Molasses Brined Pork Chops

Brining pork chops is like upgrading to premium cable; once you do it, you can't go back to basic. Dissolve salt and molasses in water, toss in the chops, and wait. What do you get from such little effort? A pork chop that's seasoned from the inside out, with a firm, but very moist texture.

• Preparation Time: 5 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Calories: 346 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup molasses
• 1 cup boiling water
• ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
• 4 whole cloves
• ½ cup kosher salt
• 7 cups cold water
• 4 (2 1/4 inch thick) center cut, bone-in pork chops

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.

Step 2

Combine salt, molasses, cloves, and boiling water in a large container. Stir until molasses and salt are dissolved; let cool to room temperature.

Step 3

Pour cold water into molasses mixture; stir to combine.

Step 4

Completely submerge pork chops in molasses mixture. Cover container and refrigerate for 6 hours.

Step 5

Remove pork chops from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly oil each chop.

Step 6

Place pork chops on the hottest part of the grill; cook each side until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium-high area of the grill and cook pork until it is slightly pink in the center, 6 to 8 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chop should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).