumbled upon this article that stated safe pork temps are now 145°F instead of 160°F. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/dining/porks-safe-cooking-temperature-is-lowered.html