Beer Brined Pork Chops - Grilled

Another beautiful day in middle Tennessee!  Yes!!  We got lots of projects accomplished today and that makes me one happy camper.  Now that the weather has warmed up, we can do lots of things for our out of doors summer living space.  Wait until you see the project I have been working on.  You are so going to want to do this!  That's my teaser for today.  Just keep checking back.  I will write about it soon.

Anyway, let's talk about these delectable pork chops that I made on Sunday evening. Dan LOVES pork chops and oh my, are these ever good.  Have you ever brined any meat?  A turkey?  Anything?  Let me tell you what it does if you have never tried brining.  It makes meat super juicy, tender, and oh so flavorful.  The meat absorbs the salt and the beer helps tenderize the meat while adding a nice caramel flavor when the meat is cooked.  (Brining makes turkey absolutely amazing if  you have never tried it.)  This is something you will definitely want to do the next time you make pork chops.  These were like butter, you could cut them with your fork.  Yum.

We enjoyed these with grilled cabbage (which is the best cabbage I have ever eaten and I really like cabbage).  And, it doesn't smell up your house while it's cooking.  That's even better, right?  The other side dish we enjoyed were sour cream mashed potatoes.  Holy cow, it was a good dinner.

Doesn't the sight of that make your mouth water?  Doesn't it make you want to rush out and buy some pork chops right now?  Or maybe make some grilled cabbage - with bacon?  I wish you could have enjoyed this meal with us.  It was fabulous if I do say so myself.  Dan is still talking about it.

The pork chops are quite easy to do.  Here is what you need.

6-7 bone in pork chops about 1 inch thick
1 12 ounce can of your favorite beer (I used whatever my son had here, don't drink it myself)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsps. salt
fresh cracked black pepper
3 large garlic cloves, minced
Old Bay seasoning

Put the beer in a bowl and add the salt and brown sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  It will make the beer quite foamy, so don't be alarmed.  Put the pork chops in a large zip lock bag or a glass container big enough to hold everything.  Pour the beer mixture over the chops, making sure they are all covered.  Mince the garlic cloves and scatter in the liquid.  Crack some black pepper over all the chops.  If the chops won't stay submerged, put a plate on top of them for weight and put in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.  I turned mine a couple of times, just to make sure they were evenly brined.

When you are ready to grill the chops, remove the chops from the liquid and discard it.  Lightly sprinkle both sides of the chops with some Old Bay seasoning, or any seasoning that you really enjoy.  Cook them on the grill until the meat is no longer pink and juices run clear.  Remove them from the grill and let them sit for a few minutes before serving.  That way, you don't lose all the juice when you cut into them.  We will definitely be making these again and again!

As for the grilled cabbage, come back tomorrow night and I will share my version with you.  Fabulous.  That's all I can say.

I don't know about you, but I am always on the lookout for different ways to prepare meats.   It gets boring having the same meals over and over (especially after 43+ years).  The base for this recipe came from McCormick.com and I added a few things to it.  Don't be afraid to experiment with your recipes.  I added the garlic and Old Bay because I like the flavors.  It worked and is a keeper for us.  Try any spice mixture you like when you make these.  Just know that the beer and the brine will make the pork chops super tender, flavorful and juicy.  Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember

“There is poetry in a pork chop to a hungry man.”  Philip Gibbs (NY Times 1951)