I know some people avoid pork chops because they think they are dry and they can be when overcooked. I found out the best way for a tender and juicy chop.......Now Brining Pork Chops is something I do often. They come out so juicy that it's worth the extra step. The Cream sauce with rosemary is delectable, lick the plate clean kind of sauce. Some brine say to boil the water, add the salt and cool it. I'm lost by then. Too many steps. My farmer friend and cookbook author Shannon Hayes keeps it simple and she has saved me from dry chops ever since. Let's all say thanks Shannon for leading the way to saving Pasture Raised Chops plus giving us this totally easy but a tad fancy recipe.
Elegant for company or any family dinner. Serves 2 but double or triples easily. One thing to remember is when cooking the chops have a large enough skillet that the chops are not crowded or use 2 skillets when making a larger recipe. Crowding can lower the heat and cause them to sweat which toughens the chop. Have enough space and adjust heat for a good constant sizzle to the pan. Oh boy can I make chops sweat and ruin them, I now pay attention! NO SWEATING ALLOWED!
2 Creekside Meadows Bone in Pork Chops 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch thickness
1 3/4 cup water
2 tablespoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons maple sugar, tubinado or sucanat sugar or even brown sugar (light preferably)
1 cup dry white wine ( a vegetable or chicken broth works fine)
1 /2 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons sour cream or Creme fraiche
2 tablespoons butter.
Mix, water, salt and sugar, in small casserole or ziploc bag, add chops. Refrigerate 4-6 hours.
When ready to cook, remove chops, rinse and pat dry. Allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat skillet on medium/high, add butter and brown chops 2-3 minutes each side. Reduce heat to medium low. You want them still sizzling , if too low they will seat and dry out. Sizzle! Cover and cook until internal 145F- 160F about 6-10 minutes. Thinner chops may cook quicker so watch it and don't over cook them. It's better to put them back to cook a bit more than too much! A good thermometer is essential. I have a nifty one with a remote and love it. Scroll down to an early post with my link to amazon.
Remove chops from skillet and keep warm. Pour off extra fat from pan and turn heat to medium high, add wine and rosemary, bring to a boil. Wisk or use wooden spoon to loosen brown bits from pan. Lower heat to simmer until reduced by half and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly wisk in the sour cream. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Pour over chops when served. I served with fresh apple sauce and sauteed green beans.
Adapted from Long Way on a Little by Shannon Hayes.