You need to start brining your pork chops the day before. These chops are best over warm baked beans, which also need to be started a day before you’d like to serve them.–Hugh Acheson
LC Oh. My. God. Note
The best brine I’ve ever had. Perfect. Exquisite. The antidote to dried-out, tasteless pork chops. I wouldn’t change a thing! Oh. My. God. That’s what folks are saying about this simple weeknight solution to what’s for dinner. Care to see what all the fuss is about? (Uh, when we say fuss, we actually mean hullabaloo, because this recipe is about as fuss-free as it gets.)
Pan-Roasted Pork Chops Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups apple juice
- 3 cups cold water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or sorghum syrup
- 3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- Six 1 1/2-inch-thick center-cut pork loin chops, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Directions
- 1. Combine the apple juice, water, salt, maple or sorghum syrup, pepper, and cinnamon in a pot and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As soon as the salt has completely dissolved, turn off the heat and let the brine cool to room temperature.
- 2. Place the pork chops in a baking dish or some other container that allows them to fit snuggly in a single layer. Add the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- 3. Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat them dry. Discard the brine.
- 4. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- 5. Place a large cast-iron skillet on a burner over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat it until warm but not smoking. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and carefully place them in the pan. If you can’t fit all the pork chops in the pan without crowding them, then do 2 or 3 at a time. Sear for 3 minutes per side. The chops should have some nice caramelization going on and your house should be smelling awesome. Your smoke detector is probably going to go off, too. After you’ve seared the chops, transfer the skillet to the oven for 8 minutes or, if you seared the chops in batches, transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet and plonk that in the oven until perfectly cooked through.
- 6. Place the pork chops on plates and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Devour right away—as if you could help yourself.
Pork Chops with Agrodolce Variation
- Embellish each pork chop with a dollop of sweetly tart, savory agrodolce, if you please. Roast, peel, and seed 2 large red bell peppers. Cut them into 1/2-inch dice. Plump 1/4 cup raisins in 1/4 cup warm port and 2 tablespoons warm water. Combine the red peppers and tipsy raisins with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Hungry for more? Chow down on these:
- Gorgonzola Stuffed Pork Chops from Eclectic Recipes
- Pork Chops with Apricot Brandy Sauce from Steamy Kitchen
- Maple-Brined Pork Chops with Pear Chutney from Leite's Culinaria
- Grilled Country Pork Chops with Bourbon-Basted Grilled Peaches from Leite's Culinaria
Pan-Roasted Pork Chops Recipe © 2011 Hugh Acheson. Photo © 2011 Rinne Allen. All rights reserved.
[Chiyo U.] OH. MY. GOD. These pork chops are fabulous! The brine—perfect. The cooking time—spot on (just be certain to let the meat warm up a bit before cooking). The chops have a lovely crust along the edges and are so juicy inside. The agrodolce, although not absolutely necessary since the pork is wonderfully flavored through and through, is a nice addition. Do make it, especially if you’ve never tried this particular blend of ingredients. The warm port and raisins go quite well with the subtle cinnamon from the brine.
[Victoria Filippi] This is the best brine for pork I’ve ever had. There is no reason to ever cook pork chops without brining them first. They were juicy and so flavorful. The apple juice and slight hint of cinnamon complement the pork perfectly. This recipe is one to make again and again and certainly one to share with friends! Wonderful.
[Lori Widmeyer] These were perfect! The recipe didn’t say so I ended up having to use boneless pork chops. I put the pork chops in the brine but then had a last-minute dinner invitation the night I planned to serve these, so I removed the pork chops from the brine, patted them dry, sealed them in a zip-top bag, and put them back in the refrigerator. The next night I seared them (pretty smoke free) and then put them in the oven. I put them back in for about 2 extra minutes because they looked a little pink inside but I think, looking back, it was probably fine without the extra time. The hint of the sweet apple maple brine was lovely—not too strong, but enough that everyone commented on the wonderful flavor. The brine and searing combination created a perfect, extremely moist pork chop! Our guest loved them enough to call for the recipe.
[Becky Kimball] This recipe made the juiciest, tastiest pork chops I’ve ever cooked! Even after reheating the chops at work, my husband commented on how juicy they were! The brine took less than 10 minutes to prepare, and I let the meat bathe in it for the full 24 hours. I made the agrodolce as well, and it was fantastic. I put the peppers in the oven and the raisins and port mixture on the stove right before I started searing the pork. I followed the recipe to the letter, except that it took 4 to 5 minutes per side to caramelize the chops properly. By the time I put the chops in the oven, everything was ready to assemble. Yum!
[Kara Vitek] This is an exquisite pork chop recipe! I found these pork chops to be very easy to prepare with impeccably moist results. They were packed with flavor and the house smelled incredible as they were roasting. I did have to bake them longer than the 8 minutes suggested, probably 13 to 15 minutes total. I don’t usually care for sweet touches to savory dishes, but the sweetness of this dish was ever so slight, melded together, and seemed a lot like pork chops and apple sauce. I didn’t make the agrodolce, but next time I intend to. And there’ll be plenty of next times!
[Jackie G.] Here’s the antidote for dried-out, tasteless pork chops. We love pork, and make it quite often. After making this recipe, I realized that we hadn’t made pork chops in years. Pork these days has been bred to be lean, and with less fat comes a finished product that’s often too dry. Now I know how to get juicy, tender pork chops: brine them. I started with good cuts of meat—Heritage pork chops—that were at least 1 1/2 inches thick. After being in the brine for 24 hours, something came up and we were unable to cook that night. I took the pork out of the brine, wiped the chops dry, wrapped them tightly, and put them back into the fridge. The next night we heated a cast-iron pan at high temperature and then seared the chops on both sides for the 3 minutes called for in the recipe. The sear from those 3 minutes was deep and beautiful. We put the pan into the oven for the 8 minutes called for, and turned the chops over in the pan halfway through. We pulled the pan out at the 8-minute mark, and let the chops sit for a few minutes. The chops were perfectly done in the time the recipe called for. I should note, we don’t like pork well-done. We tend to eat it more medium to medium-rare. Although some folks may like their pork cooked a bit more, I’d encourage them to try the pork at the allotted amount of time. It can always go back into the oven.
[Kristen Kennedy] I love how tender brining makes these pork chops. The apple juice in the brine imparts a delicate fruity flavor. I didn’t make the agrodolce. The only thing I’d change next time is omitting the additional salt and pepper seasoning. The chops were plenty salty from the brine, and the addition of another layer of salt and pepper was overwhelming.
[Anna Scott] I loved the warm scented brine that the pork chops sat in overnight! I thought it imparted a really nice, deep apple/maple flavor to the pork with a bit of saltiness. This brine was a perfect pairing for pork and did make a nice caramelized coating on the meat when you seared it. (I didn’t use a cast-iron skillet; instead I used an ovenproof 9-inch skillet.) I decided to pair the pork with the suggested agrodolce—mainly because the port-plumped raisins were a nice idea alongside the warm taste of the brine. Plus, I already had the ingredients for the agrodolce in my pantry. The roasted peppers and port raisins really benefited from the tart balsamic flavor. This addition would be a nice relish on a smoked Thanksgiving turkey as well. Overall, this was a delicious recipe combo that really made me yearn for fall!
[Linda Pacchiano] The brining gave the pork chops great tenderness and flavor. By cooking them in a cast-iron skillet and finishing them in the oven, there was nice caramelization on the outside with the center remaining very moist. I served the pork shops with the agrodolce. The sweet–sour combination of raisins with the roasted red pepper and other ingredients was a perfect complement to the pork.
[Lynne B.] These pork chops were tender and moist, with a hint of sweetness. The texture was satisfying—chewy in a good way. My chops were perfectly done even though they weren’t as thick as specified in the recipe (and, no, my smoke alarm didn’t go off during the searing step!). I didn’t add salt and pepper, since I’ve found that brining adds enough seasoning for my taste. A solid method for a juicy chop.
[Kate Knapp] Apple juice. Cinnamon. Maple syrup (couldn’t find sorghum). Pork. Absolutely delicious! I didn’t make the agrodolce due to a lack of port, but the pork chops were perfect without anything else. They were moist and oh so easy. From start to finish, 20 minutes tops (plus 24 hours for the brine). The apple juice gave them a wonderfully rich flavor, which was complemented by the sweetness of maple syrup and the spice of cinnamon. This is the perfect dish for the fall. I wouldn’t change a thing!
[Cindy Z.] This recipe caught my eye because of the brining solution ingredients. I usually just brine with a water, salt, and sugar mixture, occasionally throwing in garlic cloves. The light sweetness of the apple juice and the maple syrup went really well with the pork. The cinnamon flavor was just a hint and enough to add interest. These pork chops were extremely moist and juicy. We had one left over and I reheated it the next day and it was still very moist. I didn’t make the optional agrodolce but will try it next time.
[Sofia Reino] This has become a favorite in our household. The end result was juicy and tender pork chops, with a caramelized taste from the cast-iron skillet. The timing was absolutely perfect. One thing I did omit, and thankfully so, was adding salt and pepper after drying the chops out of the brine. I believe if I would’ve sprinkled more salt they’d have become too salty and there was still so much cracked pepper on them that there was no need for more. Ohhh, and luckily I didn’t have to worry about the smoke detector, yet hours after eating we still had the nice pork chop aroma throughout the house!
[Linda B.] Delicious! Sweet and savory and just a little bit smoky. My pork chops were perfectly cooked after 8 minutes in the oven. Transfer them to a plate right away so that they don’t overcook. My chops didn’t require any extra salt and pepper.
[Jackie B.-P.] I made this recipe over the weekend when we had plans to have friends over for dinner. I liked the idea of brining the pork chops and love the combination of pork, maple syrup, apple juice, and cinnamon. The agrodolce topping, with its roasted red peppers, port, and raisins, really enhanced the flavor of the chops. For the most part, this recipe was a success and everyone really enjoyed it. There are a few things I might change. For instance, the chops were a tad too salty for my taste. I might rinse them a bit next time before roasting them, just to take a smidgen of the salt out.
[Steve Taylor] For some reason, it never occurred to me to brine pork chops—maybe because I usually buy and cook them the same day. These were definitely among the most tender and flavorful chops I’ve ever had. I don’t have a large cast-iron pan, so I did them in a 3-quart sauté pan, which worked fine. I won’t brine my pork chops every time, but when I do, I’ll be following this recipe.
I would love to make the Agrodolce. I don’t keep port around so I wondered if there was anything that might work almost as well to plump the raisins. The only alcohol I have around is bourbon and rum. Thanks
Hi Patty, do you have any red wine? That and a bit of sugar might be a good substitute.
Or even red wine and a touch of maple syrup…?
Thank you for the red wine suggestion. All of you are so helpful when we have questions.
It’s our pleasure, Patty K. Anytime.
I made these for dinner last Friday night. AMAZING! Since there are just two of us I halved the recipe to brine two 2-inch pork chops. Still too much brine. Next time I will make the entire batch of brine and keep the extra in a mason jar in the refrigerator (probably remove the cinnamon stick after a couple of days). This recipe is so good that we are tossing around the idea of forgetting about the turkey for Thanksgiving this year (also an issue with just two of us in the house) and having this instead. Yes, I know one can freeze turkey leftovers. But I have lost count of the number of times I have tossed away a brick of frozen turkey meat in February.
Well, hot damn and hallelujah, Karletta! Sounds like a lovely Thanksgiving dinner to me. Doing a happy dance that you loved those pork chops so….
Joey, thrilled to hear that you like this pasta tactic as much as we do. We’re quite, quite fond of it, no matter what longish, wide-ish strands of pasta we try—and we’ve tried many!
OK, I am now making these chops yet again. Love them. This was a genius discovery. And, I have also now pulled at least two friends into brined pork chop addiction–they’ve left Facebook updates for me saying this recipe is going into their steady rotations. Thanks for making my kitchen sizzle yet again, and contributing to “clean plate” happiness in the home.
Our pleasure! So lovely to hear, Allison.