This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
I just came back from my Association of Luxury Suite Directors conference in Minneapolis, and so of course constantly ate out at restaurants. It was great for the blog, but not really for my waistline or for cooking new recipes. I actually realized just yesterday my time was running short to make my new recipe for the week. I love pork chops, but making the same 2 recipes gets boring really fast, so I wanted something new and different. I had found the recipe for Chili Brined Pork Chops with Cilantro Vinaigrette the other day, and decided this was the recipe to try. On Thursday jalapeno bin at the grocery store was stacked full but I didn’t buy any because I didn’t think I needed them. And of course, when I went this morning to pick some up for this recipe they were all out. Two stores later, I had found some. The recipe also calls for habanero, but I couldn’t find any. The recipe calls for the pork chops to be brined for at least 2 hours. Had I not taken a 2-hour nap this afternoon I could have brined it longer, but the nap was more important.
Here’s the official recipe:
And here’s my version:
These pork chops were fantastic. It can be easy to overcook pork chops, and when you do they are so dry and lifeless. Brining makes a huge difference. Not only did it stay very tender and juicy, but it was also extremely flavorful. The habanero might have been a little too much, but I’m still willing to try it next time. There is quite a bit of garlic in the vinaigrette, and I should have cooked it a little bit first or minced it more, or both. Even mixed with the other parts of the vinaigrette, raw garlic still has that serious bite.
The recipe only calls for a cup of Modelo–well, 1/4 cup in my case since I made it just for me, so I finished the Modelo with dinner.
Will I make these chili brined pork chops again? Yes, most definitely. It’s a delicious meal, and
Recipe found on Gen Y Foodie