Recipe: Honey, Orange and Cinnamon-Brined Pork Chops
We’ve shared a great brine recipe on PassionForPork.com earlier this year, but you can never have too many brines in your culinary arsenal. It’s no secret that brines are great for keeping meat nice and juicy while cooking, it’s also fantastic for infusing flavours directly into the meat.
Even though I’ve used this brine on some big, bone-in pork chops, you can apply this recipe to tenderloins and racks of ribs as well. Remember: Brining makes cuts of meat approximately one million times more delicious!
And that, my friends, is no exaggeration.
What you’ll need…
Brine:
2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 red onion (quartered)
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons liquid honey
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon pickling spice
8 ice cubes
4 bone-in pork chops
Directions:
Place all brine ingredients except ice cubes into a medium pot and bring to a simmer on medium-high heat.
Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl or baking dish and add ice cubes.
Add pork chops, cover with saran wrap and let soak in brine for at least 6 hours (or overnight if possible).
Once ready, pat chops dry with paper towel and cook as desired. A nice grill on the barbecue seems seasonally appropriate!
Serves 4
Total prep time…6 hours, 15 minutes