Pork chops are one of those things that I always thought were just okay. They aren’t as juicy as a steak, and they aren’t as flavorful as some of their other pork cousins (ribs, pork shoulder, pork belly).

The first time I ever saw someone brine a pork chop was years ago in San Francisco. My friend Blake cooked the juiciest pork chop I had ever tasted, and since then, I have always brined my pork chops.

You can use brine to infuse flavors into your meat, but I usually just make a plain one for the juice factor. Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices!

Brined Pork Chops

2 thick pork chops
1 1/2 T kosher salt
1 1/2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 c warm water
1 c ice cubes
black pepper
olive oil

Dissolve the salt and sugar in the warm water. Add ice cubes to cool the water, then add the pork chops. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

When you are ready to cook your pork chops, remove them from the brine and rinse thoroughly. They will be very salty if you skip this step! Pat dry with paper towels.

Season the pork chops with black pepper or any other desired seasoning, then sear over medium-high heat in a skillet with olive oil for 3-4 minutes on each side. We have ours with grainy mustard on the side.