Juicy Pork Chops with Agrodolce Sauce

Typically when you say “pork chop”, I say “not interested.” The majority of pork chops, at least that I’ve encountered, have been dry and tough (sorry, mom).

That was before I was introduced to using a brine. A brine is heavily salted water that you soak meat in before cooking. It helps to break down the muscle fibers and keep the meat juicy…really juicy.

These pork chops are served with an agrodolce sauce. Agrodolce is a traditional Italian sauce that has sweet and sour elements. In this case – honey and balsamic vinegar. Oh yeah, it’s incredible.

We paired it with mashed sweet potatoes. Perfection. And the guys really loved the flavor and crunch of the green onions on top. If you avoid pork chops like the plague, as I once did, you have to give the recipe a shot. You just might change your mind.

 

Brined Pork Chops with Agrodolce Sauce

Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

For the brine:

[list style=”style6″]
[li]12 cups cold water[/li]
[li]1/2 cup kosher salt[/li]
[li]1/2 cup molasses[/li]
[li]1 tsp. whole black peppercorns[/li]
[li]3 sprigs fresh rosemary[/li]
[li]4 boneless pork chops, 1 1/2 – 2 inches thick[/li]
[/list]

For the sauce and chops:

[list style=”style6″]
[li]1/2 cup balsamic vinegar[/li]
[li]1/2 cup honey[/li]
[li]2 green onions, thinly sliced[/li]
[li]4 cloves garlic, minced[/li]
[li]2 Tbsp. butter[/li]
[li]Olive oil[/li]
[li]Salt, to taste[/li]
[li]Freshly ground black pepper, to taste[/li]
[li]Crushed red pepper, to taste[/li]
[li]2 green onions, for garnish[/li]
[/list]

Directions

Create brine:
Add water to a large non-metal bowl or enameled dutch oven. Add salt and molasses and whisk. Remove rosemary leaves from their stems. Add rosemary and peppercorns. Place pork chops in brine and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight (or as long as possible up to 24 hours).

Make pork chops and sauce:
Preheat oven to 425°. In a small saucepan, stir together balsamic, honey, green onions, and garlic over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly (to prevent boil over) and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Set aside to thicken.

Remove pork chops from brine and season liberally with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Sear pork chops for 3 minutes on each side. Then move cast-iron skillet to the oven until the middle of the pork chops reach 160°.

Serve over mashed sweet potatoes (recipe below) topped with Agrodolce sauce and chopped green onions. 

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

[list style=”style6″]
[li]2 lbs. sweet potatoes[/li]
[li]2 Tbsp. butter[/li]
[li]2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup[/li]
[li]1/4 cup whole milk or cream[/li]
[li]Salt, to taste[/li]
[li]Freshly ground black pepper, to taste[/li]
[/list]

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel and quarter sweet potatoes and add to boiling water. Cook until fork tender. Drain water. Add in butter, maple, milk, salt, and pepper and mash all together and serve.