Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Black Pepper, Maple, Cider Vinegar & Shallot Pan Sauce

Gil bought some Berkshire thick-cut pork chops at the Naughty Pig in Murrieta for July 4th (they had completely run out of ribs), so I perused the internet for some interesting recipes. I RARELY cook bone-in pork chops, so had very little experience with them. Consensus out there seems to be that brining helps to keep the meat juicy and tender, and any number of pan sauces made from the fond and drippings from cooking the pork are super easy to prepare and delicious. So after a wee bit of experimenting, I made a basic brine (brown sugar, kosher salt and water) adapted from America's Test Kitchen, and a pan sauce adapted from a recipe by Nick Kindelsperger on the Serious Eats website 

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/08/maple-black-pepper-pork-chops-recipe.html. I used extra shallots, coarse black pepper instead of crushed black peppercorns, and upped the amount of cider vinegar from the original recipe. I also omitted the last minute browning in the oven as it is really not necessary to achieve the same end result. Sooooo good! I will never ever make pork chops again without a quick brine prior to cooking - you'll never have a tough piece of pork using this method, unless you totally miss the mark and overcook the hell out of it!

Ingredients:
4 bone-in pork chops, about 1" thick
2 tbsp. olive oil

BRINE:
2 cups water
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt

4 cups iced water

SAUCE:

3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1 tbsp. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
8 tbsp. cider vinegar
3 tbsp. maple syrup (can substitute with honey)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Chopped scallions for garnish

1. Make the brine: combine 2 cups water, brown sugar and kosher salt into a saucepan. Heat until the water barely starts to simmer; turn off the heat. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely melted. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add 4 cups of very cold (iced) water.

2. Place the pork chops into a large Ziplock-type bag and pour in the brine. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can, zip shut, and place into a large bowl; refrigerate and let brine for 2-3 hours (I don't like to brine longer than that so the pork won't be too salty).

3. Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.

4. Add 2 tbsp. oil to a large skillet (cast iron works well) and heat over medium high heat; add the pork chops and sear, approximately 4 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 145F. Remove the pork chops to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest.

5. In the meantime, remove all but 2 tbsp. oil from the pan and add the sliced shallots, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the shallots start to brown, then add the cider vinegar; stir briefly and scrape up the brown bits (aka "fond") from the bottom of the pan to incorporate. Add the maple syrup and black pepper, reduce heat, and simmer for about 30 seconds.

6. Pour the sauce over the pork chops and garnish with chopped scallions before serving.

Brown sugar and kosher salt, for the brine.

When the brown sugar and salt have dissolved, pour into a bowl and add iced water.

Berkshire bone-in pork chops.

Place the pork chops and brine into a large Ziploc-type bag, seal, place in a bowl and refrigerate for two to three hours.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil into a large skillet (I like to use cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the chops and brown 4 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 145F. 

Remove the pork chops to a chopping board, cover loosely and let rest 10 minutes.

In the same pan, leaving 2 tbsp. oil from frying the pork, saute the sliced shallots, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the shallot starts to brown, about 1 minute.

Add the vinegar and stir to incorporate the bits ("fond") from the bottom of the pan; reduce for a few seconds then add the maple syrup and black pepper. Simmer and reduce for about a minute, then remove from heat and pour over the pork chops.

Garnish with chopped scallions. Here it's served with potato salad and a Southwestern-style corn salad.