Pork Chop Brine

This pork chop brine is a blend of salt, sugar, herbs and spices that infuses the meat with flavor and helps to keep it tender and juicy. A good brine is the secret to perfectly cooked chops every time!

Course Main

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Brining Time 6

Total Time 6 15

Servings

Calories 32kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

8 cups water divided use
1/4 cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons fennel seeds lightly crushed
2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic crushed
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

Pour 1 cup of boiling water into a large bowl that will fit all of the pork chops. Make sure the bowl will fit into your refrigerator.
Add the salt and sugar to the water and stir until dissolved
Add the allspice, fennel seeds, peppercorns, bay leaf, garlic and thyme to the bowl.
Add 7 cups of very cold water to the bowl and stir to combine
Place the pork chops in the bowl, making sure that they're completely submerged. You can add more water if needed.
Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or up to 24 hours.
Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry with paper towels
Cook the pork as desired. This brine is enough to for 6 pork chops.

Video

Notes

Make sure that your brine is cool before you add the pork. If you need it to cool down faster, you can add some ice cubes.

I typically brine my pork in a very large bowl, but a brining bag will also work. You can find brining bags online or at kitchen stores.

If the brine doesn't completely cover your chops, it's fine to add a little more water until they're fully submerged.

Nutrition