Brining Time!!

Brining is simple technique using salt, sugar, water and herbs and spices that allows the meat to retain moisture while cooking and gives it a really nice flavor. My brining career only encompasses pork, but I do plan on venturing into fowl and poultry. Anyway, I've tried several techniques and I found that they both give similar results. One technique asks that you simmer the water, salt and sugar mixture and allow to cool before placing the meat into it and the other calls for just mixing up your stuff and then adding your meat. With both techniques you allow it to sit overnight in the refrigerator. Why don't you try both techniques and let me know what you think? Anyway, brining typically calls for 1 part water, 1 part kosher salt and 1/2 part sugar and whatever herbs, spices or aromatics that you might like. Be conservative using garlic powder, it can give a bitter taste to the meat and be sure to chop up fresh garlic, onions and peppers if you are going that route. I had three nice sized pork chops (about 2" thick) and I placed them in a large glass bowl that I filled with 1 gallon of cold water, 1 C Kosher salt, 1/2 C Molasses, a tsp of each of cumin seed, fennel seed, coriander seed, 1 clove of garlic chopped and 1 bay leaf (of course I mixed it all up before adding the chops). I then placed the bowl in the refrigerator. Tonight when I got home I heated my cast iron skillet on med heat and preheated my oven to 425. I removed the chops from the brine mixture and patted them dry and rubbed all sides with a little canola oil and then sprinkled them with a little S & P on both sides. When my skillet was very hot I placed the chops in and browned all sides for about 5 minutes each. After browning I placed 1/2 tbs of butter onto the tops of each and then placed them in the oven until they reached a temperature of 140-145 degrees (they will continue to cook when you remove them from the oven). I then removed them from the oven and let them rest for about 5 minutes before I served them. They turned out really nice. A lot of flavor and very moist. I hope that you will give brining a try it really adds something special to the meat. Bon Appetit!