It has been awhile since we last had a pork chop. I have always preferred the more marble part of the meat, the pork chop is too lean for me.
Since it must be cooked through, it can be quite tough.
Tenderizing the pork with marinade is an excellent way to both flavouring the meat and making it more tender.
The marinade will need to contain either an acid or a tenderising enzyme to break down the proteins in meat on the molecular level.
Take note though, too much acid can make meat tougher and mushy.
Another alternative is to brine the meat.
To infuse the meat with extra flavour, I use beer here and throw in some rosemary for aromatics.
Just ensure the meat is completely submerged in the liquid.
I intended it a "one-pot dish" by serving it with a lovely bean, tomatoes sauce and crusty bread.
Soaking up the sauce with the crusty bread is so comforting and delicious.
You will need:
Beer Brine
2 cups beer
2 cups of water
1/4 cup coarse salt
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
rosemary
3-4 pork chop
Methods:
Combine the above and stir until salt and sugar dissolve.
Place pork chops in resealable bag or container and pour brine over.
Refrigerate for 4 hours.
Heat up the grill or grill pan over medium heat.
Place on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for another 3 minutes.
If your pork chop is thick, you may want to place the grill pan in the oven for another 10 minutes at 160C.
Sauce
1 can of beans, drained (butter beans, kidney beans or cannellini beans)
1 onion, chopped
Cherry tomatoes (or any tomatoes)
Rosemary
1-2 cups of beef/vegetable broth
1 tablespoon of oil
salt and sugar to taste
black pepper (optional)
Methods:
Heat up a sauce pan with oil and toss in the chopped onions, tomatoes and rosemary.Stir fry till fragrant.
Add in the broth. When boil, toss in the beans and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
Season to taste with salt, sugar and pepper.
Set aside and serve with pork chop and crusty bread
Cook's Notes:
Instead of pork chop, use veal or chicken which need no brine.
