Friday, April 6, 2012

Buttermilk-Brined Pork Chops

Buttermilk-Brined Pork Chops
From Cooking Light

Though these pork chops require overnight brining, they make dinner the next night a breeze. Brine these chops up to two days beforehand. Just remove from brine after an overnight soak, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Yield:
4 servings (serving size: 1 chop)

Ingredients:
2 cups fat-free buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
4 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preparation:

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; shake well to dissolve salt and sugar. Add pork; seal and refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally. Remove pork from bag; discard brine. Pat pork dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle pork with pepper.

Heat a large nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

For Frozen Mamas:
Pork chops are brined and drained and ready to cook; just thaw, pepper to taste and put on the grill (or broiler pan or probably pan-frying would work too).

To prepare the Quinoa:Rinse thoroughly, combine Quinoa (1 cup) with 2 cups water (or broth) and salt to taste. Bring to boil for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Turn heat off and cover with lid for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve. My preference is to make it with chicken broth and to add a few random vegetables I have in my fridge, chopped, about half-way into the cooking time.

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