Maker's Table

Grilled Boneless Pork Chops

I had a few pork chops in the fridge, and since it was a nice evening, I decided to fire up the grill. I was nervous about drying out the lean meat, so brined the chops, briefly, before grilling. It was wonderful: tender, pink, and flavorful. Here's what I did.

Make the brine: In a medium saucepan, mix 2 cups chicken stock with 1/4 cup Kosher salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, and 1 Tbs red wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from heat, pour into a medium bowl, and add ice water until the mixture cools to about 90° F.

Trim the fat and silverskin from two whole boneless pork chops. Cut each chop in two. Place in the brine in the bowl, cover, and let rest in the fridge one hour.

Heat a grill to medium-hot. Remove the chops from the brine and rinse them briefly in cold water. Pat them dry and place on the hot grill. Cook the chops, flipping once, until the internal temperature reads about 145° F. Remove to a plate and tent loosely with foil while you make the sauce.

Make the sauce: heat a skillet to medium-high. Add 1 Tbs oil, heat it until it shimmers, then add 1 Tbs chopped shallot or garlic. Cook 1 minute, then add 1/4 cup white wine and reduce about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken stock and boil hard for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is syrupy. Reduce the heat, add 2 Tbs butter, swirling to bind the sauce. Add the chops briefly to the pan to reheat them.

To serve, spoon the pan sauce over the meat and scatter a handful of chopped fresh thyme or rosemary on top. Serve with rice and sautéed vegetables. Bliss.

Sear-roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Herbs

I'm partial to du Breton pork tenderloins. Maybe it's because I'm a recovering vegetarian, but I like to think they treat their pigs better in Canada, home of the nice. The meat is classified as "natural," meaning no antibiotics and minimally processed. The tenderloins have a delicate texture and a clean, sweet smell, lacking the astringent (and ethical) overtones of industrially-raised pork.

Tonight I sear-roasted a small tenderloin, smothering it in fresh herbs for the oven. Here's the method (serves two):

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. (I have a convection oven with a Roast function; use this if you have it, but set the temperature to 400 instead.)

In a blender or food processor, whirl a cup of fresh herbs with a couple of cloves of garlic and a quarter of a cup of olive oil. I used a combination of basil, parsley, and rosemary, but almost any herbs will do. Thyme is especially good with pork, and you could complement this with some prepared Dijon mustard. Don't worry about pureeing the herbs too fine. Coarse is good.

Rinse and pat dry the tenderloin, then trim its silverskin. Pound the thickest part a bit so the meat will cook evenly. Rub it with olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Sear each side for about 3 minutes in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and smear with the herb mixture, then place in an oven-proof pan and roast for about 12 minutes. I cook it to medium rare, with an internal temperature of about 135 degrees F. (The USDA says you need to cook it to 160, but that's advice for people who savor the notion that the pig died in vain.)

Let the meat rest, tented with foil, for five or ten minutes. This rest is critical: the internal temperature will continue to rise slightly, and the meat, tight from the hot oven, will relax and reincorporate its juices. Finally, cut the meat diagonally into 3/4" slices, arrange on two plates, and pour the roasting juices over it. Enjoy.