the other white meat

​Recently my husband and I were invited to friends of ours for dinner where we were served a delicious boneless pork chop entrée Baked Pork Chops with Bourbon Glaze.
 
The recipe begins by brining the pork chops from 15 minutes up to 8 hours; I did mine overnight and drained them in the morning. The simple brine is made up of water, kosher salt and 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, which is optional, however, I had some in my cold frame.

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​The purpose of brining is for the meat to absorb more liquid so that after cooking its moister and juicer. It also helps dissolve some muscle fibers, which in turn reduces the toughness of meat and finally makes the cooked meat more tender.
 
For the pork chops you’ll also need vegetable oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, smoked paprika and dried thyme. The glaze needs bourbon, reduced sodium soy sauce, light brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, cayenne pepper, cornstarch and water.
 
I prepared the bourbon glaze first, before cooking as the pork takes about 15 minutes to cook (internal temperature of 145°). Also, using a pan that can go from stove top to oven will help reduce clean up.  
 
The pork chops came out scrumptious! They were succulent, very flavorful and the bourbon sauce made these chops go over the top. The balance of ingredients in the sauce gave it a little zing with a hint of sweetness…oh so good! My husband and I enjoyed them when we were at our friends and again last night, but I do prefer the dish prepared with boneless pork chops.
 
Just an FYI, Whole Foods has boneless pork loin chops on special for $5.99/lb.
I’ve purchased their pork chops before and they are delicious. 

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Baked Pork Chops with Bourbon  Glaze - from the website "The Chunky Chef"
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes (not including brining time)
Brining time: minimum 15 minutes or up to 8 hours

Ingredients
 
Brine
1-quart warm water
3 tbsp. kosher salt
2 springs fresh rosemary (optional)
 
Pork Chops
1-1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 boneless pork chops (thick cut, 1-1/2-inches thick)
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. dried thyme
 
Bourbon Glaze
1/3 cup bourbon
3 tbsp.  soy sauce reduced sodium
3 - 4 tbsp. light brown sugar packed
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic minced or grated
1 tsp. fresh ginger grated
pinch of cayenne pepper
 
Slurry
1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. water
 
Instructions
 
Make the Brine

1. Combine all brine ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag (I used a gallon size), or large airtight container. Whisk until combined well. Add pork chops to brine, seal bag or container and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
2. When using a bag, I like to place the bag inside a baking dish, so in case the bag leaks, you won't have a giant mess in your refrigerator, it'll be contained in the dish.

  
Make the Bourbon Glaze

1. Add all bourbon glaze ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over MED heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce heat to LOW and simmer for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Mix slurry ingredients (cornstarch and water) in a small bowl, then add to bourbon glaze and cook another 1-2 minutes, until thickened.

 
Bake the Pork Chops

1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Remove pork from brine, rinse with cold water, and pat very dry. Discard brine.
2. Season with 1/2 tsp EACH salt, pepper, smoked paprika and dried thyme.
3. Add vegetable oil to large oven-safe skillet and heat over MED-HIGH heat. Once pan is hot, add seasoned pork chops and cook, without flipping or moving, for 2-3 minutes.
4. Using tongs, flip pork chops over, and transfer skillet to the preheated oven.
5. Bake 5 minutes, then flip pork chops back over, return to the oven and bake another 4 minutes, until pork is cooked to 145 F degrees (internal temperature).
6. Remove pork chops to a plate, and cover loosely with foil. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.

 
To serve, brush or spoon a bit of sauce over the top of each pork chop, serve with remaining sauce on the side.

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