Pork chops on the grill and brining

Last summer I 'discovered' the deliciousness of pork chops on the BBQ grill. I would just use a pastry brush and 'paint' the chops with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt/pepper and McCormick's Pork Seasoning. Well, I used up the last of my McCormick's Pork Seasoning and can't find it at any grocery store that I frequent. I went to the McCormick website and it appears that they don't carry it anymore (or perhaps it is now called "McCormick Grillmates Pork Rub"?) :shrug:

Anyway, while looking around McCormick's website I saw this recipe for Apple Brined Pork Chops:

http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Main-Dish/Apple-Cider-Brined-Pork-Chops.aspx

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The secret to moist and delicious pork chops is to first brine or soak them in a mixture of water, apple cider, maple syrup and salt.

Makes 8 servings.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Refrigerate Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 12 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Apple Cider Brine:
4 cups cold water
2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup table salt
2 pounds pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick, trimmed
Olive oil
2 tablespoons McCormick® Grill Mates® Pork Rub

DIRECTIONS

1. For the Brine, pour cold water, apple cider and syrup into large plastic or glass container, or 2-gallon resealable plastic bag. Stir in salt until dissolved. Place pork chops in brine to cover. If necessary, place a plate on top of pork chops to keep them submerged. Cover container or seal bag.

2. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Remove pork chops from brine. Discard remaining brine. Rinse pork chops under cool running water. Pat dry. Brush pork chops lightly with oil. Rub with Pork Rub.

3. Grill over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes per side or until pork is desired doneness.

Tips
Test Kitchen Tip: To prepare Brine without apple cider and maple syrup, increase water to 8 cups and add 1/2 cup sugar. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved.
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Okay, here's my question. I don't want "sweet" pork chops. I see in the 'Test Kitchen Tip' above one can just use salt & sugar for the brine (instead of the maple syrup & apple cider). I've never brined anything EVER, but I understand that it does make meat more moist. Must I use the sugar? or can I just use salt/water/spices perhaps? Will the chops taste "sweet" with the 1/2 cup sugar in there? And lastly, is brining "worth" the extra effort? Do you think it will work with bbq grilled pork chops?

TIA for any thoughts/advice :hi:

for coned beef and it had sugar in the brine. It definitely didn't come out sweet.

I started with cider brine, but having the cider when I wanted to grill proved problematic. So I went way simpler, about a year ago.

Now, for one pork chop:

2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp salt
Water to cover

I would expect this can do two chops just as well as one.

I brine for just an hour and I do it at room temperature (starting with a cold chop, right out of the refrig).

Then I coat it with olive oil and a rub. There are four or five rubs (at least) that I use. I really like the Costco Sweet Mesquite, but I have several from McCormick, from other brands and home made. Look up Memphis Dry Rub on the Google ... lots of variations on that theme, and all of them very good.

Then I grill the chop. 3 or 4 minutes on the first side, about the same on the second side. Internal temp about 155 or 160 (still pink, but all cooked).




The brine keeps the chop moist. The sugar helps the chop caramelize and brown. The rub makes 99% of the flavor.

edit to add the last paragraph.

I use a LOT more salt than the recipe you gave though. I'm not sure if it makes a difference as I've never tried using less.

I dissolve a cup of salt (I use Kosher salt because it dissolves faster) with 2 cups of apple cider vinegar, 2 cups of water, a few peppercorns, 1/4 cup of molasses, and one half cup of dark brown sugar. I heat all of this on a pan until the sugar and salt dissolves.

I then add enough ice to bring the temp to < 40 degrees, and a few cups more ice to keep everything cool for a couple of hours.

As far as the pork chops go, I usually like to cut them myself from a center cut pork loin, or I have a butcher do it. Either way I get them 2" thick (I measure with a ruler to get them all consistent).

The pork chops and the brine go together for 2 hours. 2 hours is the magic number for 2" chops.

The next step it to put 1 cup of olive oil into the blender with a few sprigs of rosemary(stalks removed) and blend until the rosemary gets nicely chopped. After the pork chops come out of the brine, I dry them off and put them into a ziplock with the herb/oil mixture while I'm getting everything else ready. Then it's on to the grill where they are seared on each side, then moved to the indirect heat side of the grill until the internal temp reaches 140 degrees.

My in-laws would rather have my pork chops than a steak at a restaurant.