Party Pork Chops - Roasted or Grilled

Remember when pork chops were considered a fatty meat? Now it's the "other white meat". In making them healthier they also made them have less flavor, as usually happens. So lets put some flavor back in with a brine and a marinade, and still keep them healthy, but with lots of flavor.

Party Pork Chops - Roasted or Grilled
4 servings
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4 1-inch pork chops

Brine
5 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar

Marinade
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 garlic clove, pressed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons olive oil

Rinse the pork chops with water and pat them dry with paper towels.

In a large bowl, whisk together the brine until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Place the pork chops in the brine, cover, and brine overnight in the refrigerator.

Drain the brine. Rinse chops in cold eater and let stand in cold water 10 minutes. Pat dry.

Whisk together the marinade ingredients. Place pork chops in the marinade and allow them to marinate for 1 hour. (While the pork chops are marinating, you can make the apples; recipe follows.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On the stove, heat a large saute' pan over medium high heat, then pour in 2 tablespoons oil and let it heat until it shimmers. Sear the chops for about 2 minutes on each side (until well caramelized), then flip and do the other side 2 minutes. You can either remove them from the pan and place them in a roasting pan, or, if your skillet can be place in the oven, roast them directly in the pan.

If cooking on the grill place chops on a medium-high heat grill for 7 minutes, with grill cover on, on each side. All grills are not the same.

Roast or grill the chops until a thermometer indicates their interior temperature is 145 degrees F. White the chops are roasting, reheat the apples. Serve immediately.