Make Grilled Pork Chops Taste Unforgettable With This Simple Brine

Pork chops are a classic dish often served with traditional flavors, such as apples and cranberries, while rich sauces and gravies enhance the flavor even more. But one practice combined with the right ingredients adds a delectable taste and juiciness all the way through the meat: brining. While there are different brining styles, one simple brine stands apart.

Brining pork chops in a blend of brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic cloves, shallots, and black peppercorns is a stand-above-the-rest flavor-maker that's part of our recipe for sambal matah-ish grilled pork chops. Balinese sambal matah is usually cooked by pouring hot cooking oil over the pork, but this recipe uses a grill. The brine works perfectly nonetheless, and it's simple to make.

Combine warm water with the brown sugar and mix until it dissolves, then add the other ingredients. Place the pork chops in a sealable plastic bag, pour in the brine solution, and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour before you cook the meat. Brining is incredibly helpful with cooking lean meats such as pork, which tend to dry out easily due to their often thin size and reduced fat content.

Using a brine is one extra step for making juicy pork chops. A brine mixed with flavorful ingredients not only helps you cook juicier chops, but also enhances the taste before you even consider adding any toppings. In addition, choosing the best pork chops for the grill greatly improves your results. Consider thicker cuts, which cook more slowly and retain moisture, and use bone-in versus boneless chops, which also keep the meat moist because of the bone. The fat also amps up the flavor.

An effective brine combines two main elements: water, and a few tablespoons of salt. The salt helps infuse the meat with moisture by denaturing the proteins so the cells can hold more liquid. It also tenderizes the meat by causing the muscle fibers to elongate and swell. In addition, brining provides the opportunity to create more flavor by adding ingredients, such as herbs, spices, and aromatics.

The brine described above combines the classic water-and-salt method with additional ingredients to create one flavorful concoction. Soy sauce and fish sauce are salty condiments that also provide umami, while garlic and shallots are aromatics, adding even more flavor. Sugar creates a sweeter profile for the chops (and also helps brown the meat when it's grilled) while rice vinegar tenderizes it. All in all, making pork chops with this simple brine imbues your dish with an incredible amount of juiciness and flavor, impressing family and guests who join you at the dinner table.