Fennel-Brined Pork Chops

Name: Fennel-Brined Pork Chops
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 118 milliliters chopped fennel fronds; 1 Tbsp fennel seeds; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 237 milliliters ice cubes; 59 milliliters kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal); 454 grams boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick); 59 milliliters sugar; 828 milliliters water, divided; 2 Tbsps sambuca or other anise-flavored liqueur

Need a gluten free and dairy free main course? Fennel-Brined Pork Chops could be an excellent recipe to try. This recipe covers 15% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. One serving contains 236 calories, 25g of protein, and 8g of fat. This recipe serves 4. If you have rosemary, fennel fronds, sugar, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. To use up the ice cubes you could follow this main course with the Nectarine, Blackberry, and Pecan Sundaes as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes about 45 minutes.

Instructions

Combine 1 cup water, fronds, and seeds in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat.

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Seeds

Water

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Sauce Pan

Pour into a large bowl; cool to room temperature.

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Bowl

Add remaining 2 1/2 cups water, salt, sugar, and liqueur, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve.

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Liqueur

Sugar

Water

Salt

Pour salt mixture into a large zip-top plastic bag.

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Salt

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Ziploc Bags

Add ice and pork; seal. Refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.

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Pork

Ice

Prepare grill to high heat.

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Grill

Remove pork from bag; discard brine. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Coat pork with cooking spray.

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Cooking Spray

Brine

Pork

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Paper Towels

Combine the rosemary, pepper, and garlic; rub evenly over both sides of pork.

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Rosemary

Garlic

Pepper

Pork

Dry Seasoning Rub

Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done.

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Cooking Spray

Pork

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Grill

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

1teaspoon

freshly ground black pepper 118milliliters

chopped fennel fronds 1Tbsp

fennel seeds 2teaspoons

chopped fresh rosemary 2

garlic cloves, minced 237milliliters

ice cubes 59milliliters

kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)454grams

boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)59milliliters

sugar 828milliliters

water, divided 2Tbsps

sambuca or other anise-flavored liqueur

Recommended wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Riesling are great choices for Pork Chops. Chardonnay suits simple chops or chops in a butter or cream sauce, dry riesling complements sweet additions like honey mustard or apples, and pinot noir is a safe bet for pork dishes in general. The Laguna Winery Russian River Chardonnay with a 4.1 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 16 dollars per bottle.