Ultimate & Easy Brined Pork Chops

There’s nothing worse than a dry and flavorless pork chop. Once you have your hands on some good (and thick) cuts of pork, brine them. Brining is a process where you submerge meat in a salt-water mixture for an extended period of time. You can brine them for up to 8 hours before things start to taste a little too salty. If you forgot to start brining first thing in the morning, you can always shorten the brine time by stabbing the meat with a fork or fine needle to allow the brine into the meat a little easier.

Made on the Napoleon Prestige Pro 500 (You can use any grill for this recipe)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pork loin chops
• 2 cups water
• ¼ cup kosher salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 cups ice

Rub:

• 2 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. mustard powder
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Bourbon Bacon Butter:

• ¼ cup butter softened
• 1 tbsp. bourbon
• 2 slices of leftover bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled
• Fresh fennel fronds

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, combine the water, kosher salt, and brown sugar. Warm over medium heat allowing the salt and sugar to dissolve. Combine the salt-water and ice to cool the brine. Make sure that you do this in a heat-safe container – you can use the saucepan if it’s big enough. Once the brine is cooled, you can transfer it to a zip-top bag or glass/ceramic container. Submerge the pork chops in the brine and place them into the fridge for 2 to 8 hours.
2. Dice the fennel fronds (resemble dill). In a small bowl, combine the butter, bourbon, bacon, and fennel fronds. Place the butter mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a tube, twisting at the ends. Place into the fridge. 
3. When ready to cook, raise the cooking grid on the Infrared SIZZLE ZONE™ (Prestige/PRO Series) to the upper position and preheat to high. If you don’t have a sear station, preheat your main burners to high – 500°F+. 
4. Remove the pork chops from the brine, rinse them carefully, and pat them dry. In a small bowl, mix the paprika, garlic, mustard, cayenne, brown sugar, and fresh pepper. Generously season the pork chops on all sides. 
5. Sear the pork chops over direct heat for 2 to 5 minutes per side, until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F. For perfect sear marks, turn the pork chops 45° clockwise after 1½ to 2 minutes then flip and repeat. 
6. Remove from heat and top with a slice of the bourbon-bacon-butter while they rest for at least 5 minutes.